Mohammed RACHIDI

University of French Polynesia, Tahiti, French Polynesia

Scientific Director of Research, Laboratory of Genetic dysregulation models: Trisomy 21 and Hyperhomocysteinemia, EA3508, University of Paris 7 - Denis Diderot, France.

TITLES AND HONOURS
2006: - Director of Research (HDR) in Human Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Paris 5 University.
2005: - Consulting Editor for Contemporary Who's Who of Professionals, American Biographical Institute.
2004: - Research Board of Advisors, American Biographical Institute (ABI), USA.

COLLECTIVE SCIENTIFIC ACTIVITIES
2007: Scientific animation in "Diabetes and Obesity" Rangiroa, French Polynesia
2006: TELETHON "Down syndrome, Diabetes and Obesity" Papeete, French Polynesia
2003: Referee for Cellular and Molecular Life Science; Genomics.

TEACHING ACTIVITIES
1998 - Assistant Professor at Collège de France, Paris, France.
1995 - Assistant Professor at Pasteur Institute, Paris, France.

RESEARCH ACTIVITIES
From 2000:
Necker "Enfants Malades" Hospital, Pediatric and Medical Center, Paris, France.
- Human Molecular Genetics of Trisomy 21 Disease or Down syndrome. Identification of the Down Syndrome Chromosomal Regions DSCR and genes contents. Identification and characterisation of candidates genes of Down Syndrome and their mouse homologs. Study of their physiological and etiological role in Down Syndrome.
- Human Molecular Genetics of Monosomy 21 Disease. Identification of the first gene in the critical region, C21orf6, potentially involved in arthrogrypose in patients affected by partial monosomies and carrying one copy of this gene.

- Biomedical and Human Genetics: Comparative genotype-phenotype associations in Down syndrome associated pathologies; Study of potential roles of candidate genes for Down syndrome associated pathologies, such as Alzheimer disease, leukaemia, obesity and diabetes, also present in euploid population, but more frequent in trisomy 21.

- Identification and characterisation of DSCR candidates genes of Mental Retardation and their mouse homolog. Study of their physiological and pathological role in the brain development:
- DYRK1A/MNB, the human and mouse homolog of Drosophila Minibrain gene which encodes a serine/threonine kinase protein that is required in distinct proliferation centers during postembryonic neurogenesis and cell cycle control.
- GIRK2/KCNJ6, potassium channel inwardly rectifying subfamily J, member 6, an ATP-sensitive potassium channels, highly expressed in the brain.
- SIM2, the human and mouse homolog of Drosophila Single-Minded gene, a master regulator of neurogenesis and transcriptional factor controlling midline cell fate determination and cell differentiation.
- TPRD: TPR Down syndrome gene, containing 3 tetratricopeptide domains involved in proteins-proteins interaction and has a role in neuronal differentiation in Transgenic mouse models and in Trisomic 21 patients.
- DOPEY2/C21orf5, a putative transcription factor containing leucine zipper-like domains involved in cortical lamination and brain morphogenesis of Transgenic mouse models and Down syndrome patients.

- In progress: Functional Genomics and Post-Genomics. Transcriptome and Proteome.
Generation of Trisomic and Transgenic mouse models of Trisomy 21. Gene Targeting.

From 2004
Human Molecular Genetics, Diabetes and Obesity (collaboration with C. Lopes and P. Froguel).
Study of potential role of candidate gene in type 2 diabetes:
- RXRG, nuclear receptor to retinoid acids, involved in lipid metabolism in adipocytes and muscles.
- PBX-1, transcription factor, partner of PDX-1, involved in pancreas development and b pancreatic cell differentiation.

INTERNATIONAL PUBLICATIONS

1) Rachidi, M. and Lopes, C.
Molecular Mechanisms of Mental Retardation in Down syndrome.
In: Focus on Mental Retardation Research, 2007, pp. 1-59. Edition Nova Science Publischers, Inc.

2) Rachidi, M. and Lopes, C.
Mental Retardation in Down syndrome: from gene dosage imbalance to molecular mechanism.
(In press)

3) Rachidi, M. and Lopes, C.
Differential transcription of Barhl1 homeobox gene in restricted functional domains of the central nervous system suggests a role in brain patterning.
International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience, 2006, 24, 35-44.

4) Rachidi, M., Lopes, C., Delezoide, A.L. and Delabar, J.M.
C21orf5, a human candidate gene for brain abnormalities and mental retardation in Down Syndrome.
Cytogenetics and Genome Research, 2006, 112(1-2), 16-22.

5) Lopes, C., Delezoide, A.L., Delabar, J.M. and Rachidi, M.
BARHL1 homeogene, the human ortholog of the mouse Barhl1 involved in cerebellum development, shows regional and cellular specificities in restricted domains of developing human central nervous system.
Biochemical Biophysical Research Communications, 2006, 339, 296-304.

INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC COMMUNICATIONS

1) Rachidi, M., Lopes, C.
Candidate genes of Down syndrome. TELETHON, 8-9 December 2006, Papeete, French Polynesia.

2) Rachidi, M., Lopes, C.
Genetics of Diabetes and Obesity. TELETHON, 8-9 December 2006, Papeete, French Polynesia.

3) Rachidi, M., Lopes, C., Benichou, J.C., Hellio, R., Maisonhaute, C.
Virus-Like Particle formation in Drosophila melanogaster germ cells suggests a complex translational regulation of 1731 retrotransposon cycle and new mechanisms inhibiting transposition.
XIIIème Meeting of Transposable Elements, 2005, Paris-Sud University, Orsay.

4) Chabert, C., Sébrié, C., Verger, E., Costantine, M., Rachidi, M., Lopes, C., Ledru, A., Paly, E., Herault, Y., Gillet, B. and Delabar, J.M.
Phenotypic description and modeling of murine models overexpressing HSA21 genes.
III International Conference on Chromosome 21 and Medical Research on Down Syndrome, 2005, Barcelona, Spain.

5) Chabert C, Sébrié C, Bichler Z, Rachidi M, Lopes C., Langlois A, Ledru A, Paly E, Branchi I, Delabar JM,
Alterations of brain morphogenesis in murine models of Down syndrome.
34th Annual Meeting of the Society for Neurosciences 2004, San Diego.

6) Delabar, J.M., Chabert, C., Sebrie, C., Bichler, Z., Rachidi, M., Lopes, C., Ledru, A., Paly, E., Gillet, B., Rubin, E. and Branchi, I.
Alterations of brain morphogenesis in murine models of Down syndrome.
Program No. 482.1. DC: Society for Neuroscience. 2004, Washington.

7) Chabert C, Sébrié C, Bichler Z, Rachidi M, Lopes C, Langlois A, Ledru A, Paly E, Branchi I, Delabar JM.
Alterations of brain morphogenesis in murine models of Down syndrome.
"Expert Workshop on the Biology of Chromosome 21", 11-14 juin 2004, Washington.

8) Chabert C, Sébrié C, Bichler Z, Rachidi M, Lopes C, Langlois A , Ledru A , Paly E , Gillet B, Branchi I , Delabar JM.
Alterations of the morphogenesis: effects of genic dosage in murin models of trisomy 21.
2nd Colloque of Trisomy 21, 2004, Paris.

9) Chabert C, Sebrié C, Bichler Z, Rachidi M, Lopes C., Langlois A, Ledru A, Paly , Branchi I, Delabar JM
Alterations of brain morphogenesis in murine models of Down syndrome.
International Jérome Lejeune Day's, November 2004, Paris.