CV Science

Véronique Bernard Trafficking of G-protein coupled receptors in neurons

Course and current status

Since 2010 : Laboratory "Pathophysiology of CNS diseases", INSERM Unite 952, CNRS UMR7224, Universite Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris.

2004 : Laboratory "Biology of the Cholinergic Synapse", Universite Paris-Descartes.

2000 : Habilitation to direct researches (HDR), University of Bordeaux 2 (France).

1997 : Scientist position at INSERM : appointment at CNRS Unit 5541, Dir : Pr. B. Bloch, University of Bordeaux 2 (France).

1995-97 : Post-doctoral stay at Medical Research Council-Anatomical Neuropharmacology Unit, Oxford, UK, Laboratories of Prs J.P. Bolam and P. Somogyi. Subject : Cellular, subcellular and subsynaptic localization of glutamate receptors in basal ganglia in rats.

1994 : Post-doctoral stay at INSERM U289, Paris (France), Team of Dr E. Hirsch.
Subject : Expression of glutamate receptors in basal ganglia in patients suffuring from Parkinson's disease.

1993 : PhD, speciality : Neurosciences, University of Bordeaux 2 (France). Subject : "Control by acetylcholine of striatal neurons. Anatomical and functionnal study by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry". University of Bordeaux (France).

Scientific summary

During the last fifteen years, we brought new and original data documenting the intraneuronal trafficking of several G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) in vivo, including that of m2R and m4R. We have proposed a model of the trafficking of GPCRs in vivo in the somato-dendritic compartment. By using different specific tools, including high resolution immunolabeling at confocal and electron microscopic levels, we have shown that the trafficking differs according to the characteristics of the neurochemical environment: endocytosis after acute stimulation (see figure above), blockade on their way out to the membrane after chronic stimulation (see figure below) (Bernard et al., 2006).

We now study the trafficking of GPCRs at axonal level. To address this question, we develop, in vitro and ex vivo, different approaches of molecular and cell biology coupled to morphological analyses at dynamic confocal and electron microscopic levels.