Université de Fribourg

The period length of fibroblast circadian gene expression varies widely among human individuals

Brown, Steven A. ; Fleury-Olela, Fabienne ; Nagoshi, Emi ; Hauser, Conrad ; Juge, Cristiana ; Meier, Christophe A. ; Chicheportiche, Rachel ; Dayer, Jean-Michel ; Albrecht, Urs ; Schibler, Ueli

In: PLoS Biology, 2005, vol. 3(10), p. e338

Mammalian circadian behavior is governed by a central clock in the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the brain hypothalamus, and its intrinsic period length is believed to affect the phase of daily activities. Measurement of this period length, normally accomplished by prolonged subject observation, is difficult and costly in humans. Because a circadian clock similar to that of the suprachiasmatic...

Université de Fribourg

The opioid fentanyl affects light input, electrical activity and Per gene expression in the hamster suprachiasmatic nuclei

Vansteensel, Mariska J. ; Magnone, Maria Chiara ; Oosterhout, Floor van ; Baeriswyl, Stéphanie ; Albrecht, Urs ; Albus, Henk ; Dahan, Albert ; Meijer, Johanna H.

In: European Journal of Neuroscience, 2005, vol. 21(11), p. 2958

The suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) contain a major circadian pacemaker, which is regulated by photic and nonphotic stimuli. Although enkephalins are present in the SCN, their role in phase regulation of the pacemaker is largely unknown. The opioid agonist fentanyl, a homologue of morphine, is an addictive drug that induces phase shifts of circadian rhythms in hamsters. We observed that these phase...

Université de Fribourg

Circadian Genes in a Blind Subterranean Mammal III: Molecular Cloning and Circadian Regulation of Cryptochrome Genes in the Blind Subterranean Mole Rat, Spalax Ehrenbergi Superspecies

Avivi, Aaron ; Oster, Henrik ; Joel, Alma ; Beiles, Avigdor ; Albrecht, Urs ; Nevo, Eviatar

In: Journal of Biological Rhythms, 2004, vol. 19, no. 1, p. 22-34

The blind subterranean mole rat superspecies Spalax ehrenbergi is an extreme example of mammalian adaptation to life underground. Though this rodent is totally visually blind, harboring a drastically degenerated subcutaneous rudimentary eye, its daily activity rhythm is entrainable to LD cycles. This indicates that it confers light information to the clock, as has been previously shown by the...

Université de Fribourg

Phase Responses to Light Pulses in Mice Lacking Functional per or cry Genes

Spoelstra, Kamiel ; Albrecht, Urs ; Horst, Gijsbertus T. J. van der ; Brauer, Verena ; Daan, Serge

In: Journal of Biological Rhythms, 2004, vol. 19 (6), p. 518-529

The phase-resetting properties of the circadian system in mice with a functional deletion in mCry1, mCry2, mPer1, or mPer2 were studied in 2 experiments. In experiment 1, mCry1-/- and mCry2-/- mice as well as mPer1Brdm1 and mPer2Brdm1 mutant mice were exposed to 15-min light pulses during the 1st cycle following entrainment, either early (external time [ExT] 20) or late (ExT 4) in the subjective...

Université de Fribourg

Circadian expression of the clock gene Per2 is altered in the ruin lizard (Podarcis sicula) when temperature changes

Magnone, Maria Chiara ; Jacobmeier, Birgit ; Bertolucci, Cristiano ; Foà, Augusto ; Albrecht, Urs

In: Molecular Brain Research, 2005, vol. 133, p. 281-286

When exposed to the cold, the body temperature of the ruin lizard (Podarcis sicula), an ectothermic vertebrate, comes into equilibrium with that low environmental temperature. During this time, the behavioral output of the circadian clock, locomotor activity, disappears. We tested the activity of the circadian clockwork at low temperature (6 °C) by following the expression of one of its...

Université de Fribourg

The clock gene Per2 influences the glutamatergic system and modulates alcohol consumption

Spanagel, Rainer ; Pendyala, Gurudutt ; Abarca, Carolina ; Zghoul, Tarek ; Sanchis-Segura, Carles ; Magnone, Maria Chiara ; Lascorz, Jesús ; Depner, Martin ; Holzberg, David ; Soyka, Michael ; Schreiber, Stefan ; Matsuda, Fumihiko ; Lathrop, Mark ; Schumann, Gunter ; Albrecht, Urs

In: Nature Medicine, 2004, vol. 11, p. 35-42

Period (Per) genes are involved in regulation of the circadian clock and are thought to modulate several brain functions. We demonstrate that Per2Brdm1 mutant mice, which have a deletion in the PAS domain of the Per2 protein, show alterations in the glutamatergic system. Lowered expression of the glutamate transporter Eaat1 is observed in these animals, leading to reduced uptake of glutamate by...