Université de Fribourg

Restoration of circadian rhythmicity in circadian clock-deficient mice in constant light

Abraham, Diya ; Dallmann, Robert ; Steinlechner, Stephan ; Albrecht, Urs ; Eichele, Gregor ; Oster, Henrik

In: Journal of Biological Rhythms, 2006, vol. 21(3), p. 169-176

In mammals, circadian rhythms in behavior and physiology are controlled by a central pacemaker, the SCN, and subordinated clocks throughout the body. On the molecular level, these clocks are based on transcriptional/translational feedback loops involving a set of clock genes that regulate their own transcription. Among the components driving the mammalian circadian clock are the Period 1...

Université de Fribourg

The circadian clock, metabolism and obesity

Albrecht, Urs

In: Obesity Reviews, 2017, vol. 18, no. S1, p. 25–33

In the last decades, obesity has been on the rise becoming a burden for health care systems. The reasons behind this rise are most likely caused by lifestyle rather than by an increase in gene mutations, because manifestations of genetic alterations would take longer than just a few decades. Lifestyle has a great impact on the circadian system and therefore on the body internal organization...

Université de Fribourg

Circadian clocks in mood-related behaviors

Albrecht, Urs

In: Annals of Medicine, 2010, p. -

The circadian clock organizes biochemical and physiological processes of an organism in a temporal fashion. This temporal organization is crucial to avoid interference of processes that have adverse effects on each other. Thus, disruption of temporal organization can lead to health problems and behavioral disorders related to mood alterations. To alleviate the consequences of a disrupted...

Université de Fribourg

Molecular mechanisms in mood regulation involving the circadian clock

Albrecht, Urs

In: Frontiers in Neurology, 2017, vol. 8, p. -

The circadian system coordinates activities and functions in cells and tissues in order to optimize body functions in anticipation to daily changes in the environment. Disruption of the circadian system, due to irregular lifestyle such as rotating shift work, frequent travel across time-zones, or chronic stress, is correlated with several diseases such as obesity, cancer, and neurological...

Consortium of Swiss Academic Libraries

Circadian rhythms and sleep—the metabolic connection

Albrecht, Urs

In: Pflügers Archiv - European Journal of Physiology, 2012, vol. 463, no. 1, p. 23-30

Université de Fribourg

Per2 has time on its side

Albrecht, Urs

In: Nature Chemical Biology, 2007, vol. 3, p. 139 - 140

The circadian clock runs with a period of about 24 h and therefore allows mammals to predict sunrise at the cellular level. Phosphorylation of the clock protein period 2 influences this process by varying the clock’s period length.

Université de Fribourg

Orchestration of gene expression and physiology by the circadian clock

Albrecht, Urs

In: Journal of Physiology-Paris, 2006, vol. 100, no. 5-6, p. 243-251

In mammals, the master circadian clock that drives many biochemical, physiological and behavioral rhythms is located in the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) of the hypothalamus. Generation and maintenance of circadian rhythms rely on complex interlaced feedback loops based on transcriptional and posttranscriptional events involving clock genes and kinases. This clock serves the purpose to organize an...

Université de Fribourg

Circadian clocks and sleep: impact of rhythmic metabolism and waste clearance on the brain

Albrecht, Urs ; Ripperger, Jürgen A.

In: Trends in Neurosciences, 2018, vol. 41, no. 10, p. 677–688

The rotation of the Earth around its axis causes periodic exposure of half of its surface to sunlight. This daily recurring event has been internalized in most organisms in the form of cellular circadian clock mechanisms. These cellular clocks are synchronized with each other in various ways to establish circadian networks that build the circadian program in tissues and organs, coordinating...

Université de Fribourg

The circadian clock, reward, and memory

Albrecht, Urs

In: Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, 2011, vol. 4, no. 41, p. -

During our daily activities, we experience variations in our cognitive performance, which is often accompanied by cravings for small rewards, such as consuming coffee or chocolate. This indicates that the time of day, cognitive performance, and reward may be related to one another. This review will summarize data that describe the influence of the circadian clock on addiction and mood-related...

Université de Fribourg

Timing to perfection: the biology of central and peripheral circadian clocks

Albrecht, Urs

In: Neuron, 2012, vol. 74, no. 2, p. 246–260

The mammalian circadian system, which is comprised of multiple cellular clocks located in the organs and tissues, orchestrates their regulation in a hierarchical manner throughout the 24 hr of the day. At the top of the hierarchy are the suprachiasmatic nuclei, which synchronize subordinate organ and tissue clocks using electrical, endocrine, and metabolic signaling pathways that impact the...