This is the website of the Carlos Ibanez lab at the Karolinska Institute. In this page, we post the latest news from the lab. Make sure to visit the different sections of the site for more information. If you were redirected to this page from our older address, please bookmark the new address carlosibanezlab.se for future use.
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Our review on p75 neurotrophin signaling in nervous system injury has been made available as a paper in press in the Trends In Neurosciences web site. Injury or insult to the adult nervous system often results in reactivation of signaling pathways that are normally only active during development. The p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR) is one such signaling molecule whose expression increases markedly following neural injury in many of the same cell types that express p75NTR during development. A series of studies during the past decade has demonstrated that p75NTR signaling contributes to neuronal and glial cell damage, axonal degeneration and dysfunction during injury and cellular stress. Why the nervous system reacts to injury by inducing a molecule that aids the demise of cells and axons is a biological paradox that remains to be explained satisfactorily. On the other hand, it may offer unique therapeutic opportunities for limiting the severity of nervous system injury and disease. Read the full paper HERE.
A postdoctoral position is available for experienced molecular endocrinologists to join our team investigating the role of growth factor signaling in metabolic regulation using mouse models carrying mutations in the Activin receptors ALK7 and ALK4, novel regulators of glucose homeostasis and energy balance (see Bertolino et al. and Andersson et al., PNAS 2008). The aim of the project is to understand the functional role of activin signaling through ALK7 and ALK4 in pancreatic islets and its contribution to the regulation of insulin secretion and glucose homeostasis. In order to tackle these questions, we have recently generated conditional and chemically inducible mutant mouse lines which will be available for analysis at the start of the project. We are seeking a talented, innovative and enthusiastic researcher with a PhD awarded within the last 4 years. Highly motivated candidates with a genuine interest in metabolic regulation and mouse genetics are encouraged to apply. Priority will be given to candidates with strong expertise in pancreatic islet biology and studies of insulin secretion and glucose homeostasis. Applications, including CV, list of publications and statement of future interests should be sent to Funding is available for an initial period of 2 years, starting any time during 2012. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. Our group will be heading to the charming old town of Sigtuna for a 2-day lab retreat on December 15-16. We will be hosted by the Sigtuna Stiftelsen, originally founded as a forum for spiritual development, today functioning as a conference center. From its statutes, it can be read that “the Sigtuna Foundation, which begins its actual operations in 1917, has as its mission to support and prepare a home for volunteer work for the Lutheran faith and religious education in our country”. We will see about that. Our plan is to have each member of our group making a presentation on a free topic, with a connection to science. And there will be a hike and picnic in the forest, weather permitting. We are looking forward to an exciting and stimulating couple of days. Watch this space for more. This weekend, Miriam Schiff and Carlos Ibanez will be on their way to the island of Santorini in the southern Aegean Sea for the IVth meeting of the Molpark EU network. We are hoping the Greek strikers will let us getting in and out without much hassle. Watch this space for more, and look HERE for other Molpark events and announcements. New JCS paper reveals connection between MET and GDNF signaling in GABAergic interneuron developmentThe Journal of Cell Science publishes today our paper on the interaction between MET and GDNF signaling in the control of cortical GABAergic interneuron development (Perrinjaquet et al. 2011). This work demonstrates that responsiveness to GDNF in Gfra1 knock-out GABAergic interneurons can be restored upon addition of soluble GFRa1. As these neurons express neither RET nor NCAM, this result is only compatible with the existence of a novel transmembrane receptor partner for the GDNF-GFRa1 complex in GABAergic interneurons. Neither ErbB4 nor MET were found to fullfil this role. Unexpectedly, however, inhibition of MET (or its ligand HGF) per se promoted neuronal differentiation and migration and enhanced the activity of GDNF on GABAergic neurons. In agreement with this, Met mutant neurons showed enhanced responsiveness to GDNF and elevated levels of GFRa1 expression, both in vitro and in vivo. These results demonstrate the existence of a novel transmembrane receptor partner for the GDNF–GFRa1 complex and uncover an unexpected interplay between GDNF–GFRa1 and HGF–MET signaling in the early diversification of cortical GABAergic interneuron subtypes. Read the full paper HERE. Claire Kelly obtained her PhD earlier this year at the MRC Clinical Sciences Centre, Imperial College London, UK. Her work, conducted under the direction of Dr. Vasso Episkopou, focused on the role of the E3 ubiquitin ligase Arkadia2C in motor neuron development in the mouse. Claire will be joining our p75 team in October to study the phenotypes of p75 mutant mice.
Photographs taken during the GRC 2011 conference are now available for viewing at the Conferences Photo Gallery HERE. Watch speakers, discussion leaders and other participants enjoy 5 days of cutting edge science among cliff walks and seafood delicacies at the beautiful setting of Newport in the Rhode Island coast. The 10th edition of the Gordon Research Conference (GRC) devoted to Neurotrophic Factors will take place at Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island, June 5-10, 2011. Carlos Ibanez, who was vice-chair in 2009, will chair the 2011 conference alongisde Rosalind Segal from Harvard University as vice-chair. This GRC is the most important forum showcasing cuting-edge developments in neurotrophic factor research. The 2011 edition will gather a mix of new and old comers and cover all aspects of neurotrophic factor research, from structure and signal transduction to functions in development, neuronal plasticity and disease. For program information and registration visit the conference website HERE. Registration closes May 8, 2011. The third meeting of EU FP7 Molpark network took place on March 27-29, 2011, at Saariselka, 250km above the arctic circle in the Finnish Lapland. Excellent science met with white untouched snow from the Urho Kekkonen National Park, Northern Lights and a selection of Lapland food delicacies. Follow the adventures of the Molpark crew in this remote corner of the planet by visiting the photo gallery. It is the Zeiss LSM700 with four solid-state lasers mounted on an AxioImager Z2 stand. There is big excitment in the lab and we all hope that this will significantly improve the workflow of our microscopy work. The proof of the pudding… |
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