REBECCA A. PROSSER, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

Department of Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Address

University of Tennessee, Knoxville

M313 Walters Life Science Building

Knoxville, TN 37996-0810

Tel: (423) 974-5148; Fax: (423) 974-6306;

Education

Ph.D. Institution: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL

Postdoctoral: Stanford University, Stanford, CA

Research Interests

All organisms share the characteristics that their behavior and physiology fluctuate over the course of the 24 hours day. These daily, or circadian, rhythms are controlled by clocks endogenous to the organisms, and they normally are synchronized to the external environment by the daily solar cycle. Research in my laboratory explores the cellular basis of mammalian circadian rhythms. The mammalian circadian clock is located in an area of the brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus. While much is known about the cell types in this region and the areas of the brain that send it information, the mechanisms involved in producing these rhythms remain obscure. My research is focused on both the cellular processes involved in rhythm production as well as how the clock is modulated by other brain regions. The primary approach I have used for these studies is to study the rat suprachiasmatic nucleus after isolation in a brain slice preparation. The techniques used in these studies include electrophysiological, neuropharmacology, and radioimmunoassay. An increased understanding of how the clock works and how it can be manipulated should help alleviate problems associated with circadian clock dysfunction (including some sleep and manic depressive disorders) and with clock desynchronization (which occurs during jet lab and with shift work schedules).

Links

Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology - Rebecca A. Prosser

Recent Publications

• Prosser RA, Mangrum CA, Glass JD. Acute ethanol modulates glutamatergic and serotonergic phase shifts of the mouse circadian clock in vitro. Neuroscience. 2008 Mar 27;152(3):837-48. Epub 2008 Jan 29. PMID: 18313227
• Prosser RA, Thomas AC, Darling-Fisher CS. Physical activity intervention in an academic setting: focus group results. AAOHN J. 2007 Nov;55(11):448-53. PMID: 18019768
• Prosser RA, Lee HM, Wehner A. Serotonergic pre-treatments block in vitro serotonergic phase shifts of the mouse suprachiasmatic nucleus circadian clock. Neuroscience. 2006 Oct 13;142(2):547-55. Epub 2006 Jul 28. PMID: 16876330
• Prosser RA. Serotonin phase-shifts the mouse suprachiasmatic circadian clock in vitro. Brain Res. 2003 Mar 14;966(1):110-5. PMID: 12646314
• Prosser RA, Rutishauser U, Ungers G, Fedorkova L, Glass JD. Intrinsic role of polysialylated neural cell adhesion molecule in photic phase resetting of the Mammalian circadian clock. J Neurosci. 2003 Jan 15;23(2):652-8. PMID: 12533624
• Prosser RA, Bergeron HE. Leptin phase-advances the rat suprachiasmatic circadian clock in vitro. Neurosci Lett. 2003 Jan 23;336(3):139-42. PMID: 12505612

view complete list of references (pubmed link)