Martine Manuel

Personal profile

• August 2019 - present: Postdoctoral Research fellow investigating the role of Champ1 in the rat brain. Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, UK.
• March 2002 – July 2019: Postdoctoral Research assistant in Pr David J Price’s laboratory, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, UK. Subject: Role of transcription factors in forebrain development
• October 1997-January 2002: PhD in Pr Michel Morange’s laboratory, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, France. Subject: Search for the targets of the embryonic transcription factor mHSF2.

Research

Loss-of-function variants in CHAMP1 (Chromosome Alignment- Maintaining Phosphoprotein) were recently described as cause of a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by global developmental delay, intellectual disability, and dysmorphic facial features. Champ1 protein is conserved across mammals and plays a crucial role during mitosis where it regulates kinetochore-microtubule attachment and therefore proper chromosome alignment. Its role in postmitotic cells remains largely unknow. My current work investigates the role of Champ1 in neurons and glia.

Recent publications

Manuel M, Tan KB, Kozic Z, Molinek M, Marcos TS, Razak MFA, Dobolyi D, Dobie R, Henderson BEP, Henderson NC, Chan WK, Daw MI, Mason JO, Price DJ. (2022). Pax6 limits the competence of developing cerebral cortical cells to respond to inductive intercellular signals. PLoS Biol; 20(9): e3001563

Mi, D., Manuel, M., Huang, Y. T., Mason, J. O. and Price, D. J. (2018). Pax6 Lengthens G1 Phase and Decreases Oscillating Cdk6 Levels in Murine Embryonic Cortical Progenitors. Front Cell Neurosci 12, 419.

Manuel, M. N., Caballero, I. M., Molinek, M., Quintana-Urzainqui, I., Mi, D., Shimogori, T., and Price, D. J. (2014). Cell-autonomous repression of Shh by transcription factor Pax6 regulates diencephalic patterning by controlling the central diencephalic organizer. Cell Rep 8, 1405-1418.

Mi, D., Carr, C. B., Georgala, P. A., Huang, Y. T., Manuel, M. N., Jeanes, E., Niisato, E., Sansom, S. N., Livesey, F. J., Theil, T., et al. (2013). Pax6 exerts regional control of cortical progenitor proliferation via direct repression of Cdk6 and hypophosphorylation of pRb. Neuron 78, 269-284.

Manuel, M. N., Martynoga, B., Molinek, M. D., Quinn, J. C., Kroemmer, C., Mason, J. O., and Price, D. J. (2011). The transcription factor Foxg1 regulates telencephalic progenitor proliferation cell autonomously, in part by controlling Pax6 expression levels. Neural Dev 6, 9.

Georgala PA, Manuel M and Price, DJ. (2011). The generation of superficial cortical layers is regulated by levels of the transcription factor Pax6. Cerebral cortex Apr22 

Manuel M , Martynoga B , Yu T, West JD, Mason JO, Price DJ.(2010) The transcription factor Foxg1 regulates the competence of telencephalic cells to adopt subpallial fates in mice. Development 137:487-497.

Manuel M , Pratt T , Liu M, Jeffery G, Price, DJ. Overexpression of Pax6 results in microphthalmia, retinal dysplasia and defective retinal ganglion cell axon guidance.(2008). BMC Dev Biol  8:59.                       

Manuel M, Georgala PA, Carr CB, Chanas S, Kleinjan DA, Martynoga B, Mason JO, Molinek M, Pinson J, Pratt T, Quinn JC, Simpson TI, Tyas DA, van Heyningen V, West JD, Price DJ.(2007). Controlled overexpression of Pax6 in vivo negatively autoregulates the Pax6 locus, causing cell-autonomous defects of late cortical progenitor proliferation with little effect on cortical arealization. Development 134:545-555