Patrice X. Petit - candidate for Biological Councilor

I was one of the first members of the French Flow Cytometry Association (now known as AFC, http://www.afcytometrie.fr) and for three years was a member of the association’s board.

In 1984, with Spencer Brown (CNRS, Gif-sur-Yvette, France) and Catherine Bergounioux (IBP, Orsay, France), I established the first flow cytometry facilities entirely devoted to plant biology research in France. I went on to spend several years setting up and running a plant research group in Gif-sur-Yvette using this technology. We were very successful in introducing diverse approaches that promoted plant biology and oceanography alongside the pure biology and medical research more widely represented at ISAC meetings.

Later on, I moved to work in mammalian cell biology, more specifically in research on apoptosis focusing on mitochondria and bioenergetics. In pioneering work in this field, we showed that mitochondrial changes are early events in apoptosis (Kroemer et al., 1995; Petit et al., 1995; Vayssière et al., 1994; Zamzami et al., 1995a; Zamzami et al., 1995b). Most of our work was cell biology-based with significant application of flow cytometry to investigate the apoptotic signal transduction pathways. We also studied the conservation of the apoptotic machinery in different species (Arnoult et al., 2002; Arnoult et al., 2001).

Now I am working on apoptotic signal transduction by studying proteins of the Bcl-2 family (i.e., Bid, Bax and Bcl-2) and the role of cardiolipin in apoptosis and in related pathologies (Choi et al., 2007; Gonzalvez et al., 2005a; Gonzalvez et al., 2005b).

Motivation for becoming a member of the ISAC Board

I am currently a Research Director for the CNRS (National Center for Scientific Research, France) with a strong background in flow cytometry. I act as reviewer for many well-established journals (e.g. with impact factors > 7.0, Cell Death and Differentiation, Journal of Cell Biology, PNAS and Oncogene). I aim to help Cytometry increase its impact.

Within the European Community there is a strong potential of well-trained young scientists who increasingly use cytometry in their research and many laboratories are equipped with flow cytometers and confocal microscopes. Researchers are also developing a number of new techniques based on imaging and flow cytometry relating to nanotechnology and nanoprobes, thus greatly enriching our knowledge. However, despite the many excellent studies published or underway in the area of cytometry, only relatively few of the scientists involved are members of the ISAC community. In view of this, my aim is to actively recruit a considerable number of new members.

I also consider that it will be important to make an effort to recruit new members from the eastern European countries which have recently joined the European Community and the countries of eastern Asia. Biology research is bound to develop greatly in these countries in the next decade. Recruitment could be encouraged by offering cytometry workshops and events promoted by ISAC in these countries with the participation of local researchers alongside invited guests from abroad.

My main goal leading me to apply to be on the ISAC Board is to encourage more spending to promote the use of cytometry technologies by a new generation of scientists. This could be achieved by increasing the number of grants available for participation in the ISAC Congress or in local workshops.

I believe that my election as European representative to the ISAC Council would demonstrate ISAC’s commitment to the researchers in Europe.

Selected bibliography

• Arnoult, D., K. Akarid, A. Grodet, P.X. Petit, J. Estaquier, and J.C. Ameisen. 2002. On the evolution of programmed cell death: apoptosis of the unicellular eukaryote Leishmania major involves cysteine proteinase activation and mitochondrion permeabilization. Cell Death Differ. 9:65-81.
• Arnoult, D., I. Tatischeff, J. Estaquier, M. Girard, F. Sureau, J.P. Tissier, A. Grodet, M. Dellinger, F. Trainard, A. Kahn, J.C. Ameisen, and P.X. Petit. 2001. On the evolutionary conservation of the cell death machinery : Involvement of an Apoptosis Inducing Factor during Dictyostelium discoideum cell death. Mol. Biol. Cell. 12:3016-3030.
• Choi, S.Y., F. Gonzalvez, G.M. Jenkins, C. Slomianny, D. Chretien, D. Arnoult, P.X. Petit, and M.A. Frohman. 2007. Cardiolipin deficiency releases cytochrome c from the inner mitochondrial membrane and accelerates stimuli-elicited apoptosis. Cell Death Differ. 14:597-606.
• Gonzalvez, F., J.J. Bessoule, F. Rocchiccioli, M. S., and P.X. Petit. 2005a. Investigation of the role of cardiolipin on tBid and tBid/Bax synergistic effects on yeast mitochondria. Cell Death and Differentiation. 6:659-667.
• Gonzalvez, F., F. Pariselli, P. Dupaigne, I. Budihardjo, M. Lutter, B. Antonsson, P. Diolez, M. S., J.C. Martinou, M. Goubern, X. Wang, S. Bernard, and P.X. Petit. 2005b. t-Bid interaction with cardiolipin primarily orchestrate mitochondrial dysfunctions and subsequently activates Bax and Bak. Cell Death and Differentiation. 6:614-625.
• Kroemer, G., P.X. Petit, N. Zamzami, J.-L. Vayssière, and B. Mignotte. 1995. The biochemistry of apoptosis. FASEB J. 9:1277-1287.
• Petit, P.X., H. Lecoeur, E. Zorn, C. Dauguet, B. Mignotte, and M.L. Gougeon. 1995. Alterations of mitochondrial structure and function are early events of dexamethasone-induced thymocyte apoptosis. J. Cell. Biol. 130:157-167.
• Vayssière, J.-L., P.X. Petit, Y. Risler, and B. Mignotte. 1994. Commitment to apoptosis is associated with changes in mitochondrial biogenesis and activity in cell lines conditionally immortalized with simian virus 40. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 91:11752-11756.
• Zamzami, N., P. Marchetti, M. Castedo, D. Decaudin, A. Macho, T. Hirsch, S.A. Susin, P.X. Petit, B. Mignotte, and G. Kroemer. 1995a. Sequential reduction of mitochondrial transmembrane potential and generation of reactive oxygen species in early programmed cell death. J. Exp. Med. 182:367-377.
• Zamzami, N., P. Marchetti, M. Castedo, C. Zanin, J.-L. Vayssière, P.X. Petit, and G. Kroemer. 1995b. Reduction in mitochondrial potential constitutes an early irreversible step of programmed lymphocyte death in vivo. J. Exp. Med. 181:1661-1672.