Gloria G Curto

Gloria G. Curto, PhD

I am a researcher on developmental, stem cell and cancer biology with genomics/bioinformatics skills. My research interests include how cell fate decisions are related to the establisment of appropriate cellular identities, population ratios and tissue size. Also, how these molecular mechanisms might induce different pathologies when aberrant.

I focus my efforts on analyzing different aspects of these mechanisms in neural stem cells. In my PhD, I analyzed the implication of the transcription factor Pax6 in olfactory bulb adult neurogenesis (proliferation, differentiation, and survival of new cells) and in the generation of glial cells from adult olfactory bulb stem cells. During my first postdoc (Institut de Biologie de l'École Normale Supérieure, Paris) I identified molecular candidates participating in the differentiation of ependymal cells, multiciliated cells lining the brain ventricles.

In my last position as a senior postdoctoral researcher in the group of Vanessa Ribes I studied different aspects of the cell identity regulation exerced by Pax3 and Pax7 transcription factors. I analyzed how the differential transcriptional activity of these two transcription factors contribute to the generation of the different populations of spinal cord interneurons. I was also working on the initial steps of oncogenic transformation triggered by PAX3FOXO1A and PAX7FOXO1A in the generation of Rhabdomyosarcoma pediatric tumor. I was using a combination of classic developmental biology techniques, human cell lines, mouse embryonic stem cells differentiation protocols, high-throughput genomics, and bioinformatics approaches to reveal the transcriptional network behind the oncogenic activity of these two chimeric proteins.

Additionally, I've been committed to different research-related associations given my strong interest in science-related politics and scientific human resources. Thanks to these activities I gained experience in organization of meetings and coordination of workgroups.

career

Scientific Career


February 2015 to September 2017
Postdoctoral researcher
Lab. Dr. Ribes. Institut Jacques Monod, Paris. France.

Postdoctoral researcher at CNRS-UMR7592 with the financial support of Dr. Ribes' ATIP-AVENIR and La Ligue contre le Cancer - Enfants et Cancer grants.

I studied how the transcriptional activity of Pax3 and Pax7 impacts cell fate decisions during dorsal spinal cord development. I also analyzed the oncogenic activity of PAX3 and PAX7FOXO1 chimeric proteins in the generation of Rhabdomyosarcoma. I used genomics and bioinformatics approaches to characterize the transcriptional network governing these events. We combined it with classic developmental biology techniques, human cell lines and mouse embryonic stem cell differentiation protocols to validate particular candidates or potentially perturbed cellular mechanisms.


September 2010-January 2014
Postdoctoral researcher
Lab. Dr. Spassky. Institute de Biologie de l'École Normale Supérieure, Paris. France.

From February 2011 to January 2014, I was hired by Inserm-U1024 with the financial support of a La Ligue contre le cancer postdoctoral fellowship.
From September 2010 to January 2011, I was hired by the Association Robert Debré as a postdoctoral researcher in the team of Dr. Spassky.

My project was aimed to identify molecular mechanisms responsible for ependymal cell differentiation. I did a transcriptomic analysis of neural stem cells and differentiating ependymal cells to identify potential candidates. To experimentally validate those candidates I used a combination of in vivo and in vitro techniques, including videomicroscopy.


2005-May 2010
PhD Thesis
University of Salamanca, Spain.
Instituto de Neurociencias de Castilla y León, Spain.

Title: Neurogenesis and gliogenesis in the rostral brain of adult Pax6 heterozygous mice (+/SeyDey).PDF icon
Supervisors: José Ramón Alonso Peña and Carmela Gómez Rodríguez.

From July 2008 to August 2010, I was hired as a research assistant by the lab.
From July 2004 to July 2008, I was a fellow of the Spanish Government FPI program for graduate students.

I was interested in the role of the transcription factor Pax6 in adult neurogenesis towards the olfactory bulb. I analyzed in vivo and in vitro the proliferation, self-renewal, and differentiation abilities of adult progenitors as well as cell survival in Pax6 heterozygous mutants.

I was awarded the Premio Extraordinario de Doctorado prize from University of Salamanca (Spain). This doctorate prize awards the best thesis by domain. It is based both on the CV of the candidate and the confidential comments of the thesis committee after the PhD defense.


2003-2005
Postgraduate program in Neuroscience
University of Salamanca, Spain.
Instituto de Neurociencias de Castilla y León, Spain.

October 2005, D.E.A. Thesis:
Title: Characterization of cell types in the retina of adult Pax6 heterozygous mice (+/SeyDey).
Supervisors: Almudena Velasco and Juan Lara.
Histological characterization of retina cell populations.


December 2004
Pedagogic Aptitude Diploma
University of Salamanca, Spain.

Habilitation to become a high school teacher.


1998-2003
Degree in Biology
University of Salamanca, Spain.

During the last two years as undergraduate student, I was already collaborating in the Department of Cell Biology and Pathology and the Institute of Neurosciences.
2002-2003, undergraduate research collaborator fellowship. Supported by the Spanish Government Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte.
2001-2002, undergraduate research collaborator.

Research internships

October-November 2006
Dr. Carlos Crespo. Cell Biology Department. University of Valencia, Spain.

Transmission electron microscopy analysis of Pax6 expression in the subventricular zone and the rostral migratory stream.



June-July 2005
Dr. Carlos Crespo. Cell Biology Department. University of Valencia, Spain.

Transmission electron microscopy analysis of the connectivity of distinct populations of periglomerular cells in mice.



June-November 2007
Dr. Eric C. Holland. Cancer Biology and Genetics. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York. USA. Now at Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center in Seattle.

Pax6 regulation by PDGF signalling and its relationship with the pattern of expression in brain tumours (Glioblastoma multiforme).



March 2007-August 2010
Dr. Carlos Vicario. Developmental Neurobiology Department. Stem Cell Biology, Neural Progenitors and Neural Differentiation Laboratory. Cajal Institute, Madrid. Spain.

Cell Culture. Adult mice neurospheres proliferation, differentiation, and self-renewal experiments.




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publications

Publications


  • Pax3- and Pax7-mediated Dbx1 regulation orchestrates the patterning of intermediate spinal interneurons. Gard C.*, Curto G.G.*, Frarma YE., Chollet E., Duval N., Auzié V., Auradé F., Vigier L., Relaix F., Pierani A., Causeret F., Ribes V. Developmental Biology (2017), 432(1):24-33.
    *: Both authors contribute equally to this work.
    Pubmed - HAL - DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2017.06.014

  • Structures and properties of PAX linked regulatory networks architecting & pacing the emergence of neuronal diversity. Curto G.G., Gard C., Ribes V. Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology (2015), 44: 75-86. Invited Review.
    Pubmed - DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2015.09.010

  • Pax6 is essential for the maintenance and multi-lineage differentiation of neural stem cells, and for neuronal incorporation into the adult olfactory bulb. Curto G.G., Nieto-Estévez V., Hurtado-Chong A., Valero J., Gómez C., Alonso J.R, Weruaga E., Vicario-Abejón C. Stem cells and Development (2014), 23(23):2813-30.
    Pubmed - DOI: 10.1089/scd.2014.0058

  • Tubulin glycylases and glutamylases have distinct functions in stabilization and motility of ependymal cilia. Bosch Grau M., Gonzalez Curto G., Rocha C., Magiera M.M., Marques Sousa P., Giordano T., Spassky N., Janke C. The Journal of Cell Biology (2013), 202(3):441-51.
    Pubmed - DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201305041

  • Changes in the serotonergic system and in brain-derived neurotrophic factor distribution in the main olfactory bulb of pcd mice before and after mitral cell loss. Gómez C., Curto G.G., Baltanás F.C., Valero J., O'Shea E., Colado M.I., Díaz D., Weruaga E., Alonso J.R. Neuroscience (2012), 201:20-33.
    Pubmed - DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2011.11.025

  • Types of cholecystokinin-containing periglomerular cells in the mouse olfactory bulb. Baltanás F.C., Curto G.G., Gómez C., Díaz D., Murias A.R., Crespo C., Erdelyi F., Szabó G., Alonso J.R., Weruaga E. Journal of Neuroscience Research (2011), 89(1):35-43.
    Pubmed - DOI: 10.1002/jnr.22521

  • Modelos animales en el estudio de los Trastornos del Espectro Autista. Gómez C., Díaz D., Airado Cerrato C., González Curto G., Murias A. R., Sánchez Recio J., Weruaga E., Alonso J.R. Book Chapter. 2010. Investigaciones sobre autismo en español: problemas y perspectivas, 239-248. Centro de Psicología Aplicada. ISBN 978-84-614-1786-5.

  • Chemical characterization of Pax6-immnoreactive periglomerular neurons in the mouse olfactory bulb. Baltanás F.C., Weruaga E., Murias A.R., Gómez C., Curto G.G., Alonso J.R. Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology (2009), 29:1081-1085.
    Pubmed - DOI: 10.1007/s10571-009-9405-3

  • Modifications of the retina neuronal populations of the heterozygous mutant small eye mouse, the SeyDey. Curto G.G., Lara J.M., Parrilla M., Aijon A., Velasco A. Brain Research (2007), 1127:163-176.
    Pubmed - DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2006.10.007

  • Sex differences in catechol contents in the olfactory bulb of control and unilaterally deprived rats. Gómez C., Briñón J.G., Valero J., Recio J.S., Murias A.R., Curto G.G., Orio L., Colado M.I., Alonso J.R. European Journal of Neuroscience (2007), 25:1517-1528.
    Pubmed - DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2007.05407.x

  • Changes in cell migration and survival in the olfactory bulb of the pcd/pcd mouse. Valero J., Weruaga E., Murias A.R., Recio J.S., Curto G.G., Gómez C., Alonso J.R. Developmental Neurobiology (2007), 67:839-859.5.
    Pubmed - DOI: 10.1002/dneu.20352

Please visit my Google Scholar Profile for further details.




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skills
Technical | Bioinformatics | Organizative | Communication | Funding & awards


Technical skills

Histological analysis

Tissue sectioning (Vibratome, Cryostate, Parafine).
Immunohistochemistry and immunoflourescence (in toto, free floating, cell culture and slides).
In situ hybridization.
Semi thin and ultra thin sectioning for transmission electron microscopy (TEM).
Pre and post-embedding immunohistochemistry for TEM.

cryostat section of a mouse retina stained with hematoxilin-eosin Calbindin inmunohistochemistry, labeling olfactory bulb periglomerular interneurons Calretinin inmunofluorescence, labeling olfactory bulb periglomerular interneurons staining of proliferative and total cells in an adult neural stem cells derived neurosphere in situ hybridization staining of the olfactory bulb Dopaminergic olfactory bulb periglomerular interneuron contacting a mitral cell (TEM)

Up: cryostat section of a mouse retina stained with hematoxilin-eosin (left); Calbindin inmunohistochemistry, labeling olfactory bulb periglomerular interneurons (center); Calretinin inmunofluorescence, labeling olfactory bulb periglomerular interneurons (right). Down: staining of proliferative (green) and total (red) cells in an adult neural stem cells derived neurosphere (left); in situ hybridization staining of the olfactory bulb (center); Dopaminergic (dark precipitate) olfactory bulb periglomerular interneuron contacting a mitral cell (TEM) (right).

Cultures

Neurosphere assays, proliferation.
Clonal analysis to assess self-renewal and multipotency of stem cells.
Cell differentiation assays.
Primary cultures (astrocytes and ependymal cells).
Explants for the analysis of neuronal migration.
Brain slice organotypic cultures. Mouse embryonic stem cells culture.

Neurospheres grown from adult olfactory bulb stem cells Neurons differentiated from adult olfactory bulb stem cells Ependymal cells differentiated from postnatal neural stem cells

Neurospheres grown from adult olfactory bulb stem cells (left); Neurons (green and red) differentiated from adult olfactory bulb stem cells (center); Ependymal cells (cell junctions in green; multicilia in red) differentiated from postnatal neural stem cells (right).

Videomicroscopy

Cells in culture.
Explants.
Brain slices.

Electroporated neuroblasts (red) migrating out of a postnatal rostral migratory stream explant (left); Electroporated neuroblasts migrating through the rostral migratory stream towards the olfactory bulb (organotypic culture) (right).

Electroporation

In vivo electroporation of postnatal brain ventricular zone and embryonic chick neural tube.

Electroporated postnatal mice lateral ventricular wall dissection

Electroporated postnatal mice lateral ventricular wall dissection, bright field (left); Electroporated postnatal mice lateral ventricular wall dissection, electroporated cells in red (right).

Molecular biology and Biochemistry

RNA and DNA isolation.
PCR and RT-PCR.
Western Blot.
Immunoprecipitation.
Cloning.

Big equipment

Laser confocal microscope and spinning disk.
Transmission electron microscope.

Experimental models

Organization and maintenance of mice colonies.
Related trainings:
B level certificate: Experimental models project designer (according to the French law; July, 2015).
Certificate of qualified staff to work with experimental models (according to the Spanish law; July, 2006).


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Technical | Bioinformatics | Organizative | Communication | Funding & awards


Bioinformatics, statistics, and coding

  • Programming languages/computer skills
    R, Bash, Python.

  • Bioinformatics
    RNA-seq. Bioinformatics analysis of differentially expressed genes/transcripts.
    ATACseq and ChIP-seq. Peak calling, peak annotation, motif analysis.

    Related trainings:
    • CSAMA 2016. Statistical Data Analysis for Genome-Scale Biology. The course consisted of both theoretical lessons and practical hands-on exercises based on the R / Bioconductor environment. One week intensive summer school. Brixen, Italy. July, 2016 CSAMA 2016 Program. CSAMA 2016 Lecturers
      Certificate of attendance.pdf
    • Bioinformatics Methods II. It covered motif searching, protein-protein interactions, structural bioinformatics, gene expression data analysis, and cis-element predictions. Coursera online course. University of Toronto. March-April, 2014.
      Statement of accomplishment with distinction.pdf
    • Bioinformatics. Level II. Initiation to the bioinformatics treatment of RNA-seq generated data. INSERM, DR - Kremlin Bicêtre - Paris XI. 13-17 May 2013.
    • Bioinformatics. Level I. Analysis of molecular sequences. INSERM, DR - Kremlin Bicêtre - Paris XI. 18-22 February 2013.

  • Data analysis, statistical inference, and R programming
    Related trainings:
    • Getting and Cleaning Data. The course covers the basics needed for collecting, cleaning, and sharing data. Coursera online course. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. July-August 2014. Statement of accomplishment with distinction.pdf
    • Exploratory Data Analysis. The course covers in detail the plotting systems in R as well as some of the basic principles of constructing data graphics, and some of the common multivariate statistical techniques used to visualize high-dimensional data. Coursera online course. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. July-August 2014. Statement of accomplishment with distinction. pdf
    • R Programming. The course covers practical issues in statistical computing which includes programming in R, reading data into R, accessing R packages, writing R functions, debugging, and organizing and commenting R code. Coursera online course. Professor: Roger D. PENG, PhD. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. June-July 2014.
      Statement of accomplishment with distinction. pdf
    • The Data Scientish Toolbox. This course has two parts. The first is a conceptual introduction to the ideas behind turning data into actionable knowledge. The second is a practical introduction to the programming tools like version control, markdown, git, Github, R, and Rstudio. Coursera online course. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. June-July 2014. Statement of accomplishment with distinction.pdf
    • Data Analysis and Statistical Inference. This course introduces students to core statistical concepts such as exploratory data analysis, statistical inference and modeling, and basic probability, as well as statistical computing with R. Coursera online course. Duke University. March-April 2014. Statement of accomplishment with distinction.pdf

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Technical | Bioinformatics | Organizative | Communication | Funding & awards


Organizative skills

Leadership/Management skills

  • 2011 to 2013 I was an active member of the directive team of the students and postdocs association of the Institut de Biologie de l'École Normale Supérieure (SPIBens).
    As a part of my activity, I participated in the organization of the Young Researchers in Life Science meeting 2012, in Paris.

  • 2004 to 2011 I was an active member of the spanish Young Researchers Federation (Federacion de Jovenes Investigadores; FJI).
    2008 to 2009 I was part of the association board, the last 6 months as vice-president. I participated in the planning and coordination of the work of the association and represented the association in different events and negotiations related to science politics.
    2005 to 2007 I was in charge of a national work group dedicated to the preparation of informative material on the activities of the association and science policy, promotional objects and the organization of informative/formative and protest events.


Conference organization

  • Member of the organizative committee:
    Young Researchers in Life Science meeting 2012 (http://yrls.fr/), in Paris. The YRLS meeting is organized once a year by the young researchers associations of the five leading life science research institutes of Paris. Apart from diverse general organization tasks, I participated in the selection of participants for oral presentations and as a poster judge for the developmental and cell biology sections.
  • Chairman:
    VII Young Researchers meeting (“Scientific Politics in Spain: Needs and Proposals"). Barcelona (Spain) 25-27 February 2009.
  • Coordinator of the scientific program:
    VI Young Researchers meeting (“Research is future"). Granada (Spain) 13-15 February 2008.

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Technical | Bioinformatics | Organizative | Communication | Funding & awards


Communication skills

Scientific publications


I have published 10 papers in peer reviewed journals, three of them as first author and three as second author. And two more in preparation.
I have 5 contributions as first author in oral presentations in meetings and 4 poster contributions.
I have participated in lab meetings, seminars and educational activities in english, french and spanish in a regular basis, so I'm used to present my work to different audiences.


Teaching

  • Qualification aux fonctions de maître de conferences Cell Biology and Neuroscience sections. France, 2016.
  • Practical undergraduate teaching in different subjects of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Histology areas (University of Salamanca). 210 hours in the areas of Cell biology, Neurobiology and Histology. 2006-2008
  • Pedagogic Aptitude Diploma. University of Salamanca, Spain. Diploma needed to become a high school teacher in Spain. 2004

Popular science activities


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Technical | Bioinformatics | Organizative | Communication | Funding & awards


Funding and awards

  • La ligue contre le cancer postdoctoral fellowship. February 2011-January 2014. Cilia Biology and Neurogenesis Team. Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS). Paris (France). INSERM U1024.
  • Doctoral Award “Premio Extraordinario de Doctorado" by University of Salamanca (Spain). 2010
  • Research internship grant. Supported by “Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia", Spain. 2007. Dpt. Cancer Biology and Genetics. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York (USA). 2007, 5 months.
  • Research internship grant. Supported by “Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia", Spain. 2005. Dpto. Biología Celular y Parasitología. University of Valencia (Spain).
  • Predoctoral fellowship. Supported by “Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia, FPI program" Spanish Government. 2004-2008. Institute of Neuroscience of Castilla y León. University of Salamanca. Salamanca (Spain).
  • Undergraduate collaboration fellowship. Supported by “Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte" Spanish Government. 2002-2003. Institute of Neuroscience of Castilla y León, Spain.
  • Popular science awards


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Technical | Bioinformatics | Organizative | Communication | Funding & awards
contact
Contact info
  • Name: Gloria González Curto
  • E-mail: gloria (at) gloriagcurto -dot- info
Copyright Gloria González Curto
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