Circadian control of prenatal glucocorticoid programming effects
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) - Research Grant
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Project number: DFG AS547/1:2Â
We have made substantial contribution to understand the role of circadian clocks during pregnancy. Still, little is known about the physiological function of the maternal and embryonic clock and how maternal and embryonic clocks talk to each other to coordinate the dynamic and complex process of development. We have recently shown in mice, that the time of day of antenatal GC exposure predicts the behavioral phenotype of the adult offspring. Offspring of mothers receiving GCs out-of-phase compared to their endogenous circadian GC rhythm show elevated anxiety, impaired stress coping, and dysfunctional stress axis regulation. This project explores epigenetic mechanisms that explain the behavioral phenotype caused by antenatal glucocorticoids (GCs) exposure in mice and in humans through a collaboration with the German Neonatal Network and BioBizkaia.Â
