Chelsea Hepler, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Molecular & Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan

Host: Dr. James Granneman

“Circadian Control of Mitochondrial Complex I in Adipose Tissue Metabolic Homeostasis”

Abstract

Disruption of circadian rhythms, through shift work, sleep loss, or irregular eating patterns, has profound effects on metabolic health, yet the underlying cellular mechanisms remain unclear. Our lab studies how circadian clocks coordinate mitochondrial function and energy metabolism in adipose tissue to maintain metabolic homeostasis. We identify mitochondrial complex I as a key effector of clock function in adipocytes. Circadian disruption impairs complex I-dependent respiration and metabolic signaling in adipocytes, driving metabolic dysfunction, while restoring complex I activity is protective. These findings establish clock control of mitochondrial respiration as a key mechanism linking circadian rhythms to metabolic health.