Professor (University of Strasbourg)
Group leader at “Institut de Chimie” UMR 7177
Email: pfaller@unistra.fr
Phone: +33 (0)3 68 85 69 49
Educational record and positions:
2021-26 Senior member of the “Institut Universitaire de France” (IUF)
Since 2018 Vice-director of the Institute of Chemistry (UMR 7177)
Since 2015 Professor of Chemistry (University of Strasbourg) and group leader at the Institute of Chemistry (UMR 7177) (CNU 32).
2003-2015 Professor of Chemistry at the University of Toulouse and group leader at the “Laboratoire de Chimie de Coordination” of the CNRS (UPR 8241).
Main Topic: Bioinorganic chemistry of copper- and zinc-amyloid-β peptide complexes: Coordination, chemical reactivity, self-assembly into amyloids and metal-transfer reactions.
2001-2002 Postdoctoral studies at the University of Freiburg (Germany) with PD A. Liszkay.
Topic: photosystem 2, electron and proton transfer, tyrosine radical, and Cd-toxicity
1998-2001 Postdoctoral studies at the CEA Saclay (France) with Dr. A. William Rutherford.
Topic: photosystem 2, electron and proton transfer, tyrosine and carotenoid radicals
July 1998 PhD in Biochemistry, University of Zürich (CH), Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Vašák.
Topic: structure/function relationships of Zn- and Cu-metallothionein-3
July 1994 Diploma in Biochemistry, University of Zürich (CH).
Research Interest:
First row d-block metals: copper, zinc, iron, …: Structure of metal-peptide/protein complexes; Metal transfer between peptides/proteins and between metal-drugs and proteins; Chemical reactivity of copper-proteins and –complexes/drugs, particular in dioxygen activation and production of reactive oxygen species; Self-assembly of peptides and amyloids; Luminescent molecules and techniques to monitor metal-binding; Chemistry of metals related to Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, antimicrobials, etc.
Selected publications:
Copper-Catalyzed Glutathione Oxidation is Accelerated by the Anticancer Thiosemicarbazone Dp44mT and Further Boosted at Lower pH
J Am Chem Soc. 144, 14758-14768 (2022)
Santoro A, Calvo, J.S., Peris-Díaz MD, Krężel A, Meloni, G., Faller P.*The glutathione/metallothionein system challenges the design of efficient O2-activating Copper-complexes
Angew.Chem., Int. Ed. 59, 7830-7835 (2020)
Reybier, K.*, Ayala, S., Alies, B. Rodrigues, J.V., Bustos Rodriguez,S., La Penna, G., Collin, F., Gomes, C.M., Hureau, C. Faller, P.*
Free superoxide is an intermediate in the production of H2O2by Cu(I)-Aβpeptide and O2
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 55, 1085-1089 (2016).
Cassagnes, L.-E., Hervé, V., Nepveu, P., Hureau, C.,Faller, P.*, Collin, F.*
The catalytically active Cu-Amyloid-b state: coordination site responsible for reactive oxygen species production
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed.52, 11110-11113 (2013)
Hureau C*, Coppel Y, Dorlet P, Solari PL, Sayen S, Guillon E, Sabater L, & Faller P.*
Deprotonation of the Asp1–Ala2 Peptide Bond Induces Modification of the Dynamic Copper(II) Environment in the Amyloid-beta Peptide near Physiological pH.
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed 48, 9522-9525 (2009)
Meloni, G. Sonois, V., Delaine, T., Guilloreau, L., Gillet, A., Teissié, J.,Faller P.*, & Vašák, M.*
Metal swap between Zn7metallothionein-3 and amyloid-β-Cu(II) abolishes copper-mediated amyloid-βtoxicity
Nature Chemical Biology 4, 366-372 (2008)
Recent reviews:
Falcone, E.*, Okafor, M. Vitale, N., Raibaut L., Sour, A, Faller P.*
Extracellular Cu2+ pools and their detection: from current knowledge to next-generation probes
Coord. Chem. Rev. 433, 213727 (2021)
Ayala S, Genevaux P, Hureau C, Faller P.*
(Bio)Chemical strategies to modulate amyloid-βself-assembly.
ACS Chem Neurosci. 10, 3366-3374 (2019)
Gonzalez P, Bossak K, Stefaniak E, Hureau C, Raibaut L, Bal W.*, Faller, P.*
N-terminal Cu Binding Motifs Xxx-Zzz-His (ATCUN) and Xxx-His and their derivatives: Chemistry, Biology and Medicinal Applications
Chem. Eur. J. 24, 8029-8041 (2018)
Atrián-Blasco E, Santoro A, Pountney DL, Meloni G, Hureau C, Faller P.*
Chemistry of Mammalian Metallothioneins and their Interaction with Amyloidogenic Peptides and Proteins
Chem. Soc. Rev., 46, 7683-7693 (2017)
Faller, P.,* Hureau, C., La Penna G.
Metal ions and intrinsically disordered proteins and peptides: from Cu/Zn amyloid-βto general principles
Acc. Chem. Res., 47, 2252-9 (2014)