Transcriptomic and Metabolomic Signatures of Acute Circadian Misalignment in Mice

Acute circadian misalignment, such as that induced by a single episode of jet lag, can leave molecular traces even after behavioral rhythms appear to recover. Here, we applied an integrated multi-omics approach—combining liver transcriptomics and plasma metabolomics—to characterize residual signatures on the 7th day after a single 6-h phase advance in male mice. Our data revealed significant alterations, particularly in the core clock genes Bmal1 and Cry1, and the metabolites l-arginine and SM(d18:1/18:1(11Z)), with notable differences at Zeitgeber Time 0 (ZT0). Additionally, we identified l-Serine as a potential biomarker for circadian misalignment, independent of sampling time. These findings provide new insights into potential biomarkers for detecting acute circadian misalignment.