Translation and plasticity

Receptor signaling mechanisms (see #Signaling bias and #Compartmentalized signaling) have functional consequences on cellular plasticity. These adaptive events allow the cell to respond to environmental stimulation by synthesizing new proteins in a few minutes (translation) or in a few hours (transcription). Cellular plasticity, and more particularly the translation events involved, remain little explored in the GPCR community. Furthermore, in polarized cells, such as neurons and Sertoli cells of the testis, certain mRNAs could be specifically translated in cellular subcompartments (i.e., local translation) allowing synaptic plasticity and spermatogenesis.

In this line of research, the team seeks to understand which signaling pathways and which mRNAs and proteins are induced following the activation of FSHR and OTR receptors, but also during social interactions.

BIOS combines signaling, translational (mRNA bound to ribosomes) and proteomics approaches in vitro and in vivo. Via methods of dimensional reduction and reconstruction of biological networks from these multi-omics data, BIOS will be able to identify central molecules regulating these phenomena. BIOS seeks more particularly to determine the role of the local translation of certain mRNAs induced by FSHR and OTR receptors (e.g., soma vs. neurites or apical vs. basal pole of Sertoli cells), particularly by cellular imaging. The team also studies cross-talk signaling between LHR and OTR receptors in Leydig cells that involve translation events. BIOS also plans to identify the molecular markers involved during social interactions, through a translational approach in models of social interaction deficits, through different synaptic compartments of a small neuronal network very conserved in the evolution and in different social species.

Fundings:

1. ERC THERAUTISM, Lucie Pellissier (2020-2025), leader
2. Post-Agreenskills Fund - INRAE fund based on COFUND INRAE Agreesnkills Marie Curie, SOCIALOME, Lucie Pellissier (2021-2023), coordinateur, 3 partenaires académiques, leader
3. LabEx MabImprove.

Team people involved:

Ph.D. student : Ana Dudas
Postdocs : Lucas Court
ITA-CDD: Lucile Drobecq
ITA : Thomas Boulo, Emmanuel Pecnard
Researcher : Pascale Crépieux, Lucie Pellissier, Misbah Razzaq, Eric Reiter, Romain Yvinec, Nicolas Azzopardi

Scientific Communities: IRN GPCRnet, LabEx MAbImprove