Researcher PHD Student

Project: Characterization of the Hippo pathway in the mediobasal hypothalamus: a
potential regulator of tanycyte quiescence.
Confidential information due to possible patents.
PhD in neuroendocrinology as part of the team of “Development and plasticity of the neuroendocrine brain” UMRS1172 http://hypothalamus.eu/

Universidad de Sevilla logo MSc Student Internship

Universidad de Sevilla logo
MSc Student InternshipMSc Student Internship
Universidad de Sevilla · InternshipUniversidad de Sevilla · Internship Jan 2019 – Oct 2019 · 10 mosJan 2019 – Oct 2019 · 10 mos Seville, Andalusia, SpainSeville, Andalusia, Spain

I worked through my master thesis “Colon inflammation increased the excitability of rat pyramidal neurons of motor cortex” under the supervision of Lidia Carrascal, Pablo García-Miranda and María Dolores Vázquez-Carretero. The project unfolded at the physiology department from the pharmacology faculty of the University of Seville.
Abstract:
Inflammation is an important factor in the development of neurodegenerative diseases and peripheral inflammation greatly affects the central nervous system via humoral and nervous pathways. The concept of the brain-gut axis has long been visualized as the mediator of stress-related gastrointestinal symptoms. Thus, intestinal inflammation may alter neuron membrane properties contributing to or even causing their functional death. We utilized dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) dissolved in drinking water to provoke ulcerative colitis in adult rats. Inflammatory markers were evaluated in both the brain and colon by real-time PCR. The electrophysiological properties of motor cortex neurons were determined by whole cell patch-clamp recordings in current clamp mode performed on brain slice samples. The results as the DSS-treated rats exhibited increased mRNA levels of IL6 and iNOS in motor cortex and colon. The motor neurons showed an increase in input resistance, frequency gain and maximal discharge frequency and a decrease in resting membrane potential and rheobase. These changes result in an increase in neuronal excitability. We conclude that intestinal inflammation induces neuroinflammation that could contribute to neuronal degeneration via an increase in membrane excitability.

Bachelor thesis

I carried out this project entitled “Studying the effect of resveratrol and other polyphenolic compounds on the cell cycle and mitochondrial ROS production” as research thesis of my bachelor’s degree under the supervision of Guillermo López Lluch. It was performed during an internship at the Andalusian Developmental Biology Institute (CABD).
Abstract:
The main objective of this project is unveiling the relation within mitochondrial ROS production and the cell cycle. To this purpose, resveratrol and three other polyphenolic compounds with similar chemical structure (stilbenoids) have been selected in order to treat tumour HCT116 cells in vitro and analyse the consequences in proliferation, morphology, DNA content and ROS concentration. Piceatannol, apigenin and naringenin did not have any significant effect on the cells at the tested concentrations. Resveratrol made the cells stay at S/G2 phase, not reaching toxicity but synchronizing cell population in the S phase. This led us to hypothesize that the particular structural difference between these two compounds is key in resveratrol action on cell cycle. Moreover, resveratrol was the only stilbenoid that presented an increase in mitochondrial membrane potential and ROS presence. Apigenin and naringenin showed to be toxic and inhibited cell proliferation, while only apigenin showed an effect on mitochondrial activity, suggesting both of the compounds provoke apoptosis through different pathways. Due to the rise in mitochondrial and cytosolic ROS, apigenin could be triggering the mitochondrial or intrinsic pathway to apoptosis. However, this might not be the only pathway activated as cell death happens even if ROS production is normal. In conclusion, mitochondrial activity seems to be a hint in exploring the cell cycle modifications produced by the polyphenols, especially when analyzing the results for resveratrol. However, further studies should be performed to establish a hypothesis.

Research Internship

Research internship carried out during my Erasmus stay at Rennes, France. It lasted 6 weeks (Jan 12-Feb 23). During this period, I worked full time in the team “Molecular bases of tumorigenesis: von Hippel Lindau (VHL) disease” in the Institute of Genetics and Development of Rennes (CNRS UMR 6290). The team is interested in understanding the
functions of a tumor suppressor protein mostly in kidney cancer. In the lab, I worked on the project entitled “Regulation of the aggregation and degradation of the human tumor suppressor von Hippel-Lindau protein” using the
unicellular eukaryote Schizosaccharomyces pombe (fission yeast). I was examining the aggregation propensity of a Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) tagged human tumor suppressor protein expressed in wild type and mutant fission yeast. Each mutant displayed a knock-out for different E3 ligase components, enzymes involved in the degradation of misfolded or damaged proteins by the proteasome. The aim was to identify mutant backgrounds where
the human form of VHL would accumulate due to the defect in degradation. By the means of this project I could gather experience in handling yeast cell cultures (including preparation of liquid and solid media), fluorescence microscopy and image analyses, protein extraction and western blotting. Furthermore, I had to present my results to the team during lab meetings in English and French. Ultimately, I wrote a report on my results and presented the data to a jury for the evaluation of the internship.

Best communication poster

Adrián Coutteau Robles, Sreekala Nampoothiri, Florent Sauve, Inés Martinez-Corral, Vincent Prévot & Ariane Sharif. Expression of the Hippo cascade in the adult mediobasal hypothalamus. Journées Scientifiques de la SNE. Lyon, France. 6th-7th September 2022. Awarded for the best poster

Mention d\'honneur par le jury

Mention d\'honneur par le jury pour la défense de la thesis doctorale Characterization of the Hippo pathway in the mediobasal hypothalamus: a potential regulator of tanycyte quiescence.

Best poster

The poster of the project was presented to the 2019 Federation of European Physiological Societies (FEPS) joint meeting held in Bologna and it won the prize for FEPS Best Poster Communication. Livia Carrascal, Pablo García-Miranda, María D. Vázquez-Carretero, Adrian Coutteau- Robles, Anunciación A. Ilundáin, Carmen Castro, María J. Peral, Pedro Nunez-Abades. Colon inflammation increased the excitability of rat pyramidal neurons of motor cortex. FEPS Bologna 2019. Bologna, Italy. 10-13 September 2019. Awarded for the best poster

Highest distinction / Premier du promo

Scientific baccalaureate. Instituto de Educación Secundaria Manuel de Falla (Spain).