Composition

• Staff: 23 (Professors and Technical/engineer staff)
• Post-doc: 5
• PhD student: 10
• Master students: 7

  Facilities

• Cryo-Transmission Electron Microscopy
• Cryofixation and Immuncytochemistry
• Mass spectrometry
• Facilities for structural analysis of complex glycans
• Genetic transformation of higher plants and microalgae

  Activity

Research activities in the laboratory «Glycobiologie et Matrice Extracellulaire Végétale » aim at elucidating the function and biosynthesis of glycoproteins and polysaccharides in higher plants and microalgae. We focus mainly, through reverse genetic approaches, on the function of polysaccharides in relation with plant development and morphogenesis. Another aspect of our research activity deals with defence mechanisms occurring specifically in root border cells with the ultimate goal of identifying identify novel molecules able to stimulate the plant immunity against pathogens. Finally, we also investigate the protein glycosylation processing in higher plants and microalgae by studying N-glycan pathways, glycosyltransferase activities and their Golgi localisation. Since plants and microalgae synthesize N-glycans that are immunogenic in humans, the aim of this topic  is to engineer the endogenous processing to produce in glycoproteins carrying human-compatible glycosylation patterns. The laboratory has also gained an international recognition in the cell imaging of carbohydrate epitopes using both confocal and cryo-electron microscopies.

  Main contributions

• Mapping of glycosyltransferases within the Golgi apparatus in Arabidopsis and tobacco plants
• First demonstration of the role of ArabinoGalactan-Proteins in microtubules organisation in relation with cell morphogenesis
• First identification of the production of border-like cells by Arabidopsis roots and involvement of pectins in biofilm formation
• Characterization of the pollen tube cell wall in Arabidopsis
• Engineering of the N-glycan pathway in tobacco plants by expressing  human glycosyltransferases
• First characterization of N-glycan pathway in microalgae

  Latest publications

2015

• Leroux C, Bouton S, Kiefer-Meyer MC, Fabrice TN, Mareck A, Guénin S, Fournet F, Ringli C, Pelloux J, Driouich A, Lerouge P, Lehner A and Mollet JC. PECTIN METHYLESTERASE48 is involved in Arabidopsis pollen grain germination. Plant Physiol 2015, 167: 367-80. doi.
  25524442

2014

• Dumont M, Lehner A, Bouton S, Kiefer-Meyer MC, Voxeur A, Pelloux J, Lerouge P and Mollet JC. The cell wall pectic polymer rhamnogalacturonan-II is required for proper pollen tube elongation: implications of a putative sialyltransferase-like protein. Ann Bot 2014, 114: 1177-88. doi.
  24825296
• Gotté M, Ghosh R, Bernard S, Nguema-Ona E, Vicré-Gibouin M, Hara-Nishimura I2 and Driouich A3. Methyl Jasmonate Affects Morphology, Number And Activity Of Endoplasmic Reticulum Bodies In Raphanus sativus Root Cells. Plant Cell Physiol 2014
  25305245

2013

• Driouich A, Follet-Gueye ML, Vicré-Gibouin M and Hawes M. Root border cells and secretions as critical elements in plant host defense. Curr Opin Plant Biol 2013, 16: 489-95.
  23856080
• Mathieu-Rivet E, Scholz M, Arias C, Dardelle F, Schulze S, Le Mauff F, Teo G, Hochmal AK, Blanco-Rivero A, Loutelier-Bourhis C, Kiefer-Meyer MC, Fufezan C, Burel C, Lerouge P, Martinez F, Bardor M and Hippler M. Exploring the N-glycosylation pathway in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii unravels novel complex structures. Mol Cell Proteomics 2013, 12: 3160-83.
  23912651