Team Patrice MOLLARD
Networks and rhythms in endocrine glands
Patrice
Mollard
DRCE, CNRS
Our team’s research focuses on a fundamental question in physiology: ‘How is the production and release of peptide hormones from the hypothalamic-pituitary axis controlled? To this end, we have carried out a multidisciplinary in vivo approach using animal models to explore the integration of cell signals hypothalamic neurons (neuroendocrine and hypothalamic central clock) and pituitary endocrine cells, and their relationship with the microcirculation in physiology/pathology.
Although in vitro studies have largely helped to decipher the molecular mechanisms involved and their dysfunction in pathologies, our understanding of hormone secretion in vivo, particularly those involving cell interactions and specific functional dynamics, is still incomplete. This is particularly true of the hypothalamic-pituitary system, which controls reproduction, body growth and metabolism.
Our strategy is based on the development/adaptation of in vivo cell imaging and cell-specific manipulation techniques, combined with new hormone assays and electrophysiology and functional studies in genetically modified animal models expressing fluorescent proteins/ opsins, and appropriate analysis and modelling tools.
Hypothalamus-pituitary system
Team leader
Patrice
Mollard
IGF Nord 015a
04 34 35 92 70Know more >
Patrice
Mollard
DRCE, CNRS
Team: Patrice Mollard
EDUCATION
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1989PhD - Physiology - University of Bordeaux 2 - France
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19823rd Cycle Doctorate - Biomembranes - University of Poitiers - France
POSITIONS HELD
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2023-Exceptional Class Research Director (DRCE) at CNRS
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2005-Head of the "Networks and Rhythms in Endocrine Glands" team - Institute of Functional Genomics (IGF) - Montpellier - France
HONORS / RESPONSABILITIES
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2014-2020Director, Department of Physiology - IGF
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2005-Scientific head of the IPAM in vivo imaging platform
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2005-2013Director, Department of Endocrinology - IGF
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1993-1994FOGARTY-NIH/CNRS sabbatical fellowship
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1991NATO sabbatical fellowship
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1980-1982PhD fellowship from DGRST, Ministry of Research - France
SKILLS / EXPERTISE
- I am head of the "Réseaux et Rythmes dans les Glandes Endocrines" team, and director of the Montpellier Small Animal Imaging Facility (IPAM), a Biocampus platform in Montpellier.
- A pioneer in the description of the organization of large-scale functional networks of pituitary endocrine cells, I have developed approaches for in vivo cell imaging, including micro lens imaging (GRIN) in awake mice.
- As an internationally recognized expert in in vivo imaging, a member of the Montpellier “MARS” node of the ANR-PIA France-Bioimagerie and coordinator or participant in several ANR-supported and large-scale projects (e.g. Fondation Leducq), I have a wide range of established collaborations, notably with clinicians (F. Castinetti, Marseille; M. Dattani, London) and experts in epigenetics (J. Drouin, Montreal) and genetic manipulation (U. Boehm, Homburg).
- I am internationally recognized (>50 invited/keynote lectures in the last ten years). More than 10 years ago, I also initiated a series of international “brainstorming” meetings with world leaders in pituitary physiology and clinic, pituitary development, techniques and modellers, who meet annually to present their unpublished data and discuss future experiments/projects (5 meetings near Montpellier (the last in September 2022), 4 near Montreal, 2 in Oxford/Edinburgh, 1 in Ann Harbor, Michigan, 1 in Jerez, Spain).
- I was a member of the steering committee (ASCM) of the Endocrinology Society annual meetings (US ) from 2015 to 2017 and led the Neuroendocrinology/hypophysis ASCM team in selecting 7 symposia/annual meetings.
Researchers
Xavier
Bonnefont
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Xavier
Bonnefont
CRCN, CNRS
Team: Patrice Mollard
EDUCATION
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2012Habilitation to Supervise Research - University of Montpellier - France
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2000PhD - Neurobiology - University of Montpellier - France
POSITIONS HELD
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2003-CNRS Researcher - Institute of Functional Genomics - Montpellier - France
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2000-2003Postdoctoral fellow - Erasmus Universiteit - Rotterdam - Netherlands
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1996-2000Thesis - CNRS INSERM Center for Pharmacology-Endocrinology - Montpellier - France
HONORS / RESPONSABILITIES
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2020-Co-manager of lectures in Neuroendocrinology Master 2 - Univ. Montpellier
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2013-2018Scientific Board of French Society of Neuroendocrinology
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2011-2015ANR grant, Young Researcher
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2009-Committee on Animal Research and Ethics
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2009-2018Scientific Board of French Society of Chronobiology
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2008-2013Scientific Manager of the Animal Facility at IGF-IGH - Montpellier
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2005Marc Herlant Prize (Belgium)
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2004-2006Marie Sklodowska Curie European Reintegration Grant
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2001-2003Marie Sklodowska Curie Individual Fellowship
SKILLS / EXPERTISE
- Neurosciences & Physiology
- Chronobiology, Neuroendocrinology
Agnès
Martin
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Agnès
Martin
CRCN, CNRS
Team: Patrice Mollard
EDUCATION
POSITIONS HELD
HONORS / RESPONSABILITIES
SKILLS / EXPERTISE
Francois
Molino
IGF Nord 014f 04 34 35 93 06Know more >
Francois
Molino
MCF, UM
Team: Patrice Mollard
EDUCATION
POSITIONS HELD
HONORS / RESPONSABILITIES
SKILLS / EXPERTISE
Technicians and engineers
Evelyne
Galibert
IGF Sud 001 04 34 35 92 92Know more >
Evelyne
Galibert
TCN, CNRS
Team: Patrice Mollard
EDUCATION
POSITIONS HELD
HONORS / RESPONSABILITIES
SKILLS / EXPERTISE
Chrystel
Lafont
IGF Sud 001 04 34 35 92 92Know more >
Chrystel
Lafont
IR2, Inserm
Team: Patrice Mollard
EDUCATION
POSITIONS HELD
HONORS / RESPONSABILITIES
SKILLS / EXPERTISE
Postdoctoral researchers and doctoral students
Ana
Aquiles
IGF Nord 014d 04 34 35 92 91Know more >
Ana
Aquiles
Chercheur CDD, CNRS
Team: Patrice Mollard
EDUCATION
POSITIONS HELD
HONORS / RESPONSABILITIES
SKILLS / EXPERTISE
- Guillou A, Kemkem Y, Lafont C, Fontanaud P, Calebiro D, Campos P, Bonnefont X, Fiordelisio-Coll T, Wang Y, Brûlé E, Bernard DJ, Le Tissier P, Steyn F,Mollard P. TSH Pulses Finely Tune Thyroid Hormone Release and TSH Receptor Transduction. Endocrinology. 2023 Nov 20;165(1):bqad164. doi: 10.1210/endocr/bqad164.PMID: 37934802
- El Cheikh Hussein L, Fontanaud P,Mollard P, Bonnefont X. Nested calcium dynamics support daily cell unity and diversity in the suprachiasmatic nuclei of free-behaving mice. PNAS Nexus. 2022 Jul 11;1(3):pgac112. doi: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgac112. eCollection 2022 Jul.PMID: 36741435
- Romanò N, Lafont C, Campos P, Guillou A, Fiordelisio T, Hodson DJ,Mollard P, Schaeffer M. Median eminence blood flow influences food intake by regulating ghrelin access to the metabolic brain. JCI Insight. 2023 Feb 8;8(3):e165763. doi: 10.1172/jci.insight.165763.PMID: 36574295
- Golan M, Boulanger-Weill J, Pinot A, Fontanaud P, Faucherre A, Gajbhiye DS, Hollander-Cohen L, Fiordelisio-Coll T, Martin AO,Mollard P. Synaptic communication mediates the assembly of a self-organizing circuit that controls reproduction. Sci Adv. 2021 Feb 19;7(8):eabc8475. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abc8475. Print 2021 Feb.PMID: 33608269
- Hoa O, Lafont C, Fontanaud P, Guillou A, Kemkem Y, Kineman RD, Luque RM, Fiordelisio Coll T, Le Tissier P,Mollard P. Imaging and Manipulating Pituitary Function in the Awake Mouse. Endocrinology. 2019 Oct 1;160(10):2271-2281. doi: 10.1210/en.2019-00297.PMID: 31329247
- El Cheikh Hussein L,Mollard P, Bonnefont X. Molecular and Cellular Networks in The Suprachiasmatic Nuclei. Int J Mol Sci. 2019 Apr 25;20(8):2052. doi: 10.3390/ijms20082052.PMID: 31027315
- Yip SH, Romanò N, Gustafson P, Hodson DJ, Williams EJ, Kokay IC, Martin AO,Mollard P, Grattan DR, Bunn SJ. Elevated Prolactin during Pregnancy Drives a Phenotypic Switch in Mouse Hypothalamic Dopaminergic Neurons. Cell Rep. 2019 Feb 12;26(7):1787-1799.e5. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.01.067.PMID: 30759390
- Abitbol K, Debiesse S, Molino F, Mesirca P, Bidaud I, Minami Y, Mangoni ME, Yagita K,Mollard P, Bonnefont X. Clock-dependent and system-driven oscillators interact in the suprachiasmatic nuclei to pace mammalian circadian rhythms. PLoS One. 2017 Oct 23;12(10):e0187001. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0187001. eCollection 2017.PMID: 29059248
- Romanò N, Guillou A, Hodson DJ, Martin AO,Mollard P. Multiple-scale neuroendocrine signals connect brain and pituitary hormone rhythms. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2017 Feb 28;114(9):2379-2382. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1616864114. Epub 2017 Feb 13.PMID: 28193889
- Le Tissier P, Campos P, Lafont C, Romanò N, Hodson DJ,Mollard P. An updated view of hypothalamic-vascular-pituitary unit function and plasticity. Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2017 May;13(5):257-267. doi: 10.1038/nrendo.2016.193. Epub 2016 Dec 9.PMID: 27934864
Pituitary cell networks: function and pathologies
Principal investigator
Patrice MOLLARD
Circadian clock versatility in health and disease
Principal investigator
Xavier BONNEFONT
Control of Prolactin secretion by tuberoinfundibular dopaminergic neurons of the arcuate nucleus
Principal investigator
Agnès O. MARTIN
