The research objective of the group relates to glutamatergic synaptic transmission with two main lines of research, the physiology and plasticity of glutamatergic synapses, and the trafficking of glutamate receptors and synaptic proteins.
The lab has been focussing on a family of glutamate receptors, kainate receptors, which play a special role in the regulation of activity of synaptic networks.
We are particularly interested in the mechanisms of synaptic development and in novel forms of synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus.
An important objective of our work is to put synapic plasticity and trafficking of synaptic proteins in the context of the in vivo (in the slice preparation and in the whole brain) situation.
New projects are developping that connect cellular mechanisms of synaptic plasticity to the in vivo activity of hippocampal place cells.
We also try to unravel the links between synaptic dysfunction and two main diseases: epilepsy and mental retardation using mouse genetic mouse models.

Ibarretxe G, Perrais D, Jaskolski F, Vimeney A, Mulle C (2007):Fast regulation of axonal growth cone motility by electrical activity..J Neurosci:27:7684-7695.

Pinheiro PS, Perrais D, Coussen F, Barhanin J, Bettler B, Mann JR, Malva JO, Heinemann SF, Mulle C ( (2007):GluR7 is an essential subunit of presynaptic kainate autoreceptors at hippocampal mossy fiber synapses..Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A:104:12181-12186.

Laezza F, Wilding TJ, Sequeira S, Coussen F, Zhang XZ, Hill-Robinson R, Mulle C, Huettner JE, Craig AM (2007):KRIP6: a novel BTB/kelch protein regulating function of kainate receptors..Mol Cell Neurosci:34:539-550.

Pilo Boyl P, Di Nardo A, Mulle C, Sassoe-Pognetto M, Panzanelli P, Mele A, Kneussel M, Costantini V, Perlas E, Massimi M, Vara H, Giustetto M, Witke W (2007):Profilin2 contributes to synaptic vesicle exocytosis, neuronal excitability, and novelty-seeking behavior..Embo J: 26:2991-3002.

Rebola N, Sachidhanandam S, Perrais D, Cunha RA, Mulle C (2007):Short-term plasticity of kainate receptor-mediated EPSCs induced by NMDA receptors at hippocampal mossy fiber synapses..J Neurosci:27:3987-3993.