Daily gene activity differs with age and protein buildup in mice
Day–night comparisons of young and aged male mice found altered gene patterns in fluid-producing brain tissue, including lost transport-related gene rhythms with amyloid-beta protein buildup.
Our read
Mechanisms- Studied:
- Experiments in young and aged male mice, against aged mice without amyloid-beta buildup
- What changed:
- Aged mice with amyloid-beta buildup lost day–night regulation of transport-related genes compared with aged mice without buildup
- The catch:
- Gene activity was sampled at only two times of day
Editor of record: Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News
Male mice aged 3–4 months and 12–14 months were compared in an animal experiment. Researchers examined day–night gene activity in the choroid plexus, tissue that produces most cerebrospinal fluid, the liquid surrounding the brain and spinal cord.
In young mice, daily differences involved genes related to protein stability and cell metabolism—how cells use energy and materials. In aged mice, the pattern shifted toward transport across cell membranes and the balance of ions, electrically charged particles. Aged mice with amyloid-beta protein buildup lost this daily regulation, although clock-related genes remained rhythmic. Separate measurements in male and female mice found that daily patterns of an ion-transport protein varied with age and sex. These patterns accompanied changes in cerebrospinal fluid potassium.
Why it matters
Cerebrospinal fluid changes with age and Alzheimer’s disease. The authors suggest that links between daily transport regulation and fluid chemistry may help clarify its role in age-related brain changes.
Caveats
The broad gene-activity comparison sampled only two times of day and measured gene activity, not fluid production. That comparison used 3–4 male mice per condition; separate protein and fluid measurements included both sexes.
The paper
Diurnal choroid plexus function in mice depends on sex, age, and amyloid-β status
University of Auckland; University of Washington
Communications Biology, May 20, 2026, Open access
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