Circadian rhythms and clocks in adipose tissues: current insights

Endogenous circadian timekeepers are found in most cells and organs of the body, including the different types of adipose tissues. This clock network orchestrates 24-hour rhythms of physiology and behavior to adapt the organism to daily recurring changes in the environment. Energy intake and expenditure as well as adipose physiology are under circadian control and, therefore, energy homeostasis and circadian clock function are closely linked. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge about the regulation and targets of adipocyte circadian clocks and how circadian rhythm disruption affects energy homeostasis and adipose tissue function. We provide a more detailed overview of metabolic phenotypes of different mouse models of circadian clock dysfunction and discuss the implications of (adipose) clock disruption on adipocyte–brain cross talk and metabolic homeostasis.