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| Name |
| Salgado Pires, Susana |
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| E-Mail |
| sspires@gmail.com |
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| 1st Degree |
| Microbiology |
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| University (1st Degree) |
| Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Universidade Catolica do Porto |
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| About the PhD |
| Field of Research |
| Molecular Biology/Neurosciences/Circadian Regulation of Physiology |
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| Abstract |
| "The most robust entrainment cue to the circadian clock is light. In response to this, organisms have evolved light detection mechanisms which allow them to measure and transduce irradiance information to specific centres... |
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"The most robust entrainment cue to the circadian clock is light. In response to this, organisms have evolved light detection mechanisms which allow them to measure and transduce irradiance information to specific centres in the brain. To perceive light, these receptors use photosensitive opsins that are remarkably divergent from those involved in image‐forming photoreception. The main focus of this work was to understand if the photopigment function of the inner‐retinal opsins can be inferred from their sequence and predicted structure. To this end we have isolated and characterised melanopsin and VA opsin from vertebrate species that have evolved under different environments.
This thesis presents evidence for:
(i) The existence of VA opsin in the chicken and Xenopus eye, showing that this gene is not restricted to the teleosts and agnathan classes. In vitro, chicken VA was shown to form a functional photopigment, in presence of 9‐cis‐retinal;
(ii) The existence of two melanopsin (Opn4) isoforms in mouse, which only differ in the length of their C‐terminal tail. Furthermore, we have demonstrated that, in vitro, both of these isoforms traffic to the plasma membrane and are capable of forming a functional retinaldehyde‐dependent sensory photopigment;
(iii) The isolation of melanopsin (Opn4m) from a marsupial species, Sminthopsis crassicaudata. Here, we also demonstrate its expression in a subset of retinal ganglion cells, randomly distributed across the retina;
(iv) The presence of melanopsin in the abyssal fish, Coryphaenoides armatus. Despite living in an environment with no reported solar light, this species appears to have preserved three potentially functional Opn4 genes. Possible physiological roles for these genes are also discussed.
Using an integrative approach of bioinformatic, molecular and electrophysiological data, we have produced a set of data that is allowing a better understanding of non‐visual photoreception."
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| Supervisor(s) |
| Professor Russell G. Foster |
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| Co-Supervisor(s) |
| Dr. Stephanie Halford |
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| University |
| University of Oxford |
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| Laboratory |
| Circadian & Visual Neurosciences |
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| City |
| Oxford |
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| Country |
| UK |
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| Date of Thesis Defence |
| 2008-09-05 |
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| After the PhD (Current Situation) |
| Position |
| Scientist, Exploratory Science and Translational Medicine (Preclinical safety) |
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| Project |
| Development of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies for treatment of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. |
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| Institution |
| NovImmune S.A. |
| View Institution website |
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| City |
| Geneva |
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| Country |
| Switzerland |
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| Relevant Publications |
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| Pires SS (2008) Characterisation of the vertebrate inner-retinal photopigments melanopsin (Opn4) and vertebrate ancient (VA) opsin. University of Oxford |
| View Publication |
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| Pires SS, Halford S, Peirson SN, García-Fernández JM, Hankins MW, Foster RG (2009) VA opsin-based photoreceptors in the hypothalamus of birds. Current Biology;19(16):1396-402. |
| View Publication |
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| Pires SS, Hughes S, Peirson SN, Zheng L, Lucas RJ, Foster RG, Hankins MW, Halford S. (2009) Differential expression of two distinct functional isoforms of melanopsin (Opn4) in the mammalian retina. Journal of Neurosciences; 29(39):12332-42. |
| View Publication |
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Shang L, Daubeuf B, Triantafilou M, Salgado-Pires S, Reith W, Monteiro R, Pugin J, Leger O, Ferlin W2, Kosco-Vilbois M, Triantafilou K, Elson G. (2014) Selective Antibody Intervention of Toll-like Receptor 4 Activation through Fc γ Receptor Tethering. J Biol Chem. 2014 May 30;289(22):15309-15318
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| View Publication |
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Pires, S.S., Shand, J., Bellingham, J., Arrese, C., Turton, M., Peirson, S., Foster, R.G., and Halford, S. 2007. Isolation and characterization of melanopsin (Opn4) from the Australian marsupial Sminthopsis crassicaudata (fat-tailed dunnart). Proc Biol Sci 274(1627): 2791-2799.
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| View Publication |
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Panda, S., Provencio, I., Tu, D.C., Pires, S.S., Rollag, M.D., Castrucci, A.M., Pletcher, M.T., Sato, T.K., Wiltshire, T., Andahazy, M., Kay, S.A., Van Gelder, R.N., and Hogenesch, J.B. (2003). Melanopsin Is Required for Non-Image-Forming Photic Responses in Blind Mice. Science 301, 525-527.
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| View Publication |
| Publications |
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| Lusti-Narasimhan M, Ndowa F, Pires SS. (2011) Importance of sexually transmitted infections in funding for HIV within proposals to the Global Fund. STIs; 87 S 2:ii19-22. doi: 10.1136/sextrans-2011-050183 |
| View Publication |
| Last Update |
| 2014-07-04 10:24:44 |
| The responsibility for this page contents is entirely of the student/alumnus. |
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Program financially supported by
the National Foundation for
Science and Technology
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