Julie LE MERRER

Présentation

Currently Research Director at CNRS, I am a neuroscientist expert in behavioral psychopharmacology, reward processes and social behavior in mice. I defended a State Doctorate in Pharmaceutical Sciences in 2000, while I was pursuing a PhD in Neurosciences and Pharmacology from 1997-2002 in the lab of Robert Jaffard (University of Bordeaux), under the supervision of Pierre Cazala. During my PhD, I explored the role of mu opioid receptors in interfacing learning, anxiety and motivation in the septum. In 2003, I started a first post-doctoral position at the University of Sussex (UK), under the supervision of Dai Stephens, where I investigated plastic and behavioural consequences of alcohol withdrawal and conditioning to drug and food cues. In 2006, I joined the lab of Brigitte Kieffer at IGBMC (Strasbourg). There, I characterized the long-term behavioral and transcriptional consequences of drug exposure and explored the functional roles of mu and delta opioid receptors using knockout mouse models. I notably validated the mu opioid receptor null mice as a model of autism, and identified for the first time the mGlu4 receptor as a promising therapeutic target to relieve autistic symptoms. I was recruited as a research Associate at CNRS in 2014 and established my team in co-direction with Jerome Becker, molecular biologist and pharmacologist, at PRC (INRA, CNRS, University of Tours). We focused our research on identifying the neurobiological underpinnings of social behaviour under physiological and pathological (autism) conditions and developing novel therapeutic strategies to relieve autistic symptoms across multiple mouse models. We have implemented various complementary approaches to achieve these goals, from in vitro pharmacology and transcriptome analysis to behavioural pharmacology, local gene knockdown and optopharmacology. These fruitful years of research have confirmed our strong interest in neuropsychiatric disorders and we are now joining the team “Neuro-functional Psychiatry” at iBrain, Inserm U1253, University of Tours.

Publications

Article dans une revue (24)

Targeting mGlyR with nanobodies for depression Thibaut Laboute,Stefano Zucca,Omar Sial,Mansi Sharma,Gloria Brunoriet al. Nature Communications, 2026, 17 (1), pp.831. ⟨10.1038/s41467-026-68339-x⟩ Article dans une revue hal-05488847v1
Lifelong exposure to polystyrene-nanoplastics induces an attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder-like phenotype and impairs brain aging in mice Anaïs N Vignon,Gaëlle Dudon,Giulia Oliva,Steeve Thirard,Ugo G Alendaet al. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2025, 494, pp.138640. ⟨10.1016/j.jhazmat.2025.138640⟩ Article dans une revue hal-05387908v1
Perinatal exposure to the autism-linked metabolite p-Cresol has limited impact on early development in mice but lasting effects on adult social behavior Juliette Canaguier,Geoffroy Mallaret,Cristina Paraschivescu,Susana Barbosa,Julie Le Merreret al. Scientific Reports, 2025, 15, ⟨10.1038/s41598-025-96840-8⟩ Article dans une revue hal-05235491v1
The NMDA receptor modulator zelquistinel durably relieves behavioral deficits in three mouse models of autism spectrum disorder Mathieu Fonteneau,Agathe Brugoux,Déborah Jaccaz,John Donello,Pradeep Banerjeeet al. Neuropharmacology, 2024, 248, pp.109889. ⟨10.1016/j.neuropharm.2024.109889⟩ Article dans une revue hal-04512687v1
Acute, chronic and conditioned effects of intranasal oxytocin in the mu-opioid receptor knockout mouse model of autism: Social context matters Fani Pantouli,Camille N Pujol,Cécile Derieux,Mathieu Fonteneau,Lucie P. Pellissieret al. Neuropsychopharmacology, 2024, 49 (12), pp.1934-1946. ⟨10.1038/s41386-024-01915-1⟩ Article dans une revue hal-04735048v1
Balance between projecting neuronal populations of the nucleus accumbens controls social behavior in mice Julie Le Merrer,Bérangère Detraux,Jorge Gandía,Aurélie de Groote,Mathieu Fonteneauet al. Biological Psychiatry, 2023, 95 (2), pp.123-135. ⟨10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.05.008⟩ Article dans une revue hal-04247782v1
Chronic sodium bromide treatment relieves autistic-like behavioral deficits in three mouse models of autism Cécile Derieux,Audrey Léauté,Agathe Brugoux,Déborah Jaccaz,Claire Terrieret al. Neuropsychopharmacology, 2022, 47 (9), pp.1680-1692. ⟨10.1038/s41386-022-01317-1⟩ Article dans une revue hal-03647444v1
Nanobody-based sensors reveal a high proportion of mGlu heterodimers in the brain Jiyong Meng,Chanjuan Xu,Pierre-André Lafon,Salomé Roux,Michaël Mathieuet al. Nature Chemical Biology, 2022, 18, pp.894-903. ⟨10.1038/s41589-022-01050-2⟩ Article dans une revue hal-03699580v1
Facilitating mGluR4 activity reverses the long-term deleterious consequences of chronic morphine exposure in male mice Jérôme Aj Becker,Lucie P. Pellissier,Yannick Corde,Thibaut Laboute,Audrey Léautéet al. Neuropsychopharmacology, 2021, 46, pp.1373-1385. ⟨10.1038/s41386-020-00927-x⟩ Article dans une revue hal-03140299v2
The orphan receptor GPR88 blunts the signaling of opioid receptors and multiple striatal GPCRs Thibaut Laboute,Jorge Gandía,Lucie P. Pellissier,Yannick Corde,Florian Rebeillardet al. eLife, 2020, 9, ⟨10.7554/eLife.50519⟩ Article dans une revue hal-02898979v1
The translational regulator FMRP controls lipid and glucose metabolism in mice and humans Antoine Leboucher,Didier Pisani,Laura Martinez-Gili,Julien Chilloux,Patricia Bermudez-Martinet al. Molecular metabolism, 2019, 21, pp.22-35. ⟨10.1016/j.molmet.2019.01.002⟩ Article dans une revue hal-02266400v1
Back-translating behavioral intervention for autism spectrum disorders to mice with blunted reward restores social abilities Camille Pujol,Lucie P. Pellissier,Céline Clément,Jérôme Becker,Julie Le Merrer Translational Psychiatry, 2018, 8 (1), pp.1-15. ⟨10.1038/s41398-018-0247-y⟩ Article dans une revue hal-01970308v1
Mu opioid receptor, social behaviour and autism spectrum disorder: reward matters Lucie P. Pellissier,Jorge Gandia-Sanchez,Thibaut Laboute,Jérôme A.J. Becker,Julie Le Merrer British Journal of Pharmacology, 2017, 175 (14), pp.1-41. ⟨10.1111/bph.13808⟩ Article dans une revue (article de synthèse) hal-01605908v1
Differential behavioral and molecular alterations upon protracted abstinence from cocaine versus morphine, nicotine, THC and alcohol Jérôme A.J. Becker,Brigitte L. Kieffer,Julie Le Merrer Addiction Biology, 2017, 22 (5), pp.1205-1217. ⟨10.1111/adb.12405⟩ Article dans une revue hal-01595696v1
Mice lacking GPR88 show motor deficit, improved spatial learning and low anxiety reversed by delta opioid antagonist Aura Carole Meirsman,Julie Le Merrer,Lucie P. Pellissier,Jorge Diaz,Daniel Clesseet al. Biological Psychiatry, 2016, 79 (11), pp.917-927. ⟨10.1016/j.biopsych.2015.05.020⟩ Article dans une revue hal-01594891v1
Autistic-Like Syndrome in Mu Opioid Receptor Null Mice is Relieved by Facilitated mGluR4 Activity Jérôme Aj Becker,Daniel Clesse,Coralie Spiegelhalter,Yannick Schwab,Julie Le Merreret al. Neuropsychopharmacology, 2014, 39 (9), pp.2049-2060. ⟨10.1038/npp.2014.59⟩ Article dans une revue hal-02266436v1
Impaired Hippocampus-Dependent and Facilitated Striatum-Dependent Behaviors in Mice Lacking the Delta Opioid Receptor Julie Le Merrer,Xavier Rezai,Grégory Scherrer,Jérôme Aj. Becker,Brigitte L Kieffer Neuropsychopharmacology, 2013, 38 (6), pp.1050-1059. ⟨10.1038/npp.2013.1⟩ Article dans une revue hal-02266437v1
Cues predicting drug or food reward restore morphine-induced place conditioning in mice lacking delta opioid receptors Julie Le Merrer,Lauren Faget,Audrey Matifas,Brigitte L. Kieffer Psychopharmacology, 2012, 223 (1), pp.99-106. ⟨10.1007/s00213-012-2693-1⟩ Article dans une revue hal-02266441v1
In Vivo Visualization of Delta Opioid Receptors upon Physiological Activation Uncovers a Distinct Internalization Profile Lauren Faget,Eric Erbs,Julie Le Merrer,Gregory Scherrer,Audrey Matifaset al. Journal of Neuroscience, 2012, 32 (21), pp.7301 - 7310. ⟨10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0185-12.2012⟩ Article dans une revue hal-01899922v1
Cholecystokinin knock-down in the basolateral amygdala has anxiolytic and antidepressant-like effects in mice Caroline del Boca,Pierre-Eric Lutz,Julie Le Merrer,Pascale Koebel,Brigitte Kieffer Neuroscience, 2012, 218, pp.185-195. ⟨10.1016/j.neuroscience.2012.05.022⟩ Article dans une revue hal-02437990v1
Reward processing by the opioid system in the brain. Julie Le Merrer,Jérôme A. J. Becker,Katia Befort,Brigitte L. Kieffer Physiological Reviews, 2009, 89 (4), pp.1379-412. ⟨10.1152/physrev.00005.2009⟩ Article dans une revue (article de synthèse) inserm-00438654v1
Self-administration of the GABA(A) agonist muscimol into the medial septum: dependence on dopaminergic mechanisms. Stéphanie Gavello-Baudy,Julie Le Merrer,Laurence Decorte,Vincent David,Pierre Cazala Psychopharmacology, 2008, 201 (2), pp.219-28. ⟨10.1007/s00213-008-1263-z⟩ Article dans une revue istex inserm-00350880v1
Systematic gene expression mapping clusters nuclear receptors according to their function in the brain. Françoise Gofflot,Nathalie Chartoire,Laurent Vasseur,Sami Heikkinen,Doulaye Dembéléet al. Cell, 2007, 131 (2), pp.405-18. ⟨10.1016/j.cell.2007.09.012⟩ Article dans une revue hal-00187825v1
First evidence of a delay-dependent working memory-enhancing effect of modafinil in mice Daniel Béracochéa,Barbara Cagnard,Celerier Aurélie,Julie Le Merrer,Michel Pérèset al. NeuroReport, 2001, 12 (2), pp.375-378. ⟨10.1097/00001756-200102120-00038⟩ Article dans une revue hal-04228813v1

Communication dans un congrès (2)

Phénotypage de la maturation hypophysaire. Impact de l'allaitement artificiel Elodie Chaillou,Mélanie Kraemer,Céline Parias,Mathieu Fonteneau,Jérôme Beckeret al. Journées d’animation scientifiques du Département Physiologie Animale et Systèmes d’Elevage, May 2022, Poitiers, France Communication dans un congrès hal-03752742v1
Effect of orphan GPR88 on delta opioid signaling &lt;em&gt;in vitro&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;in vivo&lt;/em&gt; Lucie P. Pellissier,Jorge Gandía,A.C. Meirsman,J. Díaz,D. Clesseet al. 4. Annual Meeting of the GDR 3545 "RCPG-Physio-Med", Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS). FRA., Nov 2015, Toulouse, France Communication dans un congrès hal-02742607v1

Poster de conférence (1)

Effect of orphan GPR88 on delta opioid signaling &lt;em&gt;in vitro&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;in vivo&lt;/em&gt; Lucie P. Pellissier,Jorge Gandía,Mohammed Akli Ayoub,B.L. Kieffer,Julie Le Merreret al. 3. Agreenskills Annual Meeting, Oct 2015, Barcelone, Spain. , 1 p., 2015 Poster de conférence hal-02801043v1

Chapitre d'ouvrage (1)

Delta Opioid Receptors: Learning and Motivation Lucie P. Pellissier,Camille Pujol,Jérôme Aj Becker,Julie Le Merrer Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology, 247, Editions Springer, pp.227-260, 2018, Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology, ⟨10.1007/164_2016_89⟩ Chapitre d'ouvrage inserm-01437672v1

Pré-publication, Document de travail (1)

Chronic sodium bromide treatment relieves autistic-like behavioral deficits in three mouse models of autism Cécile Derieux,Audrey Léauté,Agathe Brugoux,Déborah Jacaz,Jean-Philippe Pinet al. 2021 Pré-publication, Document de travail (preprint/prepublication) hal-03379576v1