Beatrice NAL – CIML

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Research

Béatrice Nal completed her doctoral thesis at the Marseille-Luminy Immunology Center (CIML) in Pierre Ferrier's team on the identification of new genes involved in T cell differentiation and identified the function of Coronin1A in the production of mature ab T cells in mice. During her postdoc at the Institut Pasteur in Paris, she described the recruitment of Coronin1A to the immunological synapse and its role in T cell activation. In 2003, she joined the HKU-Pasteur Center in Hong Kong for a second postdoc and actively participated in the development of a new laboratory aimed at combating the emerging SARS-CoV coronavirus. Béatrice Nal then characterized the viral structural proteins of SARS-CoV and developed a vaccine candidate based on the Spike protein. In 2006, she obtained the position of Research Assistant Professor and led a team of 14 people until 2010. Her work made it possible to identify new virus-host interactions and to define previously unexplored pathogenicity mechanisms for 3 important viruses: SARS-CoV, dengue virus and influenza A virus. In 2011, Béatrice Nal joined the Centre for Immunity, Infection and Disease Mechanisms (CIIM) at Brunel University London and held a Lecturer position. She led work on influenza A virus-host interactions and participated in work studying the role of pulmonary surfactant and complement proteins in the regulation of influenza A virus infection. Since 2020 Béatrice Nal has been conducting her research at CIML in Philippe Pierre's team on the stress response and activation of human dendritic cells. She is currently co-PI on the AIR-MT (Inserm Impact Santé, coordinated by Bruno Canard) projects aimed at developing new innovative mRNA vaccines and UNFIRE (ANRS PEPR MIE, coordinated by Marc Dalod) studying the role of plasmacytoid dendritic cells in infections by influenza A and SARS-CoV-2 viruses.

Education

In Hong Kong, Béatrice Nal co-organizes the HKU-Pasteur Cell Biology courses, which are open internationally and attract students from Southeast Asia. At Brunel University London, she obtained the qualification of Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and is notably in charge of teaching medical microbiology and professional development. Today, Béatrice Nal is a Senior Lecturer at Aix-Marseille University, teaches immunology at the Faculty of Sciences of Luminy, and is responsible for several teaching units of the Master's degree in Immunology. In 2024, she developed the transformation of the second year of the Master's degree in Immunology into English and its international opening. Since 2025, she has been co-responsible for the selective Cursus Master Ingénieurie (CMI) in Immunology.

News

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Appel à projets

Inserm funds the AIR-MT project: AI serving the new generation of RNA vaccines and therapies

Inserm announces funding of the AIR-MT project (Artificial Intelligence for the design of RNA methyltransferases) to the tune of 3 million […]

Publications

Julien Gigan, Paulina Garcia-Gonzalez, Lou Galliot, Alexandre Reynaud, Yoan Ghaffar, Eve Seillier, R..., Single-Nuclei Analysis of the Unfolded Protein Response (SNUPR): A Novel Method revealing bortezomib resistance mechanisms in Multiple Myeloma, 2024.

Rabeeah I, Billington E, Nal B, Sadeyen JR, Pathan AA, Iqbal M, Temperton NJ, Zipfel PF, Skerka C, K..., Mapping the interaction sites of human and avian influenza A viruses and complement factor H., Front Immunol 2024 ; 15(): 1352022.

Varghese PM, Murugaiah V, Beirag N, Temperton N, Khan HA, Alrokayan SH, Al-Ahdal MN, Nal B, Al-Mohan..., C4b Binding Protein Acts as an Innate Immune Effector Against Influenza A Virus., Front Immunol 2020 ; 11(): 585361.

Murugaiah V, Varghese PM, Saleh SM, Tsolaki AG, Alrokayan SH, Khan HA, Collison KS, Sim RB, Nal B, A..., Complement-Independent Modulation of Influenza A Virus Infection by Factor H., Front Immunol 2020 ; 11(): 355.

Al-Ahdal MN, Murugaiah V, Varghese PM, Abozaid SM, Saba I, Al-Qahtani AA, Pathan AA, Kouser L, Nal B..., Entry Inhibition and Modulation of Pro-Inflammatory Immune Response Against Influenza A Virus by a Recombinant Truncated Surfactant Protein D., Front Immunol 2018 ; 9(): 1586.

Fan Y, Mok CK, Chan MC, Zhang Y, Nal B, Kien F, Bruzzone R, Sanyal S, Cell Cycle-independent Role of Cyclin D3 in Host Restriction of Influenza Virus Infection., J Biol Chem 2017 Mar; 292(12): 5070-5088.

Dodagatta-Marri E, Mitchell DA, Pandit H, Sonawani A, Murugaiah V, Idicula-Thomas S, Nal B, Al-Mozai..., Protein-Protein Interaction between Surfactant Protein D and DC-SIGN via C-Type Lectin Domain Can Suppress HIV-1 Transfer., Front Immunol 2017 ; 8(): 834.

Tang DJ, Lam G, Lam P, Chu K, Nal B, Peiris JS, Bruzzone R, Mechanistic study on the assembly and release of lentiviral particles pseudotyped with haemagglutinin of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 viruses: implications for strain-specific pseudotype development., Hong Kong Med J 2016 Dec; 22 Suppl 7(6): 22-25.

Wang PG, Kudelko M, Kwok KT, Bruzzone R, Nal B, Molecular dissection of dengue virus egress: involvement of the class II ARF small GTPase., Hong Kong Med J 2016 Dec; 22 Suppl 7(6): 43-45.

Kien F, Ma HL, Bruzzone R, Poon LL, Nal B, Definition of the cellular interactome of the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 virus: identification of human cellular regulators of viral entry, assembly, and egress., Hong Kong Med J 2016 Jun; 22(3 Suppl 4): 10-2.

Millet JK, Nal B, Investigation of the functional roles of host cell proteins involved in coronavirus infection using highly specific and scalable RNA interference (RNAi) approach., Methods Mol Biol 2015 ; 1282(): 231-40.

Wang PG, Kudelko M, Kwok KT, Bruzzone R, Nal B, Cellular enhancing and restricting factors of dengue virus egress., Hong Kong Med J 2014 Aug; 20 Suppl 4(): 44-6.

Mesel-Lemoine M, Millet J, Vidalain PO, Law H, Vabret A, Lorin V, Escriou N, Albert ML, Nal B, Tangy..., A human coronavirus responsible for the common cold massively kills dendritic cells but not monocytes., J Virol 2012 Jul; 86(14): 7577-87.

Jaume M, Yip MS, Kam YW, Cheung CY, Kien F, Roberts A, Li PH, Dutry I, Escriou N, Daeron M, Bruzzone..., SARS CoV subunit vaccine: antibody-mediated neutralisation and enhancement., Hong Kong Med J 2012 Feb; 18 Suppl 2(): 31-6.

Ma H, Kien F, Manière M, Zhang Y, Lagarde N, Tse KS, Poon LL, Nal B, Human annexin A6 interacts with influenza a virus protein M2 and negatively modulates infection., J Virol 2012 Feb; 86(3): 1789-801.

Kudelko M, Brault JB, Kwok K, Li MY, Pardigon N, Peiris JSM, Bruzzone R, Desprès P, Nal B, Wang PG, Class II ADP-ribosylation factors are required for efficient secretion of dengue viruses., J Biol Chem 2012 Jan; 287(1): 767-777.

Tang DJ, Lam YM, Siu YL, Lam CH, Chu SL, Peiris JS, Buchy P, Nal B, Bruzzone R, A single residue substitution in the receptor-binding domain of H5N1 hemagglutinin is critical for packaging into pseudotyped lentiviral particles., PLoS One 2012 ; 7(11): e43596.

Millet JK, Kien F, Cheung CY, Siu YL, Chan WL, Li H, Leung HL, Jaume M, Bruzzone R, Peiris JS, Altme..., Ezrin interacts with the SARS coronavirus Spike protein and restrains infection at the entry stage., PLoS One 2012 ; 7(11): e49566.

Jaume M, Yip MS, Cheung CY, Leung HL, Li PH, Kien F, Dutry I, Callendret B, Escriou N, Altmeyer R, N..., Anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus spike antibodies trigger infection of human immune cells via a pH- and cysteine protease-independent FcγR pathway., J Virol 2011 Oct; 85(20): 10582-97.

Teoh KT, Siu YL, Chan WL, Schlüter MA, Liu CJ, Peiris JS, Bruzzone R, Margolis B, Nal B, The SARS coronavirus E protein interacts with PALS1 and alters tight junction formation and epithelial morphogenesis., Mol Biol Cell 2010 Nov; 21(22): 3838-52.

Wang PG, Kudelko M, Lo J, Siu LY, Kwok KT, Sachse M, Nicholls JM, Bruzzone R, Altmeyer RM, Nal B, Efficient assembly and secretion of recombinant subviral particles of the four dengue serotypes using native prM and E proteins., PLoS One 2009 Dec; 4(12): e8325.

Siu YL, Teoh KT, Lo J, Chan CM, Kien F, Escriou N, Tsao SW, Nicholls JM, Altmeyer R, Peiris JS, Bruz..., The M, E, and N structural proteins of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus are required for efficient assembly, trafficking, and release of virus-like particles., J Virol 2008 Nov; 82(22): 11318-30.

Ho JW, Hershkovitz O, Peiris M, Zilka A, Bar-Ilan A, Nal B, Chu K, Kudelko M, Kam YW, Achdout H, Man..., H5-type influenza virus hemagglutinin is functionally recognized by the natural killer-activating receptor NKp44., J Virol 2008 Feb; 82(4): 2028-32.

Mugnier B, Nal B, Verthuy C, Boyer C, Lam D, Chasson L, Nieoullon V, Chazal G, Guo XJ, He HT, Rueff-..., Coronin-1A links cytoskeleton dynamics to TCR alpha beta-induced cell signaling. PLoS One 2008;3(10):e3467.

Kam YW, Kien F, Roberts A, Cheung YC, Lamirande EW, Vogel L, Chu SL, Tse J, Guarner J, Zaki SR, Subb..., Antibodies against trimeric S glycoprotein protect hamsters against SARS-CoV challenge despite their capacity to mediate FcgammaRII-dependent entry into B cells in vitro., Vaccine 2007 Jan; 25(4): 729-40.

Nal B, Chan C, Kien F, Siu L, Tse J, Chu K, Kam J, Staropoli I, Crescenzo-Chaigne B, Escriou N, van ..., Differential maturation and subcellular localization of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus surface proteins S, M and E., J Gen Virol 2005 May; 86(Pt 5): 1423-1434.

Das V, Nal B, Dujeancourt A, Thoulouze MI, Galli T, Roux P, Dautry-Varsat A, Alcover A, Activation-induced polarized recycling targets T cell antigen receptors to the immunological synapse; involvement of SNARE complexes., Immunity 2004 May; 20(5): 577-88.

Nal B, Carroll P, Mohr E, Verthuy C, Da Silva MI, Gayet O, Guo XJ, He HT, Alcover A, Ferrier P, Coronin-1 expression in T lymphocytes: insights into protein function during T cell development and activation. Int Immunol 2004 Feb; 16(2): 231-40.

Ramialison M, Mohr E, Nal B, Saboul T, Carrier A, Tagett R, Granjeaud S, Nguyen C, Gautheret D, Jord..., Expression profiling in mouse fetal thymus reveals clusters of coordinately expressed genes that mark individual stages of T-cell ontogeny., Immunogenetics 2002 Oct; 54(7): 469-78.

Nal B, Mohr E, Silva MI, Tagett R, Navarro C, Carroll P, Depetris D, Verthuy C, Jordan BR, Ferrier P, Wdr12, a mouse gene encoding a novel WD-Repeat Protein with a notchless-like amino-terminal domain., Genomics 2002 Jan; 79(1): 77-86.

Nal B, Mohr E, Ferrier P, Location analysis of DNA-bound proteins at the whole-genome level: untangling transcriptional regulatory networks., Bioessays 2001 Jun; 23(6): 473-6.