History
The origin of this research group is dated to 1975 when Dr. Pavel Anzenbacher was appointed Assistant Professor of Biochemistry at the Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Charles University. Dr. Anzenbacher joined Dr. Zdeněk Šípal (former assistant of Prof. Jindra) and the newly fomed research group started to develop into internationally recognized laboratory. Significant impulses were Dr. Šípal´s stay in Sten Jakobson´s lab at Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm and Dr. Anzenbacher´s stay in John Schenkman´s lab at University of Connecticut Health Center (Farmington, CT) and in Prof. Spiro´s lab at Princeton University (1983-1984).
In 1986, Assoc. Prof. Zdeněk Šípal passed away and the lab was restructuralized. As new members, Assoc. Prof. Marie Stiborová, Dr. Eva Kovaříková and Dr. Jiří Hudeček and Dr. Petr Hodek (both former students of Dr. Anzenbacher) started to work (i) at characterization of various cytochromes P450 (abbrev. P450) at the molecular level as well as (ii) at the principles of activation of molecular oxygen by different hemoproteins (e.g. peroxidases). Soon it came out that the mechanisms of oxygen activation are conditioned by properties of the heme active site enabling electron transfer to bound dioxygen. As model compounds, azodyes were selected. Structural properties of P450 were studied by spectroscopic methods as well by modeling of the secondary structure by predictive algorithms.
After 1991, the group was splitted to two: whereas Assoc. Prof. Anzenbacher moved to Academy of Sciences (Institute of Experimental Biopharmaceutics, Hradec Králové), the core of the group remained at the Charles University. The group members continued in collaboration which was reflected in several papers in recognized Journals. In Hradec Králové, Prof. Anzenbacher worked on comparisons of human and minipig or pig P450s with Dr. Eva Kovaříková-Anzenbacherová and postgraduate students Kamil Hrubý and Roman Zuber.
Stays of Prof. Anzenbacher (Fogarty Award, US Publ. Health Service) in Prof. Guengerich´s lab at Vanderbilt University, Center in Molecular Toxicology, Nashville, TN (1993, 1994, 1995) and in the INSERM lab of dr. Lange (U124, Montpellier, France, 1992 and short-term stays at 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000) were an excellent experience which helped team members to learn how to focus on actual and important points in P450 research. Collaboration of Drs. Anzenbacher, Anzenbacherová and Mgr. Zuber with Palacký University at Olomouc (lab of Prof. Šimánek) resulted in their transfer to this University. Currently, Prof. Anzenbacher´s research group is based at the Faculty of Medicine of this University with coworkers from Institute of Pharmacology and from Institute of Medical Chemistry and Biochemistry.
Great opportunity for scientific discussion was in 2003 the 13th International Cytochrome P450 Meeting organized in Prague under chairmanship of Prof. Anzenbacher. Collaborations are traditionally strong with Assoc. Prof. M. Stiborová´s laboratory at Charles University and with Dr. P. Souček´s lab at the Natl. Institute of Public Health, Prague, and with lab of immunopharmacology headed by Dr. Zídek ÚEM AV ČR, Praha. International collaborations and contacts include in Europe lab of Dr. Reinhard Lange (INSERM and University of Montpellier, France), laboratory of Prof. Peter Hildebrandt (Max Vollmer Institute, TU Berlin), laboratory of Prof. Damjana Rozman (University of Ljubljana, Slovenia), in the U.S.A. lab of Prof. F.P. Guengerich (Vanderbilt University, Ctr in Mol. Toxicology, Nashville, TN).