Cited by 173Circadian rhythm and melatoninNeurotransmitter Receptor Influence on BehaviorSleep and Wakefulness Research

Dopamine: A Modulator of Circadian Rhythms in the Central Nervous System

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Korshunov, Kirill S., Blakemore, Laura J., Trombley, Paul Q.·2017·Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience

Abstract

Circadian rhythms are daily rhythms that regulate many biological processes - from gene transcription to behavior - and a disruption of these rhythms can lead to a myriad of health risks. Circadian rhythms are entrained by light, and their 24-h oscillation is maintained by a core molecular feedback loop composed of canonical circadian ("clock") genes and proteins. Different modulators help to maintain the proper rhythmicity of these genes and proteins, and one emerging modulator is dopamine. Dopamine has been shown to have circadian-like activities in the retina, olfactory bulb, striatum, midbrain, and hypothalamus, where it regulates, and is regulated by, clock genes in some of these areas. Thus, it is likely that dopamine is essential to mechanisms that maintain proper rhythmicity of these five brain areas. This review discusses studies that showcase different dopaminergic mechanisms that may be involved with the regulation of these brain areas' circadian rhythms. Mechanisms include how dopamine and dopamine receptor activity directly and indirectly influence clock genes and proteins, how dopamine's interactions with gap junctions influence daily neuronal excitability, and how dopamine's release and effects are gated by low- and high-pass filters. Because the dopamine neurons described in this review also release the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA which influences clock protein expression in the retina, we discuss articles that explore how GABA may contribute to the actions of dopamine neurons on circadian rhythms. Finally, to understand how the loss of function of dopamine neurons could influence circadian rhythms, we review studies linking the neurodegenerative disease Parkinson's Disease to disruptions of circadian rhythms in these five brain areas. The purpose of this review is to summarize growing evidence that dopamine is involved in regulating circadian rhythms, either directly or indirectly, in the brain areas discussed here. An appreciation of the growing evidence of dopamine's influence on circadian rhythms may lead to new treatments including pharmacological agents directed at alleviating the various symptoms of circadian rhythm disruption.

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Crossref · 10.3389/fncel.2017.00091

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  • SCN neuronal firing is reduced in these mice from young adulthood and progressively worsens with age, suggesting a weakened circadian pacemaker and a potential loss of dopaminergic modulation of circadian rhythms.

    “SCN neuronal firing is also reduced in these mice from young adulthood and progressively worsens with age, suggesting a weakened circadian pacemaker276 and a potential loss of dopaminergic modulation of circadian rhythms via midbrain, striatal and SCN circuits277,278.”

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  1. Nolte J. (2009). The Human Brain: An Introduction to its Functional Anatomy, 6th Edn. Philadelphia, PA: Mosby, Inc.

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Authors
Korshunov, K. S., Blakemore, L. J., & Trombley, P. Q.
Affiliations
Florida State University (US)
Corresponding author
Trombley, Paul Q.
Venue
Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience
Published
2017-04-03
Volume
11
Pages
91-91
ISSN
1662-5102 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2598018500
Cited by
173
References
173
Citations by year
2026: 14 · 2025: 27 · 2024: 19 · 2023: 24 · 2022: 18 · 2021: 23 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 18 · 2017: 7
FWCI
1.57
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
National Institutes of Health (T32 DC000044)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Circadian rhythm and melatonin
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Sleep and Wakefulness Research
Keywords
dopamine, circadian rhythm, clock genes, clock proteins, dopamine receptors, gap junctions, neuronal excitability, GABA, dopaminergic neurons, retina, olfactory bulb, striatum, midbrain, hypothalamus, Parkinson's disease, circadian rhythm disruption, light entrainment

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