MISSION/HISTORY
  DIRECTOR
  Sylvain Bourgoin     
 
  RESEARCHERS
  Fawzi Aoudjit          
  Pierre Borgeat        
  Maria Fernandes     
  Louis Flamand         
  François Marceau          
  Paul Naccache     
  Patrice Poubelle      
  Marc Pouliot            
  Patrick Provost        
  Raynald Roy            
  Jean Sévigny           
 
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Maria J.G. FERNANDES, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval.


Centre de Recherche en
Rhumatologie et Immunologie
2705, Boulevard Laurier, local T1-49
Quebec, QC
G1V 4G2 Canada
Tel: 418-656-4141 ext. 46106 (office)
Tel: 418-656-4141 ext. 46132 (laboratory)
Fax: 418-654-2765
E-mail:
maria.fernandes@crchul.ulaval.ca

Research Themes | Research Projects | Selected References | List of Publications | Research Personnel | Additional Information

Research Themes
 

Molecular pathways involved in angiogenesis
Function of C-type lectins in the immune system

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Research Projects
>> THE IDENTIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF PROTEINS INVOLVED IN ANGIOGENESIS.
Angiogenesis is a multistep process that leads to the growth of new blood vessels from a pre-existing vascular network. In the adult, the vasculature is normally quiescent except for the neovascularization processes that occur during the reproductive cycle and the progression of certain diseases such as (RA) and cancer. Angiostatin is a potent inhibitor of angiogenesis. One of the mechanisms through which angiostatin inhibits neovascularization is through its interaction with angiomotin. The goal of this project is to characterize angiomotin-like proteins and determine their biological function.

We are also interested in investigating the role of the neutrophil in angiogenesis. Convincing evidence strongly suggests that the neutrophil is implicated in angiogenesis. The human neutrophil, for instance, secretes vascular endothelial growth factor in response to a variety of pro-inflammatory stimuli.

This project is supported by the Arthritis Society (TAS), the Canadian Arthritis Network (CAN) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).

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>> THE FUNCTION OF C-TYPE LECTINS IN THE IMMUNE SYSTEM.  
 

Carbohydrates participate in several biological processes including cellular adhesion and migration. They participate in these biological processes by interacting with proteins known as lectins. Lectins play important roles in the immune system. We are particularly interested in investigating the function of C-type lectins expressed by neutrophils.

This project is supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

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Selected references  
 

Fernandes MJ, Rollet-Labelle E, Pare G, Marois S, Tremblay ML, Teillaud JL, Naccache PH. 2006. CD16b associates with high-density, detergent-resistant membranes in human neutrophils. Biochem. J. 393:351-359. PubMed Link

Fernandes MJ, Lachance G, Paré G, Rollet-Labelle E, Naccache PH. 2005. Signaling through CD16b in human neutrophils involves the Tec family of tyrosine kinases. J. Leukoc. Biol. 78:524-32. PubMed Link

Moreau J, Lord M, Boucher M, Bealleau P, Fernandes MJ. 2005. Protein diversity is generated within the motin family of proteins by alternative pre-mRNA splicing. Gene 350:137-48. PubMed Link

Barabé, F., Paré, G., Fernandes, M.J.G., Bourgoin, S.G. and Naccache, P.H. (2002) Cholesterol-modulating agents selectively inhibit calcium influx induced by chemoattractants in human neutrophils. J. Biol. Chem. 277, 13473-78. PubMed Link

Fernandes, M.J., Iscove, N.N., Gingras, G. and Calabretta, B. (2000) Identification and characterization of a novel C-type lectin that maps near the natural killer gene complex on human chromosome 12. Genomics 69, 263-270. PubMed Link

Fernandes, M.J.G., Drickamer, K., Finnegan, A.A., Siracusa, L.D., Brenner, C., Iscove, N.N. and Calabretta, B. (1999) Characterization of a novel receptor that maps near the natural killer gene complex: demonstration of carbohydrate-binding and expression in hematopoietic cells. Cancer Research 59, 2709-2717. PubMed Link

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List of Publications - PubMed Link

 
Research Personnel      
  Research Assistants   Graduate Students
 

Valérie Gagné, MSc
Manon Richard, PhD

 

Mélodie Plourde, BSc
Pascale Simard, BSc

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Additional Information Details