Our laboratory uses C. elegans as a genetic model to study the fundamental principles that govern nervous system function. C. elegans is well suited to explore neuronal cell biology: neurons are conserved in metazoan evolution and C. elegans has one of the best-characterised nervous systems easily observed through its transparent body. Several approaches are used including forward genetics, -omics, optogenetics, behaviour, and quantitative cell biology.
Over the last years, we generated a molecular atlas of C. elegans nervous system; We identified new and conserved genes controlling its sensory functions, synaptic vesicle recycling and neuropeptide secretion; We observed ciliated sensory neurons release extracellular vesicles from their ciliated endings. In addition, we build a strong interest in understanding how neurons and circuits generate and maintain behaviour over ageing.
Opposing roles for lipocalins and a CD36 family scavenger receptor in apical extracellular matrix-dependent protection of narrow tube integrity.
A.C. Belfi, S.G. Aviles, R. Forman-Rubinsky, H.K. Gill, J.D. Cohen, A. Nawrocka, A. Bourez, P. van Antwerpen, P. Laurent, M.V. Sundaram. Development (2026) 153 (16): dev205309.
Sensory stimuli and cilium trafficking defects trigger the release of ciliary extracellular vesicles from multiple ciliary locations.
Teresa Lobo, Guus H. Haasnoot, Aleksandra Nawrocka, Christine W. Bruggeman, Adria Razzauti, Erwin J.G. Peterman, Patrick Laurent. bioRxiv https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.06.06.658075. 2025.
Acute avoidance of hydrogen sulfide is modulated by external and internal states in C. elegans.
Longjun Pu, Lina Zhao, Jing Wang, Clementine Deleuze, Johan Henriksson, Patrick Laurent, Changchun Chen. eLife https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.92964.2. 2025.
A jack of all trades: Hermaphrodite-specific serotonergic neuron in C. elegans.
Patrick Laurent. J of bioscience. http://doi.org/10.1007/s12038-025-00538-y. 2025.
Decoding sexual dimorphism of the sex-shared nervous system at single-neuron resolution.
Rizwanul Haque*, Hagar Setty*, Ramiro Lorenzo*, Gil Stelzer, Ron Rotkopf, Yehuda Salzberg, Gal Goldman, Sandeep Kumar, Shiraz Nir Halber, Andrew M. Leifer, Elad Schneidman, Patrick Laurent, Meital Oren-Suissa. Science Advances https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adv9106. 2025.
Neuroendocrine control of synaptic transmission by PHAC-1 in C. elegans. Aikaterini Stratigi*, Miguel Soler-García*, Mia Krout, Shikha Shukla, Mario De Bono, Janet E Richmond, Patrick Laurent (Feb 2025) Journal of Neuroscience. 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1767-23.2024
Cilia-Derived Extracellular Vesicles in Caenorhabditis elegans: In Vivo Imaging and Quantification of Extracellular Vesicle Release and Capture.
Razzauti A, Lobo T, Laurent P. 10.1007/978-1-0716-3203-1_19. 2023.
Fractionation Coupled to Molecular Networking: Towards Identification of Anthelmintic Molecules in Terminalia leiocarpa.
Tchetan E, Ortiz S, Olounladé PA, Hughes K, Laurent P, Azando EVB, Hounzangbe-Adote SM, Gbaguidi FA, Quetin-Leclercq (Dec 2022) J.Molecules. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28010076.
A lipid transfer protein ensures nematode cuticular impermeability.
Njume FN, Razzauti A, Soler M, Perschin V, Fazeli G, Bourez A, Delporte C, Ghogomu SM, Poelvoorde P, Pichard S, Birck C, Poterszman A, Souopgui J, Van Antwerpen P, Stigloher C, Vanhamme L, Laurent P. iScience (2022). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2022.105357.
Ectosome uptake by glia sculpts Caenorhabditis elegans sensory cilia.
Razzauti, A. & Laurent, P., eLife, 2021.
doi: 10.7554/eLife.67670
Combining single-cell RNA-sequencing with a molecular atlas unveils new markers for Caenorhabditis elegans neuron classes
Lorenzo, R., Onizuka, M., Defrance, M., Laurent, P., Nucleic Acids Research, Volume 48(13):7119–7134, 2020.
https://doi.org/10.1093/nar/gkaa486
Deep behavioural phenotyping reveals divergent trajectories of ageing and quantifies health state in C. elegans
Martineau, C.N., Baskaner, B., Seinstra, R.I., Schafer, W.R., Brown, A.E.D, Nollen, E.AA, Laurent, P. PLOS Comp Biol, 2020.
https://journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol/article?id=10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008002
Genetic dissection of neuropeptide cell biology at high and low activity in a defined sensory neuron
Laurent, P., Ch’ng, Q., Jospin, M., Chen, CC., Lorenzo, R., de Bono, M., PNAS 115(29): E6890-E6899, 2018.
doi:10.1073/pnas.1714610115
IL-17 is a neuromodulator of Caenorhabditis elegans sensory responses
Chen, C.C., Itakura, E., Nelson, G.M, Sheng, M., Laurent, P., Fenk A.L., Butcher, R.A., Hegde, R.S., De Bono, M., Nature 542, 43–48, 2017.
doi:10.1038/nature20818
Neuropeptide-Driven Cross-Modal Plasticity following Sensory Loss in Caenorhabditis elegans
Rabinowitch, I., Laurent, P., Zhao, B., Walker, D., Beets, I., Schoofs, L., Bai, J., Schafer, W.R., Treinin, M., PLoS Biol., 14(1), 2016.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1002348.
Decoding a neural circuit controlling global animal state in C. elegans
Laurent, P*., Soltesz, Z*., Nelson, G.M., Chen, C., Arellano-Carbajal, F., Levy, E., De Bono M., Elife, 11;4, 2015. shared first author
doi: 10.7554/eLife.04241.*
Tonic signaling from O₂ sensors sets neural circuit activity and behavioral state
Busch, K. E*., Laurent, P*., Soltesz, Z., Murphy, R. J., Faivre, O., Hedwig, B., Thomas, M., Smith, H. L., & de Bono, M. Nature neuroscience, 15(4), 581-591. *shared first authors Comment in: R. Benton, Nature Neuroscience 15(2012), 501-503, 2012.
doi:10.1038/nn.3061
Natural variation in a neural globin tunes oxygen sensing in wild Caenorhabditis elegans.
Persson A, Gross E, Laurent P, Busch KE, Bretes H, de Bono M, Nature, 458: 1030-1033, 2009.
https://doi.org/10.1038/nature07820.
Lab Director: Serge Schiffmann
Lab Manager: Fabienne Reisen
Phone: +32 2 555 42 30
Laboratory of Neurophysiology, CP601 Bldg C, Room 3.134
ULB Campus Erasme,
808, Route de Lennik,
1070, Brussels, Belgium
Lab Director: Serge Schiffmann
Lab Manager: Fabienne Reisen
Phone: +32 2 555 42 30
Laboratory of Neurophysiology, CP601
Bldg C, Room 3.134
ULB Campus Erasme,
808, Route de Lennik,
1070, Brussels, Belgium
