Principal Investigator

Antonio Conconi

Antonio Conconi

PhD

Professeur titulaire, Département de microbiologie et d’infectiologie, Faculté de médecine et des sciences de la santé, Université de Sherbrooke

Non esitate d’andare contro corrente.

REPRESENTATIVE RESEARCH

Conconi A and Bell B (NATURE 2017)
The long and short of a DNA-damage response (cited 11 times).

Tremblay M, Charton R et al (Nucl Acids Res 2014)
Gene transcription abruptly stops when RNA polymerase-II encounters a DNA lesion on the transcribed strand. What happens to stalled RNA polymerases-II is not well understood, they could: (i) transcribe through the lesion, (ii) remain at the damaged site and undergo conformational changes to allow repair, (iii) be moved from the damaged site by reverse translocation without separating from the DNA strand, (iv) be released from the DNA.  Even less is known about the fate of stalled RNA polymerase-I at DNA lesions, and how the arrest affects the structure open rDNA chromatin. In this study the two forms of rDNA chromatin were separated during NER and analyzed by various assyas. We showed for the first time in vivo that RNA polymerases-I were displaced from the damaged transcribed strand and replaced by nucleosomes. Moreover, the newly inactivated rDNA chromatin retained the signature of active rRNA genes and was readily reopened when UV induced photoproducts were removed by NER (cited 20 times).

Toussaint M and Conconi A (NATURE Prot 2006)
High-throughput and sensitive assay to measure yeast cell growth: a bench protocol for testing genotoxic agents (cited 82 times).

Conconi A et al (PNAS 2002)
UV-induced DNA lesions are removed from the DNA by nucleotide excision repair (NER). Active genes are repaired faster than inactive DNA by a process called transcription-coupled repair (TCR). TCR is not completely understood but it is thought that RNA polymerase II elongation is necessary for TCR. Using yeast as a model, this study shows that TCR also occurs in RNPI transcribed genes (cited 103 times).

Smerdon M and Conconi A (Progress in Nucl Acids Res and Mol Biol 1999)
Modulation of DNA Damage and Repair in Chromatin (cited 152 times).

Conconi A et al (NATURE 1996)
Some mammalian genes associated with tissue injuries and inflammations are activated by UV light. There is a remarkable analogy between the induction pathway of one plant defense mechanism (the wound-inducible proteinase inhibitor-I and -II genes) and the inflammatory response in animals. This study shows that a lipid-based pathway is part of the UV response, adding important information on how UV irradiation induces stress responses in cells. Moreover, damaged DNA could participate in the UV response. This study was introduced by a commentary (Nature 1996, 383, p.763) (cited 310 times).

Conconi A et al (CELL 1989)
To investigate what happens to nucleosomes during transcription, investigators used ribosomal genes (rDNA) as model. Contradictory results were reported: one group of studies suggested that nucleosomes were present during transcription, another suggested that nucleosomes were absent and a third model proposed that nucleosomes were largely modified during RNPI elongation. This study: 1) explained why reported results in the literature yielded opposing conclusions, 2) showed for the first time that two different populations of rDNA are present in the same cell (an inactive packaged with nucleosomes, and an actively transcribed depleted of nucleosomes), 3) demonstrated that nucleosomes are not present in the coding regions of highly transcribed rDNA. This work was described as an innovative study in a commentary in Cell (1989, 59, pp. 243-244) (cited 464 times).

Students

Alexia Muguet

Alexia Muguet

PhD Student

PROTEIN FACTORS PARTICIPATING IN NUCLEOTIDE EXCISION REPAIR

Subir des échecs n’est pas une défaite, mais un enseignement de valeur.

AqME

– 2016-Present: PhD in Microbiology / Molecular Biology – Université de Sherbrooke (Canada)
– 2014-2015: Master in Fondamentale and Applied Microbiology – Université de Bretagne Occidentale (France)
– 2012-2014: Master in Oceanography and Marine Environments – Université Pierre et Marie Curie / Paris VI (France)
– 2011-2012: Licence in Microbiology – Université de Montpellier (France)
– 2009-2011: Classes préparatoires – Montpelier (France)
– 2020-2021: Bourse d’étude au doctorat du Font de Recherche du Québec Nature et Technologies (Qc, Canada)
– 2009-2015: Bourse aux études, CROUS (France)
– 2009-2011: Bourse au mérite, CROUS (France)
– 2018: “Best poster”, World Yeast Congress, Montréal (Canada)
– 2018: Mention d’honneur du Doyen, Université de Sherbrooke (Québec)
– 2019: Paillé A, Charton R, Muguet A, Griesenbeck J, Smerdon MJ, Conconi A. Analyses of rRNA gene chromatin in cell cycle arrested Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells. Data in Brief 104083
– 2019: Charton R, Muguet A, Griesenbeck J, Smerdon MJ, Conconi A. In yeast cells arrested at the early S-phase by hydroxyurea, rRNA gene promoters and chromatin are poised for transcription while rRNA synthesis is compromised. Mutation Research 815, 20-29
– 2017: Peyresaubes F, Zeledon C, Guintini L, Charton R, Muguet A, Conconi A. RNA polymerase-I dependent transcription-coupled nucleotide excision repair of UV induced DNA lesions at transcription termination sites, in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Photochem Photobiol 93, 363–374
– 2016: Abadie E, Muguet A, Berteaux T, Chomérat N, Hess P, Roque D’OrbCastel E, Masseret E, Laabir M. Toxin and Growth Responses of the Neurotoxic Dinoflagellate Vulcanodinium rugosum to Varying Temperature and Salinity. Toxins 8, 136
2021: MUGUET A, Griesenbeck J, Conconi A. [Oral communication] 43rd Annual International Asilomar Chromatin, Chromosomes and Epigenetics Conference (USA)
– 2021: MUGUET A, Griesenbeck J, Conconi A. [Poster] 88ème congrès de l’ACFAS – Colloque Organisation des Chromosomes et Stabilité du Génome (Canada)
– 2021: MUGUET A, Griesenbeck J, Conconi A. [Oral communication] 88ème congrès de l’ACFAS (Canada)
– 2021: MUGUET A, Griesenbeck J, Conconi A. [Poster] 12ème édition de la Journée Phare (Canada)
– 2020: MUGUET A, Griesenbeck J, Conconi A. [Oral communication] 42nd International Asilomar chromatin, chromosomes and epigenetics conference (USA)
– 2019: MUGUET A, Griesenbeck J, Conconi A. [Poster + Blizt]  Journée PHARE 2019 – Congrès Québécois en Science de la Santé, Orford (Canada)
– 2019: MUGUET A, Griesenbeck J, Conconi A. [Oral communication] Conférence sur la Recherche aux Cycles Supérieurs en Chimie et Biochimie – Université de Concordia. Montréal (Canada)
– 2019: MUGUET A, Conconi A. [Poster] Journée de la Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Sherbrooke. Sherbrooke (Canada)
– 2018: MUGUET A, Charton R, Griesenbeck J, Smerdon MJ, Conconi A. [Poster] Journée PHARE 2018, Congrès Québécois en Science de la Santé. Bromont (Canada)
– 2018: MUGUET A, Charton R, Griesenbeck J, Smerdon MJ, Conconi A. [Poster] Journée de la Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Sherbrooke. Sherbrooke (Canada)
– 2018: MUGUET A, Charton R, Griesenbeck J, Smerdon MJ, Conconi A. [Poster] World Yeast Congress. Montréal (Canada)
– 2017: MUGUET A, Zeledon C, Hill G, Conconi A. [Poster] Journée PHARE 2017 – Congrès Québécois en Science de la Santé, Bromont (Canada)
– 2015: MUGUET A, Henry E, Hogrel G, Flament D. [Poster] GdR Archaea. Toulouse (France)
Plongée sous-marine / Scuba diving
Tango argentin/Argentine tango, Rockabilly jive, West-coast swing, Salsa/Bachata
Audrey Paillé

Audrey Paillé

PhD Student

NER IN CHROMATIN of ACTIVE rRNA GENE

It always seems impossible, until it’s done.

Nelson Mandela

– 2018-Present: PhD in Microbiology / Molecular Biology – Université de Sherbrooke (Canada)
– 2015-2017: Master in Biology, Health and Medical Science, BioHealth and Ingeneering Research, Cell Ingeneering speciality – Université de Poitiers (France)
– 2012-2015: Licence in Life Science, Neuroscience and Physiology speciality – Université de Poitiers (France)
– 2011-2012: First year of Medical school – Université de Poitiers (France)
– 2021: Bourse d’étude au doctorat – Axe Cancer, Centre de Recherche du CHUS, Université de Sherbrooke (Qc, Canada)
– 2020: Scholarship from Keystone Symposia (USA)
– 2017: Lauréat of “Fondation Poitiers Université” for the project “Snow Leopard Preservation Project” (France)
– 2022: Nomination au Prix valeurs FMSS – Prix Engagement, Université de Sherbrooke (Canada)
– 2022: 1er prix, Evaluation Interne, Concours de vulgarisation de l’Université de Sherbrooke (Canada)
– 2021: Mention d’honneur du Doyen, Université de Sherbrooke (Canada)
– 2019: “Best oral communication”, 22nd Annual Chemistry and Biochemistry Graduate Research Conference, Montreal (Canada)
– 2019: “Best poster”, 62nd Annual Conference of the Canadian Society for Molecular Biosciences, Montreal (Canada)
– 2022: Guintini L, Paillé A, Graf M, Luke B, Wellinger RJ, Conconi A. Transcription of ncRNAs promotes repair of UV induced DNA lesions in Saccharomyces cerevisiae subtelomeres. PLOS Genetics 18, e1010167
– 2022: Paillé A, Charton R, Dholandre Q, Conconi A. The Efficiency of Global Genome‐Nucleotide Excision Repair is Linked to the Fraction of Open rRNA Gene Chromatin, in Yeast. Photochem Photobiol 98, 696-706
– 2019: Paillé A, Charton R, Muguet A, Griesenbeck J, Smerdon MJ, Conconi A. Analyses of rRNA gene chromatin in cell cycle arrested Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells. Data in Brief 104083
2022: PAILLÉ A, Charton R, Dholandre Q, Conconi A. [Poster] Retraite de l’Axe Cancer du CRCHUS (Canada)
2021: PAILLÉ A, Charton R, Dholandre Q, Conconi A. [Oral communication] 43rd Annual International Asilomar Chromatin, Chromosomes and Epigenetics Conference (USA)
– 2021: PAILLÉ A, Peyresaubes F, Zeledon C, Conconi A. [Oral communication] 88ème congrès de l’ACFAS – Colloque Organisation des Chromosomes et Stabilité du Génome (Canada)
– 2021: PAILLÉ A, Peyresaubes F, Zeledon C, Conconi A. [Oral communication] 88ème congrès de l’ACFAS (Canada)
– 2021: PAILLÉ A, Peyresaubes F, Zeledon C, Conconi A. [Poster] 12ème édition de la Journée Phare (Canada)
– 2020: PAILLÉ A, Peyresaubes F, Zeledon C, Conconi A. [Oral communication] 42nd International Asilomar chromatin, chromosomes and epigenetics conference (USA)
– 2020: PAILLÉ A, Peyresaubes F, Zeledon C, Conconi A. [SciTalk] Keystone Symposia – eSymposia – Genomic Stability and DNA Repair (USA)
– 2019: PAILLÉ A, Peyresaubes F, Zeledon C, Conconi A. [Oral Communication] 22nd Annual Chemistry and Biochemistry Graduate Research Conference, Montreal (Canada)
– 2019: PAILLÉ A, Charton R, Muguet A, Griesenbeck J, Conconi A. [Poster] 62nd Annual Conference of the Canadian Society for Molecular Biosciences. Montreal (Canada)
– 2019: PAILLÉ A, Charton R, Muguet A, Griesenbeck J, Conconi A. [Poster] Journée FMSS 2019. Sherbrooke (Canada)
– 2018: PAILLÉ A, Peyresaubes F, Zeledon C, Conconi A. [Poster] Journée PHARE 2018, Congrès Québécois en Science de la Santé. Bromont (Canada)
– 2018: PAILLÉ A, Peyresaubes F, Zeledon C, Conconi A. [Poster] Journée de la Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Sherbrooke. Sherbrooke (Canada)
– 2017: PAILLÉ A, Pechereau F, Griffault D, Lange J, Bergès T. [Conference] La génétique au service de la panthère des neiges. En collaboration avec l’ONG OSI Panthera. Université de Poitiers (France)
Beer Science
Food and Pâtisserie
Travel (France, Italy, Sweden, England, Belgium, Spain, Canada, Andorre, USA….)
Quentin Dholandre

Quentin Dholandre

Master Student

THE ROLE OF RIBOSOMAL GENES COPY NUMBER IN UV SENSITIVITY

– 2018-Present: PhD in Microbiology / Molecular Biology – Université de Sherbrooke (Canada)
– 2017-2018: Professional degree in bio-industry and biotechnology – UIT Lyon 1 (France)
– 2015-2017: Technician certificate in biotechnology – Lycée La Forbine, Marseille (France)
– 2012-2014: STL biotechnology baccalaureate – Lycée Liberté, Romainville (France)
– N/A
– N/A
– 2021: Paillé A, Charton R, Dholandre Q, Conconi A. The Efficiency of Global Genome‐Nucleotide Excision Repair is Linked to the Fraction of Open rRNA Gene Chromatin, in Yeast. Photochem Photobiol Special Issue
– 2022: DHOLANDRE Q, Bourita R, Muguet A, Paillé A, Conconi A. [Poster] Retraite de l’Axe Cancer du CRCHUS (Canada)
– 2021: DHOLANDRE Q, Paillé A, Bourita R, Corroyer Y, Conconi A. [poster] 13ème édition de la Journée PHARE 2021, Orford (Canada)
– travels
– Art/DIY
– Lego building
– Various documentaries
– Cooking