Groupe Interactions cellules gliales/cellules gliales et cellules gliales/neurones

Leader

Cendra
AGULHON

Research center

Faculté des Sciences Fondamentales et Biomédicales FSFB - Université Paris Descartes
45 rue des Saints Pères
75006 Paris
Charbel MASSAAD

Institution

CNRS
Université Paris Descartes
ED3C
Université Paris Descartes

Laboratory

UFR Biomédicale
Phone: +33 (0) 1 42 86 40 08
Fax: + 33 (0) 1 42 86 41 51
FR3636
Site web
Institut Neuroscience et Cognition

Mots clefs

synaptic transmission
plasticity
astrocytes
GPCR signaling
neuron-glia interactions in physiology of the central nervous system
neuron-astrocyte interactions
glia in memory and sleep
glia in psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases
 

publications

Agulhon C, Sun MY, Murphy T, Myers T, Lauderdale K, Fiacco TA. Calcium signaling and gliotransmission in normal versus reactive astrocytes, Frontiers in Neuropharmacology. In Press.

Agulhon C, Fiacco TA, McCarthy KD , Hippocampal short- and long-term plasticity are not modulated by astrocyte Ca2+ signaling, Science.327:1250-4, 2010.

Fiacco TA, Agulhon C, McCarthy KD. Sorting out astrocyte physiology from pharmacology, Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol. 49:151-174 2009.

Agulhon C, Petravicz J, McMullen AB, Sweger EJ, Minton SK, Taves SR, Casper KB, Fiacco TA, McCarthy KD. What is the role of astrocyte calcium in neurophysiology?, Neuron. 59:932-946, 2008.

Fiacco TA, Agulhon C, Taves S, Petravicz J, Casper K, Dong Xinzhong, Chen J, McCarthy KD. Selective stimulation of astrocyte calcium in situ does not affect neuronal excitatory synaptic activity, Neuron. 54:611-626, 2007.

Fields of research

Neurophysiology / systems neuroscience

Research Theme

We are interested in understanding the role of glial cells in the mammalian central nervous system (CNS) and the mechanisms by which glial cells and neurons interact to support normal communication in the CNS.

We are developing and using a set of interdisciplinary and complementary tools and approaches (electrophysiology, pharmacogenetics and optogenetics, 2-photon Ca2+ imaging) to selectively manipulate glial cell signaling and investigate its effects in synaptic transmission and plasticity ex vivo and in vivo in different contexts (during sensory-activated synaptic transmission, sleep, development and stress).

Collaborations with physicists also located in the Paris Descartes University will provide the 2-photon microscopy systems and optic expertise necessary to our projects. From these studies, we hope to resolve some glial cell functions, and open up entirely new areas of investigation and potential treatments of diseases, e.g. glioblastoma, epilepsy, or memory, sleep, and stress disorders.

 

Job:

Un poste d’Assistant en techniques biologiques est à pouvoir dans l’équipe Interaction Glie-Glie et Glie-Neurones en Neurophysiopathologie (Fédération de Recherche en Neurosciences – CNRS FR3636 –Université Paris Descartes), pour une prise de fonction immédiate (CDD) et une ouverture du poste au concours externe de l’Université Paris Descartes en septembre 2015.

plus d’info : profil du poste

Candidature :

Contactez Cendra Agulhon (cendra.agulhon@parisdescartes.fr)

Envoyez :

  • Un CV
  • Un résumé bref (1 page) des expériences de laboratoire précédentes
  • Une lettre de motivation
  • Les noms + emails/tel de 3 références



 

 

Membres de l'équipe

David DAVILA

Lab rotation

Investigating the role of astrocytic signaling in visual memory

Chercheur responsable: 

AGULHON Cendra

Dates: 

2 April 2018 - 29 June 2018

Date limite de candidature: 

29 June 2018

Period

~April-June 2018

Project

There is accumulating evidence that implicates astrocyte in various aspects of physiopathology in the central nervous system. Based on recent literature, we hypothesize that activation of astrocytic signaling cascade in adult primary visual cortex (V1) triggers the release of (i) glutamate, (ii) pro-inflammatory molecules and/or (iii) synaptogenic, maturation or pruning factors to affect excitatory synaptic transmission, plasticity, cortical network activity and circuit formation. These would lead to the modulation of excitatory synaptic plasticity and visual memories. The rotation student will be involved in a project directly testing this hypothesis in vivo using the rodent  V1 as well as novel powerful chemogenetic tools that we pioneered in astrocytes combined with, immunohistochemistry, biochemistry, electrophysiology, Ca2+ imaging, sensory behavior tests, and modeling.  

Contact

Fédération de Recherche en Neurosciences – 45, rue des Saints Pères 75006 Paris - +33 1 42 86 40 08 - cendra.agulhon@parisdescartes.fr 

Superviseur: 

AGULHON Cendra