The molecular circadian rhythms regulating the cell cycle

Abstract The circadian clock controls the expression of a large proportion of protein‐coding genes in mammals and can modulate a wide range of physiological processes. Recent studies have demonstrated that disruption or dysregulation of the circadian clock is involved in the development and progression of several diseases, including cancer. The cell cycle is considered to be the fundamental process related to cancer. Accumulating evidence suggests that the circadian clock can control the expression of a large number of genes related to the cell cycle. This article reviews the mechanism of cell cycle‐related genes whose chromatin regulatory elements are rhythmically occupied by core circadian clock transcription factors, while their RNAs are rhythmically expressed. This article further reviews the identified oscillatory cell cycle‐related genes in higher organisms such as baboons and humans. The potential functions of these identified genes in regulating cell cycle progression are also discussed. Understanding how the molecular clock controls the expression of cell cycle genes will be beneficial for combating and treating cancer.