Montpellier Scientific Community



Biochemistry and Plant Molecular Physiology (BPMP)

Director: Jean-François Briat
Research area
Plant molecular physiology and biochemistry (B&PMP) is an Integrative Plant Biology research unit linked to 4 Institutions (Université Montpellier 2, CNRS, INRA and SupAgro). It is focused on the mechanisms of responses and adaptation of plants to a variable environment. B&PMP has gained a strong scientific identity, mainly due to its actions in explaining, in molecular terms, the mechanisms which determine the hydro-mineral status of plants, and its regulation in response to various abiotic stimuli. This was achieved by integrating cellular, molecular, genetic, biochemical, biophysical and physiological approaches, and by mainly using Arabidopsis thaliana as a model plant. A main emphasis was put on the study of transport activities (transporters and channels) and of general aspects of the plant mineral nutrition.
Research highlights
  • Characterization of the YSL1 transporter involved in Fe-chelate delivery to Arabidopsis thaliana seeds
  • Implication of the defensins in Zn tolerance in the plant metal hyperaccumulator Arabidopsis halleri
  • Characterization of the nitrate transporter NRT1-1 as a nitrate sensor involved in the regulation of the major nitrate uptake system and in nitrate dependent root morphogenesis.
  • Characterization of the main transporter for Fe uptake (IRT1) by roots of non-grasses plants
  • Characterization of a transporter (HKT1) which is responsible for Na+ recirculation from shoots to roots
  • Demonstration that the K+ channel GORK is a major effector of stomatal closure in response to environmental or hormonal signals
  • Demonstration that the pH sensitivity of aquaporines is the basis of the response of water conductivity to stresses
  • Characterization of a K+ channel necessary for competitive pollen tube growth
Staff profile
Total permanent staff Total Scientists* Scientists with "HDR" [1] Post-doc fellows PhD
57
 33 15 11 16
[1]French university degree for confirmed thesis supervisor
*Scientists per institution: 14 CNRS, 14 INRA, 2 SupAgro, 3 UMII
Research teams
  • Aquaporins in plants (Group leader: Dr Christophe Maurel)
  • Electrical and calcium signalling (Group Leader: Jean-Baptiste Thibaud)
  • Ion channels (Group leader: Dr Hervé Sentenac)
  • Intracellular dynamic of membrane-bound proteins (Group leader : Dr Nadine Paris)
  • Integration of nutritive functions (Group leader: Dr Alain Gojon)
  • Iron Transport and Signaling (Group Leader: Cathy Curie)
  • Metal Phytotoxicity (Group Leader: Pierre Berthomieu)
  • Mineral Nutrition and Oxidative Stress (Group Leaders: Jean-François Briat and Frédéric Gaymard)
Platforms and other tools
  • 15N and 13C mass spectroscopy
  • Microscopy and imaging common service
  • Real Time Quantitative PCR
  • Arabidopsis transformation and mutation mapping facilities
  • Electrophysiology platform including:
    • Animal cells culture facilities (COS, CHO, Sf9...)
    • Two patch clamp / two-electrodes voltage clamp devices for Xenopus oocytes recordings
    • One patch clamp device coupled to microdissection laser
    • One patch clamp device coupled to epifluorescence (GFP, Ca2+ probes...)
    • A post for intra- or extra-cellular recording of ionic activity potential of excised roots
Most important international partnerships
  • Argentina: University of Buenos Aires China: South
  • China Agricultural University, Canton
  • Germany: University of Potsdam; University Hohenheim, Stuttgart; MPI, Golm
  • Italy: University of Milano United Kingdom: University Lancaster, Lancaster
  • USA: University of Colorado at Fort Collins; University of New York, New york
Facts and figures
Publications in international ranking journals
2007: 24
2006: 20
2005: 24
Representative publications
Cécile Ségonzac, Jean-Christophe Boyer, Emilie Ipotesi, Wojciech Szponarski, Pascal Tillard, Brigitte Touraine, Nicolas Sommerer, Michel Rossignol, Rémy Gibrat (2007) Nitrate efflux at the root plasma membrane: identification of an Arabidopsis excretion transporter Plant Cell 19: 3760-3777

Tony Remans, Philippe Nacry, Marjorie Pervent, Sophie Filleur, Eugene Diatloff, Emmanuelle Mounier, Pascal Tillard, Brian G. Forde, Alain Gojon (2006) The Arabidopsis NRT1.1 transporter participates in the signaling pathway triggering root colonization of nitrate-rich patches Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 103(50):19206-19211

Pierre Berthomieu, Geneviève Conéjéro, Aurélie Nublat-Levigneron, William J. Brackenbury, Cécile Lambert, Cristina Savio, Nobuyuki Uozumi, Shigetoshi Oiki, Katsuyuki Yamada, Françoise Cellier, Françoise Gosti, Thierry Simonneau, Pauline A. Essah, Mark Tester, Anne-Aliénor Véry, Hervé Sentenac, Francine Casse (2003) Functional analysis of AtHKT1 in Arabidopsis shows that Na+ recirculation by the phloem is crucial for salt tolerance EMBO J. 22(9):2004-2014

Colette Tournaire-Roux, Moira Sutka, Hélène Javot, Elisabeth Gout, Patricia Gerbeau, Doan-Trung Luu, Richard Bligny, Christophe Maurel (2003) Gating of aquaporins by cytosolic pH regulates root water transport during anoxic stress. Nature 425(6956):393-397

Catherine Curie, Zivile Panaviene, Clarisse Loulergue, Stephen L. Dellaporta, Jean-François Briat, Elsbeth L. Walker (2001) Maize yellow stripe1 encodes a membrane protein directly involved in Fe(III) uptake Nature 409(6818):346-349