Rev-erbα and the circadian transcriptional regulation of metabolism

The circadian clock orchestrates the co‐ordinated rhythmicity of numerous metabolic pathways to anticipate daily and seasonal changes in energy demand. This vital physiological function is controlled by a set of individual clock components that are present in each cell of the body, and regulate each other as well as clock output genes. A key factor is the nuclear receptor, Rev‐erbα, a transcriptional repressor which functions not only as a clock component but also as a modulator of metabolic programming in an array of tissues. This review explores the role of Rev‐erbα in mediating this crosstalk between circadian rhythm and tissue‐specific biological networks and its relevance to organismal physiology.