Mitochondria and Energy Metabolism
©DELANGRE/UNIGE
Our group investigates how mitochondria generate and integrate metabolic signals to regulate the coupling between glucose recognition and insulin secretion. A central focus of our work is the role of glutamate as a signalling molecule in pancreatic β-cells and in the brain, particularly in relation to energy homeostasis. We study the mechanisms of glutamate generation, intracellular transport, and action, with a specific interest in the Glud 1 gene, which encodes glutamate dehydrogenase. Through the use of tissue-specific knockout models and the study of Glud1-activating mutations, we explore how dysregulation in this pathway contributes to hyperinsulinemia, hyperammonemia, and epilepsy.
RESEARCH AIMS
- Understand mitochondrial control of insulin secretion via metabolic coupling signals
- Elucidate the role of glutamate in β-cell and neuronal function
- Investigate Glud1 mutations and their link to metabolic and neurological disorders
CORE EXPERTISE
Mitochondrial physiology, metabolic signal transduction, β-cell function, glutamate metabolism, gene targeting in mouse models, tissue-specific knockout techniques, metabolic phenotyping
1 Jul 2025