Cellular Neurobiology Research Unit

What do we do?

We combine in the lab different techniques to challenge our hypothesis. We use Electronic Transmitted Microscopy to carry out ultrastructural studies of cells and perform 3D reconstructions of different organelles. We use Static and Time-Lapse Confocal Microscopy to examine both the intracellular distribution and movement of proteins and organelles. We employ Biochemical Techniques to analyse the expression, post-translational modifications and interactions between proteins and proteins with DNA. We carry out comparative gene expression studies by using Microarrays and quantitative PCR. The combine usage of these techniques allow us to approach the study of complex biological questions, such those pathologies of the nervous system.

Publications

Dysfunctional mitochondrial fission impairs cell reprogramming.

Prieto J, León M, Ponsoda X, García-García F, Bort R, Serna E, Barneo-Muñoz M, Palau F, Dopazo J, López-García C, Torres J.

Cell Cycle. 2016 Oct 18:1-11. doi: 10.1080/15384101.2016.1241930

----------------------------

Silencing of hepatic fate-conversion factors induce tumorigenesis in reprogrammed hepatic progenitor-like cells.

Serrano F, García-Bravo M, Blazquez M, Torres J, Castell JV, Segovia JC, Bort R.

Stem Cell Res Ther. 2016 Jul 27;7(1):96. doi: 10.1186/s13287-016-0349-5.

----------------------------

Early ERK1/2 activation promotes DRP1-dependent mitochondrial fission necessary for cell reprogramming.

Prieto J, León M, Ponsoda X, Sendra R, Bort R, Ferrer-Lorente R, Raya A, López-García C, Torres J.

Nat Commun. 2016 Mar 31;7:11124. doi: 10.1038/ncomms11124.

----------------------------

Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21 controls adult neural stem cell expansion by regulating Sox2 gene expression.

Marqués-Torrejón MÁ, Porlan E, Banito A, Gómez-Ibarlucea E, Lopez-Contreras AJ, Fernández-Capetillo O, Vidal A, Gil J, Torres J, Fariñas I.

Cell Stem Cell. 2013 Jan 3;12(1):88-100. doi: 10.1016/j.stem.2012.12.001.

----------------------------

Gata4 blocks somatic cell reprogramming by directly repressing Nanog.

Serrano F, Calatayud CF, Blazquez M, Torres J,Castell JV, Bort R.

Stem Cells. 2013 Jan;31(1):71-82. doi: 10.1002/stem.1272.

----------------------------

Polyphosphoinositide metabolism and Golgi complex morphology in hippocampal neurons in primary culture is altered by chronic ethanol exposure.

Esteban-Pretel G, Marín MP, Romero AM, Timoneda J, Ponsoda X, Ballestín R, Renau-Piqueras J.

Alcohol Alcohol. 2013 Jan-Feb;48(1):15-27. doi: 10.1093/alcalc/ags117.

----------------------------

Efficient differentiation of embryonic stem cells into mesodermal precursors by BMP, retinoic acid and Notch signalling.

Torres J, Prieto J, Durupt FC, Broad S, Watt FM.

PLoS One. 2012;7(4):e36405. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0036405.

----------------------------

Neurons of the dentate molecular layer in the rabbit hippocampus.

Sancho-Bielsa FJ, Navarro-López JD, Alonso-Llosa G, Molowny A, Ponsoda X, Yajeya J, López-García C.

PLoS One. 2012;7(11):e48470. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0048470.

----------------------------

Pterostilbene-induced tumor cytotoxicity: a lysosomal membrane permeabilization-dependent mechanism.

Mena S, Rodríguez ML, Ponsoda X, Estrela JM, Jäättela M, Ortega AL.

PLoS One. 2012;7(9):e44524. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0044524.

----------------------------

Ethanol reduces zincosome formation in cultured astrocytes.

Ballestín R, Molowny A, Marín MP, Esteban-Pretel G, Romero AM, Lopez-Garcia C, Renau-Piqueras J, Ponsoda X.

Alcohol Alcohol. 2011 Jan-Feb;46(1):17-25. doi: 10.1093/alcalc/agq079.

----------------------------

Structural organization of the cerebral cortex of the neotropical lizard Tropidurus hispidus.

Pimentel Hde C, dos Santos JR,Macêdo-Lima M, de Almeida FT, Santos ML, Molowny A, Ponsoda X, Lopez-Garcia C, Marchioro M.

Cell Tissue Res. 2011 Feb;343(2):319-30. doi: 10.1007/s00441-010-1097-y.

----------------------------

Endocytosis in cultured neurons is altered by chronic alcohol exposure.

Marín MP, Esteban-Pretel G, Ponsoda X, Romero AM, Ballestín R, López C, Megías L, Timoneda J, Molowny A, Canales JJ, Renau-Piqueras J.

Toxicol Sci. 2010 May;115(1):202-13. doi: 10.1093/toxsci/kfq040.

----------------------------

Chronic ethanol exposure alters the levels, assembly, and cellular organization of the actin cytoskeleton and microtubules in hippocampal neurons in primary culture.

Romero AM, Esteban-Pretel G, Marín MP, Ponsoda X, Ballestín R, Canales JJ, Renau-Piqueras J.

Toxicol Sci. 2010 Dec;118(2):602-12. doi: 10.1093/toxsci/kfq260.

----------------------------

Nanog maintains pluripotency of mouse embryonic stem cells by inhibiting NFkappaB and cooperating with Stat3.

Torres J, Watt FM.

Nat Cell Biol. 2008 Feb;10(2):194-201. doi: 10.1038/ncb1680.

----------------------------

Capture of extracellular zinc ions by astrocytes.

Varea E, Alonso-Llosà G, Molowny A, Lopez-Garcia C, Ponsoda X.

Glia. 2006 Sep;54(4):304-15.

----------------------------

Nuclear localization of PTEN by a Ran-dependent mechanism enhances apoptosis: Involvement of an N-terminal nuclear localization domain and multiple nuclear exclusion motifs.

Gil A, Andrés-Pons A, Fernández E, Valiente M, Torres J, Cervera J, Pulido R.

Mol Biol Cell. 2006 Sep;17(9):4002-13.

----------------------------

Evolution of cerebral cortex involvement in the acquisition of associative learning.

Jiménez-Díaz L, Sancho-Bielsa F, Gruart A, Lopéz-García C, Delgado-García JM.

Behav Neurosci. 2006 Oct;120(5):1043-56.

----------------------------

Binding of PTEN to specific PDZ domains contributes to PTEN protein stability and phosphorylation by microtubule-associated serine/threonine kinases.

Valiente M, Andrés-Pons A, Gomar B, Torres J, Gil A, Tapparel C, Antonarakis SE, Pulido R.

J Biol Chem. 2005 Aug 12;280(32):28936-43.

----------------------------

Functional definition of relevant epitopes on the tumorsuppressor PTEN protein.

Andrés-Pons A, Valiente M, Torres J, Gil A, Roglá I, Ripoll F, Cervera J, Pulido R.

Cancer Lett. 2005 Jun 8;223(2):303-12.

----------------------------

Postnatal neurogenesis in the medial cortex of the tropical lizard Tropidurus hispidus.

Marchioro M, Nunes JM, Ramalho AM, Molowny A, Perez-Martinez E, Ponsoda X, Lopez-Garcia C.

Neuroscience. 2005;134(2):407-13.

----------------------------

Drug metabolism by cultured human hepatocytes: how far are we from the in vivo reality?

Ponsoda X, Donato MT, Perez-Cataldo G, Gómez-Lechón MJ, Castell JV.

Altern Lab Anim. 2004 Jun;32(2):101-10.

----------------------------

Regulation of MAPK cascades by protein tyrosine phosphatases.

Torres J, Blanco-Aparicio C, Pulido R.

Methods Mol Biol. 2004;250:103-12.

----------------------------

A novel loss-of-function mutation (N48K) in the PTEN gene in a Spanish patient with Cowden disease.

Vega A, Torres J, Torres M, Cameselle-Teijeiro J, Macia M, Carracedo A, Pulido R.

J Invest Dermatol. 2003 Dec;121(6):1356-9.

----------------------------

Phosphorylation-regulated cleavage of the tumor suppressor PTEN by caspase-3: implications for the control of protein stability and PTEN-protein interactions.

Torres J, Rodriguez J, Myers MP, Valiente M, Graves JD, Tonks NK, Pulido R.

J Biol Chem. 2003 Aug 15;278(33):30652-60.

----------------------------

Diclofenac induces apoptosis in hepatocytes.

Gómez-Lechón MJ,Ponsoda X, O';Connor E, Donato T, Jover R, Castell JV.

Toxicol In Vitro. 2003 Oct-Dec;17(5-6):675-80.

----------------------------

Human hepatic cell cultures: in vitro and in vivo drug metabolism.

Gómez-Lechón MJ, Donato T, Ponsoda X, Castell JV.

Altern Lab Anim.. 2003 May-Jun;31(3):257-65.

----------------------------

Diclofenac induces apoptosis in hepatocytes by alteration of mitochondrial function and generation of ROS.

Gómez-Lechón MJ, Ponsoda X, O';Connor E, Donato T, Castell JV, Jover R.

Biochem Pharmacol. 2003 Dec 1;66(11):2155-67.

----------------------------

Induction of hepatic heme oxygenase-1 by diclofenac in rodents: role of oxidative stress and cytochrome P-450 activity.

Cantoni L, Valaperta R, Ponsoda X, Castell JV, Barelli D, Rizzardini M, Mangolini A, Hauri L, Villa P.

J Hepatol. 2003 Jun;38(6):776-83.

----------------------------

Retrograde transport of sodium selenite and intracellular injection of micro-ruby: a combined method to describe the morphology of zinc-rich neurones.

Miró-Bernié N, Sancho-Bielsa FJ, López-García C, Pérez-Clausell J.

J Neurosci Methods. 2003 Aug 15;127(2):199-209.

----------------------------

CRMP-4 expression in the adult cerebral cortex and other telencephalic areas of the lizard Podarcis hispanica.

Nacher J, Soriano S, Varea E, Molowny A, Ponsoda X, Lopez-Garcia C.

Brain Res Dev Brain Res. 2002 Dec 15;139(2):285-94.

----------------------------

The lizard cerebral cortex as a model to study neuronal regeneration.

Lopez-Garcia C, Molowny A, Nacher J, Ponsoda X, Sancho-Bielsa F, Alonso-Llosa G.

An Acad Bras Cienc. 2002 Mar;74(1):85-104. 

----------------------------

PSA-NCAM immunocytochemistry in the cerebral cortex and other telencephalic areas of the lizard Podarcis hispanica: differential expression during medial cortex neuronal regeneration.

Ramirez-Castillejo C, Nacher J, Molowny A, Ponsoda X, Lopez-Garcia C.

J Comp Neurol. 2002 Nov 11;453(2):145-56.

----------------------------

Cytochemical techniques for zinc and heavy metals localization in nerve cells.

López-García C, Varea E, Palop JJ, Nacher J, Ramirez C, Ponsoda X, Molowny A.

Microsc Res Tech. 2002 Mar 1;56(5):318-31.

----------------------------

Heterogeneous lack of expression of the tumour suppressor PTEN protein in human neoplastic tissues.

Torres J, Navarro S, Rogla I, Ripoll F, Lluch A, Garcı́a-Conde J, Llombart-Bosch A, Cervera J, Pulido R.

Eur J Cancer. 2001 Jan;37(1):114-21.

----------------------------

The tumor suppressor PTEN is phosphorylated by the protein kinase CK2 at its C terminus implications for PTEN stability to proteasome-mediated degradation

Torres J, Pulido R.

J Biol Chem. 2001 Jan 12;276(2):993-8.

----------------------------

Imaging synaptic zinc release in living nervous tissue.

Varea E, Ponsoda X, Molowny A, Danscher G, Lopez-Garcia C.

J Neurosci Methods. 2001 Sep 30;110(1-2):57-63.

----------------------------

Synaptic zinc in the central nervous system.

López-García C, Molowny A, Ponsoda X, Nácher J, Sancho-Bielsa F.

Rev Neurol. 2001 Aug 16-31;33(4):341-7.

----------------------------

Expression and induction of a large set of drug-metabolizing enzymes by the highly differentiated human hepatoma cell line BC2.

Gómez-Lechón MJ, Donato T, Jover R, Rodriguez C, Ponsoda X, Glaise D, Castell JV, Guguen-Guillouzo C.

Eur J Biochem. 2001 Mar;268(5):1448-59.

----------------------------

Drug biotransformation by human hepatocytes. In vitro/in vivo metabolism by cells from the same donor.

Ponsoda X, Pareja E, Gómez-Lechón MJ, Fabra R, Carrasco E, Trullenque R, Castell JV.

J Hepatol. 2001 Jan;34(1):19-25.

----------------------------

The use of cultured hepatocytes to investigate the metabolism of drugs and mechanisms of drug hepatotoxicity.

Gómez-Lechón MJ, Ponsoda X, Bort R, Castell JV.

Altern Lab Anim. 2001 May-Jun;29(3):225-31.

----------------------------

Role of endogenous nitric oxide in liver-specific functions and survival of cultured rat hepatocytes.

Donato MT, Ponsoda X, O'Connor E, Castell JV, Gómez-Lechón MJ.

Xenobiotica. 2001 May;31(5):249-64.

----------------------------

A novel regulatory mechanism of MAP kinases activation and nuclear translocation mediated by PKA and the PTP-SL tyrosine phosphatase.

Blanco-Aparicio C, Torres J, Pulido R.

J Cell Biol. 1999 Dec 13;147(6):1129-36.

----------------------------

Interaction of mitogen-activated protein kinases with the kinase interaction motif of the tyrosine phosphatase PTP-SL provides substrate specificity and retains ERK2 in the cytoplasm

Zúñiga A, Torres J, Ubeda J, Pulido R.

J Biol Chem. 1999 Jul 30;274(31):21900-7.

----------------------------