Nicole Beauchemin, PhD, McGill University

Nicole Beauchemin, PhD
Nicole Beauchemin, PhD

The Beauchemin laboratory has been characterizing the functions of cell surface receptor proteins named CEACAM1 for carcinoembryonic antigen-cell adhesion molecules. In addition to their role as intercellular adhesion molecules, these proteins also function as negative immune regulators in T and B lymphocytes as well as NK cells, platelets and neutrophils. In addition, these cell surface glycoproteins function as receptors for mouse hepatitis viruses and the human CEACAM1 is the receptor for Neisseria bacteria. Their goal is to understand how CEACAM1 transmits negative regulatory signals to different cell types and the mechanisms by which these proteins perform their function. They are consistently using molecular and cell biology approaches, as well as in vivo genetic manipulation to produce either Ceacam1 gene knockout mice or transgenic mice overexpressing either wild-type or mutant versions of the protein. They are currently involved in the characterization of the associated phenotypes in these animals to understand the functions in an in vivo setting.

Products

References

  1. Daniels E, Letourneau S, Turbide C, Kuprina N, Rudinskaya T, Yazova AC, Holmes KV, Dveksler GS, Beauchemin N. Biliary glycoprotein 1 expression during embryogenesis: correlation with events of epithelial differentiation, mesenchymal-epithelial interactions, absorption, and myogenesis. Dev Dyn. 1996 Jul;206(3):272-90.
  2. McCuaig K, Turbide C, Beauchemin N. mmCGM1a: a mouse carcinoembryonic antigen gene family member, generated by alternative splicing, functions as an adhesion molecule. Cell Growth Differ. 1992 Mar;3(3):165-74.
  3. Houde C, Roy S, Leung N, Nicholson DW, Beauchemin N. The cell adhesion molecule CEACAM1-L is a substrate of caspase-3-mediated cleavage in apoptotic mouse intestinal cells. J Biol Chem. 2003 May 9;278(19):16929-35. Epub 2003 Mar 11.
  4. Rosenberg M, Nédellec P, Jothy S, Fleiszer D, Turbide C, Beauchemin N. The expression of mouse biliary glycoprotein, a carcinoembryonic antigen-related gene, is down-regulated in malignant mouse tissues. Cancer Res. 1993 Oct 15;53(20):4938-45.
  5. Robitaille J, Izzi L, Daniels E, Zelus B, Holmes KV, Beauchemin N. Comparison of expression patterns and cell adhesion properties of the mouse biliary glycoproteins Bbgp1 and Bbgp2. Eur J Biochem. 1999 Sep;264(2):534-44. PubMed PMID: 10491101.