Francisca Bronfman

Investigation

Our laboratory is interested in defining the contribution of endocytic trafficking to the function of neurotrophins (NGF, BDNF, NT3, NT4). Neurotrophins interact with two cell surface receptors (Trks and p75) involved in the regulation of different aspects of the developing and adult nervous system, including cell death axonal elongation and synaptic plasticity. Both receptors, together with their ligands, are internalized and follow a post-endocytic pathway crucial for neurotrophin signaling and function. We are studying the molecular mechanisms of internalization, intracellular traffic and proteolytic processing of neurotrophin receptors, in the cell body and along axon and dendrites. We are also analyzing how the endocytic behavior of Trks and p75 could modulate the response of neurons to neurotrophins. Because several neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by endocytic abnormalities, we expect to provide new clues to understand the alterations of neurotrophin signaling in neurodegenerative diseases.

Selected References

Author(s)	Title	Date
Bronfman FC.	Metalloproteases and gamma-Secretase: New Membrane Partners Regulating p75 Neurotrophin Receptor Signaling? J. Neurochem. 103 (Suppl1) 91-104 2007	0
Bronfman F.C., Escudero C.A., Weis J., Kruttgen A.	Endosomal transport of neurotrophins: roles in signaling and neurodegenerative diseases Dev Neurobiol 67(9) 1183-203 2007.	0
Urra S., Escudero C.A., Ramos P., Lisbona F., Allende E., Covarrubias P., Parraguez J.I., Zampieri N., Chao M.V., Annaert W., Bronfman F.C.	Membrane bound carboxyterminal fragments of p75 neurotrophin receptor are generated by the activation of TrkA and internalized to endosomes for γ-secretase mediated processing. J.	0
Bronfman F.C., Tcherpakov M., Jovin T, Fainzilber M.	Ligand-induced internalization of the p75 neurotrophin receptor: a slow route to the signaling endosome. J. Neurosci. 23(8) 3209-3220. 2003.	0
Tesseur I., Van Dorpe J., Bruynseels K., Bronfman F.C., Sciot R., Van Lommel and Van Leuven F.	Prominent axonopathy and disruption of axonal transport in transgenic mice expressing human Apolipoprotein E4 in neurons of brain and spinal cord. Am. J. Pathol. 157, 1495-1510 200	0
Bronfman F.C., Moechars D. and Van Leuven F.	Acetylcholinesterase-positive fiber deafferentation and cell shrinkage in the septohippocampal pathway of aged amyloid precursor protein London mutant transgenic mice. Neurobiol. D	0

Francisca Bronfman

Academic CV

Investigation

Academic CV

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