The suprachiasmatic nucleus regulates brown fat thermogenesis in male mice through an adrenergic receptor ADRB3-S100B signaling pathway.
The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), the central circadian pacemaker, orchestrates daily metabolic rhythms, yet its role in substrate selection and thermogenic adaptation under stress remains insufficiently understood. Here, we show that SCN lesioning abolishes the adaptive suppression of brown adipose tissue (BAT) thermogenesis typically observed during time-restricted feeding in subthermoneutral environments (TRF-STE), a paradigm that imposes concurrent nutrient and thermal stress. Contrary to wild-type responses, SCN-lesioned mice maintain elevated BAT thermogenic activity, despite impaired lipolysis, instead shifting toward glucose-driven heat production. This phenotype is accompanied by sustained sympathetic tone and β3-adrenergic receptor (ADRB3) signaling in BAT. Mechanistically, we identify a SCN-regulated ADRB3-S100B signaling axis underlying this metabolic reprogramming. S100B, a nutrient-sensitive calcium-binding protein, is upregulated in BAT following SCN disruption, where it promotes thermogenesis by stimulating brown adipocyte proliferation and suppressing senescence. Functional studies reveal that S100B is both necessary and sufficient for sustaining BAT thermogenesis under TRF-STE. Furthermore, diverse SCN disruption models, including light-induced circadian arrhythmia, N-Methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) excitotoxicity, and Caspase-3-mediated ablation, consistently elevate S100B expression in BAT, reinforcing its role as a convergent effector of SCN-regulated metabolic adaptation. Thus, in intact animal, the SCN restrains the ADRB3-S100B module, gating BAT thermogenic output in accordance with energetic availability. Disruption of SCN output lifts this restraint, unmasking a latent ADRB3-S100B program that preserves thermogenesis when lipid fuel is limited. These findings reveal a previously unrecognized role of the SCN in governing thermogenic flexibility and fuel partitioning, and position the ADRB3-S100B axis as a potential target for mitigating circadian misalignment and metabolic disease.