Not only Bleach: The hydrogen peroxide can be said for some time, to living cells

If a circadian rhythm is like an orchestra - the United expression rhythms of millions of cells - a common chemical may act as a conductor, or at least when the pipeline. The chemical is hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), the active ingredient in bleach color safely. Products in all animal cells, a measure of hydrogen peroxide as a signal for the active phase and resting bodies, suggests new research by biologist USC.

A study in the journal PLoS ONE shows that hydrogen peroxide has been fruit flies dramatic impact on their daily rhythms and activity.

"H2O2 May function as a systemic signal, with the pace set in the cells and between cells," said lead author, John Tower, associate professor of molecular biology and computing at USC College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.

Most people are familiar with the concept of circadian rhythm of waking and sleep. But this is not the only circadian rhythms in the body.

Many organs and tissues of the body have their own circadian rhythms independent, and they also interact to coordinate their rhythms.

Tower study suggests a link between metabolism - energy production from mitochondria, which are often described as the energy factories in cells - and the daily rhythms of animals.

Mitochondria produce hydrogen as a byproduct of combustion with oxygen, whereby the chemical a candidate signaling molecule.

"It's a logical way to metabolic rhythms is contact," said Tower.

"We know a lot about how circadian rhythms are regulated in some cells. However, we have very little about which signals to coordinate circadian rhythms and how these are connected between metabolism and behavior. "

Arrange for the rhythms of the two cells, has a sort of signal to pass between them.

Tour of research put to the signal by examining the action of an enzyme in mitochondria, which can convert from toxic products of combustion processes in the body for hydrogen, even a harmful substance but less toxic to break the defenses of others later.

Tour and his team observed that overexpression of the enzyme, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) is known, increases the activity of fruit flies, and even increasing the lifespan of certain GM varieties.

Tower is suspected that hydrogen peroxide was the most important ingredient in the SOD action.

") Hydrogen peroxide is an excellent candidate for a signaling molecule that could be involved in the rhythms and behaviors. It is the most stable and diffusible reactive species of oxygen (by-products of combustion, but nobody 'had shown a role. "

As a test, Tower Group hydrogen peroxide administered directly to fruit flies by feeding and injection.

Researchers have observed similar effects of direct administration of hydrogen peroxide and overexpression of the enzyme SOD.

Both strategies will increase the activity of adult flies. Long-suppressed direct treatment with the rhythms of hydrogen peroxide per day, whereas overexpression of SOD altered rhythms.

Tower said he did not expect identical results from a direct treatment compared to the gene overexpression.

"I think it is just a little too rough of an intervention to feed or inject the drug, he said, because the effects are not rhythmic, whereas it is expected the production of hydrogen peroxide by mitochondrial SOD, and rhythm and match the pace of metabolism.

Nevertheless, the similarities in the responses of flies hit to direct treatment and overexpression of SOD, the researchers believe that hydrogen is the key chemical.

"This is a very exciting for us is that our data are now beginning to point to hydrogen peroxide is probably still relevant signaling molecule for coupling metabolic disorders, and behavioral rhythms in the animal world "said Tower.

Hydrogen peroxide to regulate the rhythms in each cell and between cells, "said Tower.

Each cell passes through a metabolic phase - in which oxygen to make energy - and to a phase of detoxification, in which the cell breaks the harmful by-products of combustion burns.

The rhythms are coupled with energy-generating activity of their mitochondria.

"Because hydrogen is produced by mitochondria as a product of metabolism, is a great candidate for a signal which may be the modulation of cellular rhythms of it," said Tower.