Loss of ZBTB20 impairs circadian output and leads to unimodal behavioral rhythms

Many animals display morning and evening bimodal activities in the day/night cycle. However, little is known regarding the potential components involved in the regulation of bimodal behavioral rhythms in mammals. Here, we identified that the zinc finger protein gene plays a crucial role in the regulation of bimodal activities in mice. Depletion of in nerve system resulted in the loss of early evening activity, but the increase of morning activity. We found that -deficient mice exhibited a pronounced decrease in the expression of and resembled phenotypes of and -knockout mice. Injection of adeno-associated virus-double-floxed in suprachiasmatic nucleus could partly restore evening activity in (NS-ZB20KO) mice. Furthermore, loss of in loci, but intact in the suprachiasmatic nucleus, was not responsible for the unimodal activity of NS-ZB20KO mice. Our study provides evidence that ZBTB20-mediated PROKR2 signaling is critical for the evening behavioral rhythms.