In vivo imaging of clock gene expression in multiple tissues of freely moving mice

Clock genes are expressed throughout the body, although how they oscillate in unrestrained animals is not known. Here, we show an in vivo imaging technique that enables long-term simultaneous imaging of multiple tissues. We use dual-focal 3D tracking and signal-intensity calibration to follow gene expression in a target area. We measure circadian rhythms of clock genes in the olfactory bulb, right and left ears and cortices, and the skin. In addition, the kinetic relationship between gene expression and physiological responses to experimental cues is monitored. Under stable conditions gene expression is in phase in all tissues. In response to a long-duration light pulse, the olfactory bulb shifts faster than other tissues. In Cry1−/− Cry2−/− arrhythmic mice circadian oscillation is absent in all tissues. Thus, our system successfully tracks circadian rhythms in clock genes in multiple tissues in unrestrained mice.
The circadian rhythms of peripheral clocks are difficult to study. Here the authors demonstrate a technique to image clock gene expression simultaneously in various tissues of freely moving mice, and use it to show that a long duration light pulse resets the rhythms in the olfactory bulb faster than other tissues.