Team Patrice MOLLARD
Networks and rhythms in endocrine glands

Our team’s research focuses on a fundamental question in physiology: ‘How is the production and release of peptide hormones from the hypothalamic-pituitary axis controlled? To this end, we have carried out a multidisciplinary in vivo approach using animal models to explore the integration of cell signals hypothalamic neurons (neuroendocrine and hypothalamic central clock) and pituitary endocrine cells, and their relationship with the microcirculation in physiology/pathology.
Our strategy is based on the development/adaptation of in vivo cell imaging and cell-specific manipulation techniques, combined with new hormone assays and electrophysiology and functional studies in genetically modified animal models expressing fluorescent proteins/ opsins, and appropriate analysis and modelling tools.

Hypothalamus-pituitary system





















- Guillou A, Kemkem Y, Lafont C, Fontanaud P, Calebiro D, Campos P, Bonnefont X, Fiordelisio-Coll T, Wang Y, Brûlé E, Bernard DJ, Le Tissier P, Steyn F,Mollard P. TSH Pulses Finely Tune Thyroid Hormone Release and TSH Receptor Transduction. Endocrinology. 2023 Nov 20;165(1):bqad164. doi: 10.1210/endocr/bqad164.PMID: 37934802
- El Cheikh Hussein L, Fontanaud P,Mollard P, Bonnefont X. Nested calcium dynamics support daily cell unity and diversity in the suprachiasmatic nuclei of free-behaving mice. PNAS Nexus. 2022 Jul 11;1(3):pgac112. doi: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgac112. eCollection 2022 Jul.PMID: 36741435
- Romanò N, Lafont C, Campos P, Guillou A, Fiordelisio T, Hodson DJ,Mollard P, Schaeffer M. Median eminence blood flow influences food intake by regulating ghrelin access to the metabolic brain. JCI Insight. 2023 Feb 8;8(3):e165763. doi: 10.1172/jci.insight.165763.PMID: 36574295
- Golan M, Boulanger-Weill J, Pinot A, Fontanaud P, Faucherre A, Gajbhiye DS, Hollander-Cohen L, Fiordelisio-Coll T, Martin AO,Mollard P. Synaptic communication mediates the assembly of a self-organizing circuit that controls reproduction. Sci Adv. 2021 Feb 19;7(8):eabc8475. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abc8475. Print 2021 Feb.PMID: 33608269
- Hoa O, Lafont C, Fontanaud P, Guillou A, Kemkem Y, Kineman RD, Luque RM, Fiordelisio Coll T, Le Tissier P,Mollard P. Imaging and Manipulating Pituitary Function in the Awake Mouse. Endocrinology. 2019 Oct 1;160(10):2271-2281. doi: 10.1210/en.2019-00297.PMID: 31329247
- El Cheikh Hussein L,Mollard P, Bonnefont X. Molecular and Cellular Networks in The Suprachiasmatic Nuclei. Int J Mol Sci. 2019 Apr 25;20(8):2052. doi: 10.3390/ijms20082052.PMID: 31027315
- Yip SH, Romanò N, Gustafson P, Hodson DJ, Williams EJ, Kokay IC, Martin AO,Mollard P, Grattan DR, Bunn SJ. Elevated Prolactin during Pregnancy Drives a Phenotypic Switch in Mouse Hypothalamic Dopaminergic Neurons. Cell Rep. 2019 Feb 12;26(7):1787-1799.e5. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.01.067.PMID: 30759390
- Abitbol K, Debiesse S, Molino F, Mesirca P, Bidaud I, Minami Y, Mangoni ME, Yagita K,Mollard P, Bonnefont X. Clock-dependent and system-driven oscillators interact in the suprachiasmatic nuclei to pace mammalian circadian rhythms. PLoS One. 2017 Oct 23;12(10):e0187001. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0187001. eCollection 2017.PMID: 29059248
- Romanò N, Guillou A, Hodson DJ, Martin AO,Mollard P. Multiple-scale neuroendocrine signals connect brain and pituitary hormone rhythms. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2017 Feb 28;114(9):2379-2382. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1616864114. Epub 2017 Feb 13.PMID: 28193889
- Le Tissier P, Campos P, Lafont C, Romanò N, Hodson DJ,Mollard P. An updated view of hypothalamic-vascular-pituitary unit function and plasticity. Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2017 May;13(5):257-267. doi: 10.1038/nrendo.2016.193. Epub 2016 Dec 9.PMID: 27934864
Pituitary cell networks: function and pathologies
Principal investigator
Patrice MOLLARD
Circadian clock versatility in health and disease
Principal investigator
Xavier BONNEFONT
Control of Prolactin secretion by tuberoinfundibular dopaminergic neurons of the arcuate nucleus
Principal investigator
Agnès O. MARTIN