Molecular neurobiology

Tel. No. (9)73-702414
Fax No. (9)73-702426



Darrera actualització
05/18/2003

Activitat de recerca

At the Molecular Neurobiology group we are studying the programmed cell death that occurs in neuronal cells. We focus on signals that lead to cell survival such as neurotrophic factors and the intracellular pathways triggered by the interaction of these factors with their receptors. We are also interested on the molecular events that control the apoptotic cell death. We use primary cultures of neurons, neuronal cell lines and primary cultures of cardiomiocytes. The aim of our studies is the understanding of the mechanisms involved in neurodegeneratives diseases and the potential design of therapeutical strategies to approach them.

Publicacions recents 

  • Egea J, Espinet C, Soler RM, Dolcet X, Yuste VJ, Encinas M, Iglesias M, Rocamora N,Comella JX. 2001 Neuronal survival induced by neurotrophins requires calmodulin. J Cell Biol. Aug 6;154(3):585-98.
  • Yuste VJ, Bayascas JR, Llecha N, Sanchez-Lopez I, Boix J, Comella JX. 2001The absence of oligonucleosomal DNA fragmentation during apoptosis of IMR-5 neuroblastoma cells: disappearance of the caspase-activated DNase. J Biol Chem. Jun 22;276(25):22323-31.
  • Mario Encinas, Malú G. Tansey, Brian A. Tsui-Pierchala, Joan X. Comella, Jeffrey Milbrandt and Eugene M. Johnson Jr.. c-Src Is Required for Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (GDNF) Family Ligand-Mediated Neuronal Survival via a Phosphatidylinositol-3 Kinase (PI-3K)-Dependent Pathway.. The Journal of Neuroscience 21(5):1464-1472. (2001)
  • Joaquim Egea, Carme Espinet, Rosa M. Soler, Sandra Peiró, Nativitat Rocamora and Joan X. Comella. Nerve Growth Factor Activation of the Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase Pathway Is Modulated by Ca2+ and Calmodulin.. Molecular and Cellular Biology, 20(6):1931-1946. (2000)
  • Mario Encinas, Montse Iglesias, Yuhui Liu, Hongyin Wang, Ashraf Muhaisen, Valentín Ceña, Carme Gallego and Joan X. Comella. Sequential Treatment of SH-SY5Y Cells with Retinoic Acid and Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Gives Rise to Fully Differentiated, Neurotrophic Factor-Dependent, Human Neuron-Like Cells.. Journal of Neurochemistry 75, 991-1003. (2000)
  • Sandra Peiró, Joan X. Comella, Carlos Enrich, Dionisio Martín-Zanca and Nativitat Rocamora. PC12 Cells Have Caveolae That Contain TrkA. The Journal of Biological Chemistry 275(48):37846-37852. (2000)
  • Joaquim Egea, Carme Espinet and Joan X. Comella. Calcium Influx Activates Extracellular-regulated Kinase/Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase Pathway through a Calmodulin-sensitive Mechanism in PC12. Cells.. The Journal Biological Chemistry, 274(1):75-85. (1999)
  • M. Encinas, M. Iglesias, N. Llecha and J.X. Comella. Extracellular-Regulated Kinases and Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase Are Involved in Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor-Mediated Survival and Neuritogenesis of the Neuroblastoma Cell Line SH-SY5Y.. Journal of Neurochemistry 73:1409-142. (1999)
  • Rosa M. Soler, Xavier Dolcet, Mario Encinas, Joaquim Egea, Jose R. Bayascas and Joan X. Comella. Receptors of the Glial Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Family of Neurotrophic Factors Signal Cell Survival through the Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase Pathway in Spinal Cord Motoneurons.. The Journal of Neuroscience, 19(21):9160-9169. (1999)
  • Xavier Dolcet, Joaquim Egea, Rosa M. Soler, Dionisio Martín-Zanca and Joan X. Comella. Activation of Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase, but Not Extracellular-Regulated Kinases, Is Necessary to Mediate Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor-Induced Motoneuron Survival.. Journal of Neurochemistry, 73:521-531. (1999)
  • Elena Becker, Rosa M. Soler, Victor J. Yuste, Eva Gine, César Sanz-Rodríguez, Joaquim Egea, Dionisio Martín-Zanca and Joan X. Comella. Development of Survival Responsiveness to Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor, Neurotrophin 3 and Neurotrophin 4/5, But Not to Nerve Growth Factor, in Cultured Motoneurons from Chick Embryo Spinal Cord.. The Journal of Neuroscience, 18(19):7903-7911. (1998)
  • Rosa M. Soler, Joaquim Egea, Gerard M. Mintenig, Cesar Sanz-Rodriguez, Montse Iglesias and Joan X. Comella. Calmodulin Is Involved in Membrane Depolarization-Mediated Survival of Motoneurons by Phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase- and MAPK-Independent Pathways.. The Journal of Neuroscience, 18(4):1230-1239. (1998)

Projectes actius

  • Implicación de las vías PI 3-K/Akt y Ras/MAPK activadas por factores neurotróficos o segundos mensajeros en la supervivencia y apoptosis de motoneuronas espinales Comisión Interministerial de la Ciencia y Tecnologia SAF2000-0164-C02-01
  • Signalling for death and survival in neurons"
    UE QLRT-1999-0062
  • Rebuig cardiac: bases per la detecció incruenta dels possibles processos involucrats en la lesió miocitària. Caracterització de la via apoptòtica. Implicacions clíniques i possibles repercusions en el maneig i estratificació de risc del malalt transplantat" 000432
  • Los factores neurotróficos y sus vias de traducción de señal como dianas terapeuticas en el tratamiento de las enfermedades neurodegenerativas"
    Fundació la Marató de TV3 98/0510
  • Estudi dels mecanismes intracel·lulars implicats en la traducció dels senyals neurotròfics: anàlisi de l'estimulació de les vies Ras/MAPK i PI 3-K/Akt després d'estimulació amb neurotrofines i per increments intracel·lulars de Ca2+"
    Ajuntament de Lleida
  • Aplicación de estrategias biotecnológicas al estudio de los mecanismos de apoptosis en celulas tumorales CICYT Proyectos cofinanciados con fondos FEDER.

Paraules clau

  • Neurona, Neuroblastoma, Apoptosi, Diferenciació Neuronal, Neurotrofines, Receptors Trk, Bcl-2/Caspases