Lieu : Salle de conférence du Centre Broca Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Claire Meissirel
Chargée de recherche INSERM
Equipe « Synaptopathies and autoantibodies »
NeuroMyogene Institute – Lyon.
Scientific focus
Increasing evidence indicate that the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptor VEGFR2 mediate key neurobiological processes including among others, adult neurogenesis, hippocampal-dependent synaptic plasticity and cognition. Our recent work demonstrates that the impact of VEGF on adult synaptic plasticity and memory involving the hippocampus requires the neuronal expression of VEGFR2. Moreover, we documented a new crosstalk between VEGFR2 and NMDAR that increases NMDAR synaptic responses in hippocampal neurons and triggers the formation of new synapses.
Our current interest is to determine whether the VEGF/VEGFR2 signaling is impaired in neurological disorders in which glutamatergic transmission mediated by NMDA receptors is altered, such as Alzheimer Disease and Depression.
Selected publications
De Rossi P, Harde E, Dupuis JP, Martin L, Chounlamountri N, Bardin M, Watrin C, Benetollo C, Pernet-Gallay K, Luhmann HJ, Honnorat J, Malleret G, Groc L, Acker-Palmer A, Salin PA, Meissirel C. A critical role for VEGF and VEGFR2 in NMDA receptor synaptic function and fear-related behavior. Mol Psychiatry. 2016, 21(12):1768-1780.
Meissirel C, Ruiz de Almodovar C, Knevels E, Coulon C, Chounlamountri N, Segura I, de Rossi P, Vinckier S, Anthonis K, Deléglise B, de Mol M, Ali C, Dassonville K, Loyens E, Honnorat J, Michotte Y, Rogemond V, Smolders I, Voets T, Vivien D, Vanden Berghe P, Van den Bosch L, Robberecht W, Chédotal A, Oliviero S, Dewerchin M, Schmucker D, Thomasset N, Salin P, Carmeliet P. VEGF modulates NMDA receptors activity in cerebellar granule cells through Src-family kinases before synapse formation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011, 108(33):13782-7.
Ruiz de Almodovar C, Coulon C, Salin PA, Knevels E, Chounlamountri N, Poesen K, Hermans K, Lambrechts D, Van Geyte K, Dhondt J, Dresselaers T, Renaud J, Aragones J, Zacchigna S, Geudens I, Gall D, Stroobants S, Mutin M, Dassonville K, Storkebaum E, Jordan BF, Eriksson U, Moons L, D’Hooge R, Haigh JJ, Belin MF, Schiffmann S, Van Hecke P, Gallez B, Vinckier S, Chédotal A, Honnorat J, Thomasset N, Carmeliet P, Meissirel C. Matrix-binding vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) isoforms guide granule cell migration in the cerebellum via VEGF receptor Flk1. J Neurosci. 2010, 30(45):15052-66.