INSTITUTE OF PHYSIOLOGY CAS

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In the center of our interest is the endogenous time-keeping system, circadian clock of mammals, including humans. The system temporally regulates rhythmic processes in our body so that they take place at the proper time of day and are optimally synchronized relative to each other.

A failure of the temporal regulation has a negative impact on human health. Using in vivo and in vitro models, we study the molecular mechanisms underlying the circadian clock as well as the resulting physiological and behavioral rhythms.

We focus on the following questions:

What are the mechanisms for entraining (synchronizing) the circadian system and what are the consequences of its failure?
How does the circadian system develop and how is it being entrained during ontogeny?
How is the circadian system of humans entrained in real life conditions, both in health and in disease?

Fig. PER2 protein in the SCN, 7 days ex vivo recording.

Projects

Circadian clock and mechanisms of entrainment

We explore the entrainment of the circadian clock and its disorders on various experimental models in vivo and in vitro. More

The ontogenesis of the biological clock of laboratory rat

The mammalian biological clock initiates its ontogenesis already during embryonic development in the maternal uterus. Newborn mammals are equipped with clock running in accordance with the maternal clock. We focus on investigating when and how do the newborn clock develop and entrain. More

The biological timing system in healthy volunteers and patients with neuropsychiatric disorders

Research in our laboratory focuses on the timing system not only in healthy volunteers but also in patients suffering from disorders associated with disrupted sleep pattern. The aim of our projects is to find connections between the functional state of the timing system and those disorders. More

Achievements

New pulblication (IF=6.3): Population-representative study reveals cardiovascular and metabolic disease biomarkers associated with misaligned sleep schedules. Sleep (2023)

Martin Sládek, Jan Klusáček, Dana Hamplová and Alena Sumová. Sleep 2023 Feb 24, 10.1093/sleep/zsad037. Social jetlag, or chronic misalignment between biological and social time, is the most common disturbance of circadian rhythms in modern society. More

New publication (IF=7.4): Lithium affects the circadian clock in the choroid plexus – A new role for an old mechanism. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy (2023)

Karolína Liška, Tereza Dočkal, Pavel Houdek, Martin Sládek, Vendula Lužná, Kateryna Semenovykh, Milica Drapšin and Alena Sumová. Lithium affects the circadian clock in the choroid plexus – A new role for an old mechanism. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy 159 (2023), 114292 More

New publication (IF=9.6): Early rhythmicity in the fetal suprachiasmatic nuclei in response to maternal signals detected by omics approach. Greiner P, Houdek P, Sládek M, Sumová A (2022) PLoS Biol 20(5): e3001637.

doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.3001637.g005. Our results indicate the importance of a well-functioning maternal biological clock in providing rhythmic environment during the fetal brain development. More

New publication (IF=9.3): Misaligned feeding schedule elicits divergent circadian reorganizations in endo- and exocrine pancreas clocks. Honzlová P, Z Novosadová, P Houdek, M Sládek and A Sumová. Cell Mol Life Sci 2022 May 27;79(6):318

doi:10.1007/s00018-022-04354-7. Misaligned meals become a frequent lifestyle transgression related to current societal pressure imposed on behavior. More

New publication: Modulation of single cell circadian response to NMDA by diacylglycerol lipase inhibition reveals a role of endocannabinoids in light entrainment of the suprachiasmatic nucleus. Sladek, Liska, Houdek, Sumová. Neuropharmacology 185 (2021)

doi:10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108455. The paper provides new insights into the modulatory role of endocannabinoid signaling during the light entrainment of the SCN. More

Publications

Liška; Karolína - Dočkal; Tereza - Houdek; Pavel - Sládek; Martin - Lužná; Vendula - Semenovykh; Kateryna - Drapšin; Milica - Sumová; Alena . Lithium affects the circadian clock in the choroid plexus – A new role for an old mechanism . Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy. 2023; 159(March)); 114292 . IF = 7.419 [ASEP] [ doi ]

Honzlová; Petra - Semenovykh; Kateryna - Sumová; Alena . The Circadian Clock of Polarized Microglia and Its Interaction with Mouse Brain Oscillators . Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology. 2023; 43(3); 1319-1333 . IF = 4.231 [ASEP] [ doi ]

Vejražková; D. - Vaňková; M. - Včelák; J. - Krejčí; H. - Anderlová; K. - Tura; A. - Pacini; G. - Sumová; Alena - Sládek; Martin - Bendlová; B. The rs10830963 Polymorphism of the MTNR1B Gene: Association With Abnormal Glucose; Insulin and C-peptide Kinetics . Frontiers in Endocrinology. 2022; 13); 868364 . IF = 6.055 [ASEP] [ doi ]

Shi; S.-Q. - Mahoney; C. E. - Houdek; Pavel - Zhao; W. - Anderson; M. P. - Zhuo; X. - Beaudet; A. - Sumová; Alena - Scammell; T. E. - Johnson; C. H. Circadian Rhythms and Sleep Are Dependent Upon Expression Levels of Key Ubiquitin Ligase Ube3a . Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience. 2022; 16(Mar 23)); 837523 . IF = 3.617 [ASEP] [ doi ]

Liška; Karolína - Sládek; Martin - Houdek; Pavel - Shrestha; N. - Lužná; Vendula - Ralph; M. R. - Sumová; Alena . High Sensitivity of the Circadian Clock in the Hippocampal Dentate Gyrus to Glucocorticoid- and GSK3-Beta-Dependent Signals . Neuroendocrinology. 2022; 112(4); 384-398 . IF = 5.135 [ASEP] [ doi ]

	RNDr. Pavel Houdek scientist
	Milica Drapšin grad student
	Dmytro Semenovykh grad student
	Kateryna Semenovykh grad student
	Tereza Dočkal grad student
	Eva Tlustá technician

Laboratory of Biological Rhythms