Enhancement of osteoblast differentiation by regulating circadian clock protein, cryptochrome, with blue-violet laser irradiation to mesenchymal stromal cells

Abstract

Circadian rhythms are oscillations in the behaviour and biochemical reactions of organisms, and occur with a periodicity of approximately twenty-four hours. The mammalian cryptochrome (CRY) have been proposed as circadian photoreceptor pigments. In this study, laser irradiation promoted osteogenesis of mesenchymal stromal cells, induced the translocation of mCRY1 protein from the cytoplasm to the nucleus and downregulated mCRY1 mRNA levels. Laser irradiation could provide a simple and effective means of controlling the fate of cells as a therapeutic strategy. Furthermore, this model system may be useful for exploring the crosstalk between circadian rhythm and cell differentiation.