Identification of ABE2A as a circadian amplitude enhancer with drug-like potency

Many species have an adaptation system to the period of the solar day. This endogenous mechanism is called the circadian clock, which can be defined as an autonomous 24h cycle controlling daily rhythms in physiology and behavior. Thus, a robust circadian clock is required for many processes in our body to work smoothly. Our body's control center of circadian clock operation is SCN (suprachiasmatic nucleus), which uses the phoetic input sensed by intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs). SCN regulates cellular clocks and peripheral tissues and coordinates them with the help of neural or hormonal signals. This oscillatory system depends upon transcriptional translational regulatory feedback loops (TTFLs). The main loop consists of CLOCK, BMAL1 (positive arm), and CRYs, PERs (negative arm). Mechanistically, CLOCK and BMAL1 interact with each other in the cytosol. Then this heterodimer translocates into the nucleus and binds to E-Box elements within the promoter of CRYPTOCHROME (CRY) and PERIOD (PER). Cryptochrome (CRY), PER, and the epsilon isoform of casein kinase I (CK1ε) form a complex in the cytosol that enters the nucleus and inhibits their own transcription regulated by CLOCK and BMAL1 heterodimer. Any disruption in this mechanism may result in diseases or disorders. Small molecule modifiers are efficient tools to repair this perturbed mechanism and have many advantages over other therapeutic approaches. In my study, I characterized a novel small molecule called ABE2A, 100 times more effective derivative of the CLK8 molecule, which increases the amplitude of circadian rhythm by specifically interacting with CLOCK and decreasing the interaction between CLOCK and BMAL1. Further experiments revealed that ABE2A decreases the nuclear abundance of CLOCK, BMAL1 and increases the cytosolic abundance of BMAL1. Additionally, it reduces the total cell protein level of CLOCK and increases PER2. ABE2A also affects the transcriptional levels of E-box and D-box-regulated genes. For instance, it drops the expression of core clock genes such as DBP, BMAL1, and PER2. Overall, similar to CLK8, ABE2A reduces the positive arm components in the nucleus, limiting the transcription of the negative arm. Thus, the repression activity in the TTFL is stabilized, and the amplitude of the circadian rhythm enhances. For these reasons, and also by being effective at nanomolar doses, ABE2A has a drug-like potency against various health problems related to decreased amplitude, such as some metabolic diseases, mood disorders, and accelerated aging.