Name:

Molecular Neuroendocrinology of Reproduction

Leader:

The NMR team’s fundamental research objective is to further our understanding of the neuroendocrine mechanisms of reproduction in mammals.

It has two applied research objectives:

i) to use its knowledge to improve control of reproduction, particularly in species of agronomic interest such as sheep and goats.
ii) to develop a technology for muscle implantation of plasmid DNA expressing one or more biological factors capable of stably modifying an animal’s phenotype.

Development and optimisation of molecular tools and methodological approaches for muscle implantation of plasmid DNA expressing one or more biological factors capable of stably modifying an animal’s phenotype. The molecular tools are mainly plasmid expression vectors adapted to species and tissue, but also to escape silencing mechanisms. The methodological approaches focus mainly on the method of administration in skeletal muscle (electroporation (muscle) versus “nanovectors” (block copolymers (muscle) and polyplexes (brain)) and the clinical administration strategy.
Animal experimentation on rodents and small ruminant models: surgery, monitoring, sample collection and conditioning of samples.
Single cell nuclear RNA-seq: from sample to computer processing.
Rational design and characterisation of a new acid-resistant amino acid based on BODIPY acid-resistant amino acid (Trp-BODIPY PLUS), and its use in the solid-phase synthesis of fluorescent bioactive peptides. Trp-BODIPY PLUS retains the binding properties of short, linear and cyclic peptides, and exhibits significant fluorescence emission on target binding, enabling wash-free imaging. It is used to visualise the expression and localisation of G protein-coupled receptors in cells in culture and in whole mouse tissues by fluorescence imaging.

UMR INRAe 0085, CNRS 7247, Physiologie de la reproduction et des comportements

Centre INRAe Val de Loire

37380 Nouzilly – France