Altered food-anticipatory activity rhythm in Cryptochrome-deficient mice

In this study, we investigated the impact of the absence of mCRY products upon the locomotion pattern induced by RF. RF caused an increase in daytime activity that lasted even for 2 days after food was withheld, in wild-type and mCry1−/− mCry2−/− mice. However, RF-induced activity was less stable and appeared more gradually in mutant mice. Similar results were obtained with mice housed under constant darkness or with SCN-lesioned wild-type and mutant mice. Our data reveal that mCry proteins are basically dispensable for food-entrainable oscillation. However, it is also important to note that mCry deficiency affects the stability and development of RF-induced anticipatory locomotor activity.