Dr. Serge Benichou is a highly experienced scientist with a strong interest focused on host/pathogen interactions regarding viruses, and especially on the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1), the etiological agent of AIDS. Since 1997, he is supervising the team “Viral Proteins and Intracellular Trafficking” from the Department of Infectious Diseases at the Cochin Institute (CNRS, Inserm, and University Paris-Descartes) in Paris, France. The general objective of the projects developed in his team are to understand how HIV-1 utilizes and perturbs basic intracellular trafficking and signaling pathways to optimize essential steps of the virus life cycle in the natural target cells of HIV-1, T lymphocytes, macrophages and dendritic cells.   

Dr. Serge Benichou has published more than 80 original papers in these HIV-1-related fields, and 4 international patents have been registered. Most of the works developed and published in his team have been performed in close collaboration with French and international teams.  

Dr. Serge Benichouhas also been recently appointed as the French Director of the International Associated Laboratory “VIRHOST” between IPS-CAS and French Research Institutions (CNRS, University Paris-Descartes, InsermandInstitut Pasteur Paris). 

Macrophages and dendritic cells are cellular targets of HIV-1 and play important roles in virus dissemination and in the establishment of persistent virus reservoirs in different host tissues. While HIV-1 replication was extensively analyzed in CD4+ T lymphocytesduring infection by cell-free virus particles or by virus cell-to-cell transfer between CD4+ T cells, the mechanisms regarding how macrophages and dendritic cells are infected through virus cell-to-cell transfer have been poorly investigated. 

The goal of the projects developed in the team of Dr. Serge Benichouare to investigatethe cellular and molecular mechanisms required for efficient HIV-1 infection of macrophages and dendritic cells through viral cell-to-cell transfer from infected T cells.  

The specific objectives of this project will consist in visualizing virus transfer from infected T cells towards uninfected macrophages or dendritic cells. We will then analyze the role of some signaling pathways and cytoskeleton organization in the achievement of virus transmission and dissemination to macrophages or dendritic cells. The respective contribution in these processes of the viral auxiliary regulatory proteins (Nef, Vpr, Vif and Vpu), able to counteract cellular antiviral restriction factors, will be also investigated.

　　Award: 

　　-1996.Award of the European Conference on AIDS (Vienna, Austria) 

　　-1997.Awarded for a 1st-class permanent staff scientist position at CNRS (French National Academic Institution for Scientific Research) 

　　-2002.Awarded for a 2nd-class Director position at CNRS 

　　-2012.Awarded for a 1st-class Director position at CNRS 

　　Social Posion: 

　　-1993-1996. Research Associate，Institut Cochin of Genetic Molecular, INSERM, Paris   

　　-1997-2001.Charge de recherche，CNRS 

　　Principal Investigator, INSERM U529 (Dr R. Benarous), Institut Cochin de Génétique Moléculaire, Paris  

　　-2002-2016.Director of Research, CNRS 

　　-2002-2005.Principal  Investigator&Team leader，INSERM, CNRS, Institut Cochin, University of Paris 5  

　　-2003.Visiting Professor in the laboratories of Prs J. Guatelli (UCSD, San Diego, USA) and P. Greengard (Rockefeller University, New York, USA  

　　-2005-2006.Director of the Department of Infectious Diseases, Team Leader, Cochin Institute, INSERM U567, CNRS UMR8104, University of Paris 5, Paris, France  

　　-2007-2012.U1016，Team Leader, Team “Virus and Intracellular Trafficking, Cochin Institute, Department of Cell Biology and Host-Pathogen Interactions, INSERM U1016, CNRS UMR8104, University Paris-Descartes, Paris, France  

　　-2002-2013.Leader of the Team “Viral Proteins and Intracellular Traffic” in the Department of Cell Biology and Host-Pathogen Interactions from the Cochin Institute. 

　　-2002-2006.Member of the Scientific Committee from ANRS (French National Agency for AIDS Research) 

　　-2008-2012.Member of the Specialized Scientific Committee (CSS5, immunology, hematology, and infectious diseases) from INSERM.   

　　-2008-2012.Chairman and member of evaluation committees from AERES (French Agency for Evaluation of Research Institutions and Universities 

　　-2008-2012: Member of the Specialized Scientific Committee (CSS5) from INSERM for Immunology, Hematology, and Infectious Diseases.  

　　-2008-2014: Chairman and member of evaluation committees from AERES. 

　　-Member or previous member of the Editorial Board of the Journals « Retrovirology » and « Viruses ». 

　　-2013-2014. Visiting Professor, Institut Pasteur Shanghai-Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai. 

　　-2013-2014: Scientific Director of the Sino-French Research Center for Life Sciences from the RuiJing Hospital, JiaoTong University, Shanghai, China. 

　　-2016: Visiting Professor, Institut Pasteur Shanghai-Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai. 

　　-2016-2019: Director of the International Associated Laboratory VIRHOST (CNRS, University Paris-Descartes, Institut Pasteur Paris, Institut Pasteur Shanghai/Chinese Academy of Sciences). 

　Publications（2012-2016）: 

　　1.Liu, L., Wang, W., Matz, J., Ye, C., Bracq, L., Delon, J., Kimata, J., Chen, Z., Benichou, S.* and Zhou, P.* (2016) Glycosyl Phosphatidylinositol-Anchored Variable Region of Llama Heavy Chain Only Antibody JM4 Efficiently Blocks Both Cell-Free and T Cell-T Cell Transmission of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1. J. Virol., 90, 10642-10659. (*equal contribution) 

　　2.Herate, C., Vigne, C., Guenzel, C.A., Lambele, M., Rouyez, M.C., and Benichou S. (2016) Uracil DNA glycosylase interacts with the p32 subunit of the replication protein A complex to modulate HIV-1 reverse transcription for optimal virus dissemination. Retrovirology, 13: e26. 

　　3.Herate, C., Ramdani, G., Grant, N.J., Marion, S., Gasman, S., Niedergang, F., Benichou, S.*, and Bouchet J.* (2016) Phospholipid scramblase 1 modulates FcR-mediated phagocytosis in differentiated macrophages. PLoS One, 11(1): e0145617. (*equal contribution) 

　　4.Dumas, A., Lê-Bury, G., Marie-Anaïs, F., Herit, F., Mazzolini, J., Guilbert, T., Bourdoncle, P., Russell, D.G., Benichou, S., Zahraoui, A., and Niedergang F. 2015 The HIV-1 protein Vpr impairs phagosome maturation by controlling microtubule-dependent trafficking. J. Cell Biol., 211, 359-372. 

　　5.Verollet, C., Souriant, S., Bonnaud, E., Jolicoeur, P., Raynaud-Messina, B., Benichou, S., Fackler, O.T, Poincloux, R. and Maridonneau-Parini, I. (2015) HIV-1 reprograms the migration of macrophages. Blood, 125, 1611-1622. 

　　6.Hérate, C., Lambelé, M. and Benichou, S. (2015) The essential role of HIV "auxiliary" proteins. Encyclopedia of AIDS, In press. 

　　7.Machado-Neto, J.A., Lazarini, M., Favaro, P., Nowill, A.E., Costa, F.F., Benichou, S., Olalla Saad, S.T., and Traina, F. (2014) ANKHD1 silencing inhibits Stathmin 1 activity, cell proliferation and migration of leukemia cells. BBA Mol. Cell R., 1853, 583-593. 

　　8.Lülf, S., Matz, J., Rouyez, M.C., Järviluoma, A., Saksela, K., Benichou, S. and M. Geyer. (2014) Structural basis for the inhibition of HIV-1 Nef by a high-affinity binding single-domain antibody. Retrovirology, 11, e24. 

　　9.Guenzel, C., Hérate, C. and S. Benichou. (2014) HIV-1 Vpr: a still "enigmatic multitasker". Frontiers Microbiology, 5, 1-13. 

　　10.Matz, M., Hérate, C., Bouchet, J., Dusetti, N., Gayet, O., Baty, D., Benichou, S., and P. Chames. (2014) Selection of intracellular single-domain antibodies targeting the HIV-1 Vpr protein by cytoplasmic Yeast Two-hybrid system. PLoS One, 9 (12): e113729.  

　　11.Bregnard, C., Zamborlini, A., Leduc, M., Chafey, P., Camoin, L., Saïb, A., Benichou, S., Danos, O. and S. Basmaciogullari (2013) Comparative proteomic analysis of HIV-1 particles reveals a role for ezrin and EHD4 in the Nef-dependent increase of virus infectivity. J. Virol., 87, 3729-3740. 

　　12.Matz, J., Kessler, P., Bouchet, J., Combes, O., Baty, D., Barin, F., Martin, L., Chames*, P. and S. Benichou* (2013) Straightforward selection of broadly neutralizing single-domain antibodies targeting the conserved CD4 and co-receptor binding sites of HIV-1 gp120. J. Virol., 87, 1137-1149. (*equal contribution) 

　　13.Bouchet, J., Hérate, C., Guenzel, C. Vérollet, C. Järviluoma, A., Mazzolini, J., Rafie, S., Chames, P., Saksela, K., Niedergang, F., Maridonneau-Parini, I. and S. Benichou. (2012) Single-domain antibody-SH3 fusions for efficient neutralization of HIV-1 Nef functions. J. Virol., 86, 4856-4867. 

　　14.Guenzel, C. A., Hérate, C., Le Rouzic, E., Maidou-Peindara, P., Sadler, H.A., Rouyez, M.-C., Mansky, L.M. and S. Benichou. (2012) Recruitment of the nuclear form of uracil DNA glycosylase into virus particles participates in the full infectivity of HIV-1. J. Virol., 86, 2533-2544. 

　　15.Fourati, S., Malet, I., Guenzel, C., Soulie, C., Maidou-Peindara, P., Morand-Joubert, L., Peytavin, G.,  Simon, A., Katlama, C., Benichou, S., Calvez, V., and A.G. Marcelin. (2011) DE17A mutation in HIV-1 Vpr confers resistance to didanosine in association with Thymidine analogue mutations. Antiviral Res., 93,167-174.