Thesis defense – Geoffrey Terral

Date de la soutenance : 14/12/2018 – 13h30.
Lieu : Neurocentre Magendie Seminar room.

Directeur de thèse Dr Giovanni MARSICANO, Université de Bordeaux, team leader: “Endocannabinoids and Neuroadaptation”

 Being involved in many behavioral functions, olfaction has powerful influence in guiding our actions. Odors communicate with the central nervous system via specialized receptors in the nose olfactory epithelium that generate neuronal signals, which in turn are eventually distributed and processed in many brain regions. In particular, the anterior piriform cortex (aPC) is an important olfactory area involved in perception and integration of odors.
Given the extended role of the main cannabinoid type-1 (CB1) receptor in sensory and memory brain functions, we hypothesized that CB1 receptors could modulate odor processing in the aPC. To this aim, using a combination of anatomical, electrophysiological, and pharmacological approaches, we first characterized the distribution of CB1 receptors and their ability to regulate aPC circuits. We found that CB1 receptors are mainly expressed in GABAergic interneurons where their activation regulates inhibitory transmission and plasticity.
Then, we evaluated the role and the impact of CB1 receptor modulation on odor-related aPC processing. In vivo calcium imaging revealed that odor-evoked aPC activity is affected by alteration of CB1 receptor signaling. Additionally, we demonstrated that physiological aPC-CB1 receptors functioning is necessary for retrieve appetitive but not aversive olfactory memory, likely through modulation of local inhibitory circuits. Overall, this work contribute to a better understanding of how CB1 receptors modulate olfactory processes in the aPC.

Publications

Layer-specific potentiation of network GABAergic inhibition in the CA1 area of the hippocampus. 2016 Jun 27;6:28454. Scientific Reports. Michelangelo Colavita, Geoffrey Terral, Clement E. Lemercier, Filippo Drago, Giovanni Marsicano♯, Federico Massa♯

A Cannabinoid Link Between Mitochondria and Memory. 2016 Nov 9;539(7630):555-559. Nature.
Etienne Hebert-Chatelain♯, Tifany Desprez♯, Roman Serrat♯, Luigi Bellocchio♯, Edgar Soria-Gomez, Arnau Busquets-Garcia, Antonio Christian Pagano Zottola, Anna Delamarre, Astrid Cannich, Peggy Vincent, Marjorie Varilh, Laurie M. Robin, Geoffrey Terral, M. Dolores García-Fernández, Michelangelo Colavita, Wilfrid Mazier, Filippo Drago, Nagore Puente, Leire Reguero, Izaskun Elezgarai, Jean-William Dupuy, Daniela Cota, Maria-Luz Lopez-Rodriguez, Gabriel Barreda-Gómez, Federico Massa, Pedro Grandes, Giovanni Benard♯, Giovanni Marsicano♯

Hippocampal CB1 receptors control incidental associations. 2018 Sep 19;99(6):1247-1259. Neuron. Arnau Busquets-Garcia, Jose Fernando Oliveira da Cruz#, Geoffrey Terral#, Antonio Christian Pagano Zottola#, Edgar Soria-Gomez, Andrea Contini, Hugo Martin, Bastien Redon, Marjorie Varilh, Christina Ioannidou, Filippo Drago, Federico Massa, Xavier Fioramonti, Pierre Trifilieff, Guillaume Ferreira#, Giovanni Marsicano#

CB1 receptors in the anterior piriform cortex control odor preference memory. Submitted
Geoffrey Terral, Arnau Busquets-Garcia, Marjorie Varilh, Svein Achicallende, Astrid Cannich, Luigi Bellocchio, Federico Massa, Nagore Puente, Edgar Soria-Gomez, Pedro Grandes, Guillaume Ferreira# & Giovanni Marsicano#.

CB1 receptors dynamically control olfactory processes in the anterior Piriform Cortex. In preparation. Geoffrey Terral, Gabriel Lepousez, Marjorie Varilh, Arnau Busquets-Garcia, Astrid Cannich, Antoine Nissant, Federico Massa, Edgar Soria-Gomez, Pierre-Marie Lledo, Guillaume Ferreira# & Giovanni Marsicano#.