Description du sujet de thèse

This PhD project aims to understand the molecular mechanisms involved in synapse formation, with a focus on the role of secreted synaptic organizers, particularly AGR-1, the ortholog of the Agrin protein in the nematode C. elegans. AGR-1 appears to play a key role in the regulation of postsynaptic receptors, although its partners and mechanisms of action remain unknown. The project combines genetic approaches in C. elegans with advanced imaging techniques to determine the precise function of AGR-1 at C. elegans synapses.

Contexte de travail

The NeuraCel team, led by Jean-Louis Bessereau, is part of the MeLiS research unit. The team specializes in studying the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in the formation and maintenance of synapses, with a particular focus on the processes that control the biogenesis and localization of neurotransmitter receptors under both normal and pathological conditions. Their strategy relies on a combination of genetic, imaging, electrophysiological, and biochemical approaches using the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans as an experimental model.