Recherche / Départements scientifiques / Biologie cellulaire et infection / Unités et groupes / Unité des Interactions Bactéries-Cellules / Team

Curriculum vitae - Hélène Bierne

Citizenship:  French

Professional address:

INSTITUT PASTEUR
Bacteria-cell interactions Unit – INSERM U604 – INRA USC2020
Department of Cell biology and Infection
25 rue du Docteur Roux -75724 PARIS Cedex 15-France.
E-mail: helene.bierne@pasteur.fr

Present position and status: Research Director, INRA

Universitary education

2003  Ability to supervise research (HDR), Paris 7-Denis Diderot University, France.
1993  Ph.D. of Microbiology, Paris 7-Denis Diderot University, France.
1990  Master of Microbiology (DEA), Paris 7-Denis Diderot University, France.
  Diploma of Microbiology, Pasteur Institute, Paris, France.
1989  Agronomy Engineer Diploma, ENSA Montpellier, France.

Research experience

2008-Present  Group leader “Nuclear Signaling, Epigenetics and Infection”, Unité des Interactions Bactéries-Cellules, Paris, France.
1997-2008  Senior Researcher, Microbiology and Cell Biology, Unité des Interactions Bactéries-Cellules, Paris, France.
“Molecular bases of invasion of mammalian cells by Listeria monocytogenes”.
1994-1997  Research Associate, INRA Paris, France.
“Mechanisms of illegitimate recombination in Escherichia coli”.
1990-1994  Ph.D. Student, INRA Paris, France.
“Mechanisms of illegitimate recombination in Escherichia coli”.
1989-1990  Master Student, INRA Paris, France.
“Role of a replication terminator in illegitimate recombination in Escherichia coli”.

Teaching and supervision

Supervision
2003-Present  Supervision of Master and Ph.D. students.
Lecture courses
2008  Co-organizer of the First advanced Summer School in Africa, Hermanus, South Africa.
Lecture Course on the Molecular and Cellular Basis of Infection.
2004-Present  Master of Genetics, University of Paris 6-Pierre et Marie Curie, France.
“Invasion of cells by intracellular bacteria: Listeria, Salmonella & Co.”
2003 & 2005  General Microbiology Course, Pasteur Institute, Paris, France.
“Anchoring mechanisms of surface proteins of Gram positive bacteria.”
2004  Master in Cellular et Molecular Infectiology, University of Tours, France.
“Virulence factors of Listeria monocytogenes.”
  Magistère in Biology, University of Paris 7-Denis Diderot, France.
“Dynamics of the cytoskeleton.”
Practical courses
2004  General Microbiology Course, Pasteur Institute, Paris, France.
“Virulence factors of Listeria monocytogenes and subversion of cellular functions.”
2002, 2003 & 2005  Molecular Biology of the Cell Course, Pasteur Institute, Paris, France.
“Role of the cytoskeleton in Listeria invasion and motility.”

Other activities

2008-Present  Reviewer for scientific journals.
2005-2008  Coordinator of the Listeria network for the Research and Alimentation Program of INRA, France.
1999-Present Laboratory Assistant for hygiene and safety maintenance.
2003 & 2005  Assistant for the Valorisation Department, Pasteur Institute, Paris, France.

Publication list

  • Bierne H., Travier L., Mahlakõiv T., Tailleux L, Subtil A., Lebreton A., Paliwal A., Gicquel B., Staeheli P., Lecuit M. and P. Cossart. 2012. Activation of Type III Interferon Genes by Pathogenic Bacteria in Infected Epithelial cells and Mouse Placenta. PLoS ONE. Volume 7 | Issue 6 | e39080
  • Bierne H., Cossart P. 2012. When bacteria target the nucleus: the emerging family of nucleomodulins. Cell Microbiol. 14(5):622-33.
  • Lebreton A, Cossart P and Bierne H. 2012. Bacteria tune interferon responses by playing with chromatin. Virulence. 1;3(1):87-91.
  • Lebreton A, Lakisic G, Job V, Fritsch L, Tham TN, Camejo A, Matteï P-J, Regnault B, Nahori M-A, Cabanes D, Gautreau A, Ait-Si-Ali S, Dessen A, Cossart P and Bierne H. 2011. A bacterial protein targets the BAHD1 chromatin complex to stimulate type III interferon response. Science 11;331(6022):1319-21.
  • Bruck S, Personnic N, Prevost MC, Cossart P, and Bierne H. 2011. Regulated Shift from Helical to Polar Localization of Listeria monocytogenes Cell Wall-Anchored Proteins. J Bacteriol. 193(17):4425-37.
  • Personnic N, Bruck S, Nahori MA, Toledo-Arana A, Nikitas G, Lecuit M, Dussurget O, Cossart P, Bierne H. The stress-induced virulence protein InlH controls interleukin-6 production during murine listeriosis. Infect Immun. 2010 78(5):1979-89.
  • Bierne H., Tham, TN, Batsche, E, Dumay, A, Leguillou, M, Kernéis-Golsteyn, S, Regnault, B, Seeler, JS, Muchardt, C, Feunteun, J and Cossart, P. 2009. Human BAHD1 promotes heterochromatic gene silencing. PNAS. 106(33), 13826-13831.


  • Sabet C, Toledo-Arana A, Personnic N, Lecuit M, Dubrac S, Poupel O, Gouin E, Nahori MA, Cossart P and Bierne H. 2008. The Listeria monocytogenes virulence factor InlJ is specifically expressed in vivo and behaves as an adhesin. Infect Immun. 76(4):1368-78.


  • Bierne H. and Cossart P. 2007. Listeria monocytogenes surface proteins: from genome predictions to function. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev. 71(2):377-97.

  • Bierne H. Sabet C, Personnic N, Cossart P. Internalins: a complex family of leucine-rich repeat-containing proteins in Listeria monocytogenes. Microbes Infect. 2007 9(10):1156-66.