Knoops B.

ANIMAL PEROXIREDOXINS AND THIOREDOXIN SYSTEMS

GROUP LEADER

BERNARD KNOOPS

Dr. Bernard Knoops received his Ph.D. in neurobiology in 1990 from the Université catholique de Louvain, Belgium. He performed postdoctoral studies at McGill University with Prof. Albert Aguayo and at the Université catholique de Louvain with Prof. Jean-Noël Octave. From 1984 until 1996 he worked on axonal regeneration in the peripheral and central nervous system of mammals. Since 1996 his research is focused on the characterization of antioxidant enzymes in animals. In 1997, he cloned and initiated the biochemical characterization of human peroxiredoxin 5, a member of a novel family of peroxidases highly conserved throughout evolution.

Since 1997, Bernard Knoops is Professor of histology and cellular and molecular biology in the Department of Biology at the Université catholique de Louvain in Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium. His currrent interest is mainly focused on subcellular targeting of peroxiredoxins and their functions as cytoprotective antioxidant enzymes or modulators of redox-dependent signal transduction in mammals. Moreover, Bernard Knoops is also involved in structural and functional studies on evolutionally conserved peroxiredoxins and associated thioredoxin systems in invertebrates and vertebrates.

Fields of expertise:

Enzymatic antioxidant protective mechanisms in animal cells. Molecular and cell biology of peroxiredoxins and associated thioredoxin systems

Group of Cell Biology

Bt. Carnoy (a.153.10)
Croix du Sud, 4-5
L7.07.02
B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve-Belgium

Email:
Tel.: +32 10 47 37 60
Fax.: +32 10 47 35 15

RESEARCH OVERVIEW

In cells and organisms that have evolved to live in aerobic environments, the incomplete reduction of oxygen generates reactive oxygen species. These species arise from the mitochondrial electron transport chain, from enzymatic activities of oxygenases and oxidases or from exposure to external agents. Reactive oxygen species may react with various components in animal cells such as lipids, proteins and nucleic acids leading to cell damage and possibly cell death. Although several reactive oxygen species are considered as toxic molecules, recent works suggest also that reactive oxygen species could act as physiological regulators. Animal cells have developed complex antioxidant mechanisms to protect themselves against deleterious oxidative attacks but also to control the redox balance implicated in signaling.

Our research work is aimed at characterizing antioxidant mechanisms that have evolved from invertebrates to mammals and at studying the consequences of oxidative attacks caused by reactive oxygen species in animal cells.

Our research activities are focused on the characterization of antioxidant enzymes evolutionary conserved and designated peroxiredoxins as well as associated thioredoxin systems.