Jointly directed by Guy
Rousseau and Louis Hue, this unit studies the molecular mechanisms
of action of hormones and other regulators of cellular functions.
The aim is to better understand the physiological significance
of these regulations and their pathological disturbances. Three
themes are under investigation.
- The control of gene transcription
by hormones and by tissue-specific factors, including hepatocyte
nuclear factor-6 which was discovered in this laboratory.
- The regulation of carbohydrate
and lipid metabolism by hormones and other factors, such as ischemia,
neoplastic transformation and cell volume. Cell swelling can
indeed be regarded as a new insulin-like anabolic signal whose
molecular mechanisms are being unraveled in this research unit.
- The analysis of the relationship
between the structure of an enzyme or protein and its biological
function, notably after modification of this structure under
the influence of hormones. Their main model is 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase
whose mRNAs and genes were originally cloned by this group.
Contact
point
27
juillet 2000.