Oxygen and Circadian Clocks

We demonstrated that low-amplitude oxygen cycles, which mimic the natural daily fluctuations in oxygen levels observed in rodents, can reset the circadian clock in a HIF-1α–dependent manner (Adamovich et al., Cell Metabolism, 2017). Subsequently, we showed that both oxygen and carbon dioxide levels follow circadian rhythms and are differentially influenced by behavioral cues (Adamovich et al., Cell Metabolism, 2019).

More recently, we found that hypoxic conditions, such as those occurring in sleep apnea, can lead to circadian misalignment among peripheral organs (Manella et al., PNAS, 2020). Continuing this line of research, we explored how chronic hypoxia, like that experienced by people living at high altitudes, affects the human rhythmic transcriptome - a study carried out during Expedition 5,300 in La Rinconada, Peru, the highest city in the world (Manella et al., Cell Reports, 2022).

Most recently, we uncovered a critical role for hepatic BMAL1 and HIF-1α in regulating a time-dependent hypoxic response and in preventing the development of hepatopulmonary syndrome (Dandavate et al., Cell Metabolism, 2024).