Rudi Beyaert
Molecular Signal Transduction in Inflammation
VIB Department for Molecular Biomedical Research, UGent              

PhD: Univ. of Ghent, Ghent, Belgium, '92 VIB Group leader since 1997

E-mail phone +32 9 331 37 70 ADDRESS

Current team members
Group leader: Rudi Beyaert
Staff scientist: Geert van Loo
Postdoctoral scientists: David Muyllaert, Harald Braun, Isabelle Carpentier, Jens Staal, Lynn Verstrepen, Mieke Delvaeye, Mirjam Kool, Mourad Matmati, Sandra Gardam
Ph.D. Students: Annelies Demeyer, Christina Müller, Conor McGuire, Jonathan Maelfait, Kelly Verhelst, Lars Vereecke, Lynn Elton, Tine Bekaert
Support personnel: Marja Kreike, Mira Haegman, Mozes Sze, Yasmine Driege

Keywords
• Signal transduction in inflammation and immunity
• Cytokine signaling (TNF, IL-1, IL-33)
• Toll-like receptor signaling
• NF-kB and IRF signaling
• Protein-protein interactions
• (De)Ubiquitination
• Mouse models of inflammation
• Conditional gene targeting in the mouse
• Pseudomonas lung infection


Science

The goal of our research is to understand the molecular mechanisms that control inflammation and immunity. We are focusing on specific intracellular signaling cascades, such as the nuclear factor-kB (NF-kB) pathway, which is activated in response to injury, infection, inflammation and other stressful conditions requiring rapid reprogramming of gene expression. Inappropriate NF-kB dependent gene expression is implicated in the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases and cancer. We are using several molecular and biochemical approaches to elucidate the mechanisms that control NF-kB activation downstream of cytokine receptors (TNF, IL-1, IL-33) and immune receptors (TLRs, TCR). Using conditional gene targeting in the mouse we also study the role of key signaling molecules in mouse models of inflammatory diseases (multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, Crohn’s disease), infectious diseases (Pseudomonas or Influenza lung infection), as well as cancer.

Specific research topics include:

1. Regulation of NF-kB signaling by protein ubiquitination and phosphorylation;
2. Function and regulation of the deubiquitinating protein A20;
3. Function and regulation of the paracaspase MALT1;
4. Cell death signaling in the central nervous system;
5. Modulation of innate immunity by the T3SS of Pseudomonas aeruginosa;

Press Release
See also press release (05/07/2010): First step to new therapy for chronic bowel disease - based on a publication in J Exp Med (Vereecke et al., J Exp Med, 2010).

See also press release (28/01/2008): A major step toward a more targeted treatment for auto-immune diseases? - based on a publication in Nature Immunology (Coornaert et al., Nature Immunology, 2008).

Link to Group's website for more details.

See also comment of Neil Kaplowitz in Hepatology (pdf - 102 Kb).

Vereecke L, Beyaert R, van Loo G
The ubiquitin-editing enzyme A20 (TNFAIP3) is a central regulator of immunopathology
TRENDS IMMUNOL 30, 383-91, 2009



Wagner S, Carpentier I, Rogov V, Kreike M, Ikeda F, Löhr F, Wu C, Ashwell J, Dötsch V, Dikic I, Beyaert R
Ubiquitin binding mediates the NF-kappaB inhibitory potential of ABIN proteins
ONCOGENE 27, 3739-45, 2008



Coornaert B, Baens M, Heyninck K, Bekaert T, Haegman M, Staal J, Sun L, Chen Z, Marynen P, Beyaert R
T cell antigen receptor stimulation induces MALT1 paracaspase-mediated cleavage of the NF-kappaB inhibitor A20
NAT IMMUNOL 9, 263-71, 2008



Maelfait J, Vercammen E, Janssens S, Schotte P, Haegman M, Magez S, Beyaert R
Stimulation of Toll-like receptor 3 and 4 induces interleukin-1beta maturation by caspase-8
J EXP MED 205, 1967-73, 2008



Galle M, Schotte P, Haegman M, Wullaert A, Yang h, Jin S, Beyaert R
The Pseudomonas aeruginosa Type III secretion system plays a dual role in the regulation of caspase-1 mediated IL-1beta maturation
J CELL MOL MED 12, 1767-76, 2008

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