Laboratory for Reproductive Endocrinology and Signaling (LaRES)

LaRES investigates molecular events and signaling pathways involved in the regulation of reproductive axis cells function, but also other cells of the body with disturbed homeostasis of testosterone or other hormones. The aim of the research is to discover the mechanisms of infertility, post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD), insulin resistance, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), metabolic syndrome. The research problem is considered at all levels of functional organization (organism, organs, tissues, cells, organelles, molecules).

The main research activities:

• The role of signaling pathways from insulin and IGF1 receptors in the regulation of mitochondrial dynamics (mitofusion, mitophysia, mitobiogenesis, mitophagy) and the function of steroidogenic cells of the testes, ovaries, adrenal glands, placenta.
• Mitochondrial biogenesis as a mechanism of sperm adaptation in conditions of disturbed testosterone homeostasis (stress / PTSD, disturbed biological clock, aging, Viagrom® treatment, Metformin® treatment, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome).
• Markers of mitochondrial dynamics as an indicator of the energy and functional state of energy-producing cells, those that consume energy and those that store energy, during normal and disturbed homeostasis of the organism.
• The role of different signaling pathways in the molecular adaptations of energy-producing, energy-consuming and energy-storing cells during normal and disturbed homeostasis.

Research is conducted using:

• In vivo model (Wistar rats and “knock-out“ mice ) which simulate situations / experiences of clinical practice.
• In vitro models of rat and mouse tissue cultures, as well as primary and immortalized rat, mouse and human cell lines.
• Samples of peripheral mononuclear cells of patients with PTSD and PCOS, as well as samples of human cytotrophoblast cells during normal pregnancy and pregnancy with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR).

International projects

• Serbian Academy of Sciences – Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic. Project: “The CNG channels in Leydig cell – identification, characterization and functional coupling to testosterone production”. Principal Investigator from Serbia: prof dr Silvana Andric
• COST Action: CA15203 “MITOEAGLE-Mitochondrial mapping: Evolution – Age – Gender – Lifestyle – Environment” (http://www.cost.eu/COST_Actions/ca/CA15203) MC substitute from Serbia: prof dr Tatjana Kostic and prof dr Silvana Andric
• COST Action: CA18133 “ERNEST-European research network on signal transduction” (https://www.cost.eu/actions/CA18133) MC substitute from Serbia: prof dr Tatjana Kostic and prof dr Silvana Andric
• “Mito-Signature: a new prognostic/diagnostic tool to detect male (in) fertility using mitochondrial dynamics markers in spermatozoa” EU4TPOC1593008532, Principal Investigator: prof dr Silvana Andric 09.2020. – 01.09.2021.

National projects

• ON173057 National Ministry of Science and Environmental Protection. Project: “Molecular mechanisms and signal transduction pathways involved in regulation of steroidogenesis and adaptation of Leydig cells to disturbed homeostasis”. Principal Investigator: prof dr Tatjana Kostic
• APV1137 APV Province Committee for Higher Education, Science and Technology. Project: “Are the reproductive hormones linking point between stress, metabolic syndrome and aging”. Principal Investigator: prof dr Silvana Andric

• Animal facility for rats and mice
• Systems for detecting voluntary activity of laboratory rats at given time intervals
• Equipment necessary for working with tissue cultures, as well as primary and continuous cell lines
• Equipment necessary for molecular biological methods to test the expression, interaction and function of target proteins in the cell

• Dr Maria Dufau, National Institutes of Health and Child Development, National Institutes of Health (USA)
• Dr Serge Nef, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva (Switzerland)
• Dr Simon Horvat, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Ljubljana (Slovenia)
• Dr Hana Zemkova, Institute of Physiology, Czech Academy of Sciences (Prague, Czech Republic)
• Dr Gregor Majdič, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ljubljana, and Faculty of Medicine, University of Maribor (Slovenia)
• Dr Ivan Čapo, Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad
• Dr Edita Stokić, Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad
• Dr Dragan Masulovic, Department of Mathematics and Informatics, Faculty of Science, University of Novi Sad
• Dr Aleksandar Kupusinac, FTN, University of Novi Sad