An ecdysone-responsive nuclear receptor regulates circadian rhythms in Drosophila

Little is known about molecular links between circadian clocks and steroid hormone signaling although both are important for normal physiology. Here we report a circadian function for a nuclear receptor, Ecdysone Induced Protein 75 (Eip75/E75), which we identify through a gain-of-function screen for circadian genes in Drosophila melanogaster. Overexpression or knockdown of E75 in clock neurons disrupts rest:activity rhythms and dampens molecular oscillations. E75 represses expression of the gene encoding the transcriptional activator, CLOCK (CLK), and may also affect circadian output. PER inhibits the activity of E75 on the Clk promoter, thereby providing a mechanism for a previously proposed de-repressor effect of PER on Clk transcription. The ecdysone receptor is also expressed in central clock cells and manipulations of its expression produce effects similar to those of E75 on circadian rhythms. We find that E75 protects rhythms under stressful conditions, suggesting a function for steroid signaling in the maintenance of circadian rhythms in Drosophila.