Rubén Vicente

Group website

Research Outline

Our main interest is to understand the role of ion fluxes and membrane composition regulation in the physiology of immune cells, having a special interest in calcium signalling, zinc fluxes and de novo ceramide synthesis.

One of the pivotal proteins the team is working with is ORMDL3, an ER transmembrane protein genetically associated to inflammatory diseases

Current Projects / Research Lines

• ORDMDL3 in immune cells

Genome Wide studies have associated ORMDL3 with asthma, inflammatory bowel diseases, type 1 diabetes among others. The family of proteins ORMDLs is involved in calcium signaling and sphingolipid synthesis. Our laboratory has been pioneer in doing functional studies of ORMDL proteins and is running projects in order to offer new insights into the pathophysiological relevance of ORMDL3 in the immune system.  

• Zinc transport in immune cells

Zinc is an essential mineral for the human physiology. Deficiency in this metal causes immune dysfunction leading to an increased infection rate. It is considered a major public health problem worldwide. However, despite the strong impact the zinc has on the immune system, there are no clear mechanisms of how this element enters these cells and exerts its effect.  In the laboratory we are interested in exploring the function and regulation of zinc fluxes in immune cells.

Team during 2017-18

• PhD students: Roberto García López.
• Technicians: Natalia Colomar Carando.

Selected publications 2017-18

• Matalonga J, Glaria E, Bresque M, Escande C, Carbó JM, Kiefer K, Vicente R, León TE, Beceiro S, Pascual-García M, Serret J, Sanjurjo L, Morón-Ros S, Riera A, Paytubi S, Juarez A, Sotillo F, Lindbom L, Caelles C, Sarrias MR, Sancho J, Castrillo A, Chini EN, Valledor AF. (2017) The Nuclear Receptor LXR Limits Bacterial Infection of Host Macrophages through a Mechanism that Impacts Cellular NAD Metabolism.Cell Rep. 18(5):1241-1255. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.01.007.

• Valls-Comamala V, Guivernau B, Bonet J, Puig M, Perálvarez-Marín A, Palomer E, Fernàndez-Busquets X, Altafaj X, Tajes M, Puig-Pijoan A, Vicente R, Oliva B, Muñoz FJ. (2017) The antigen-binding fragment of human gamma immunoglobulin prevents amyloid β-peptide folding into β-sheet to form oligomers. Oncotarget. 8(25):41154-41165. doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.17074.

• Colomar N, Meseguer A, Company I, Jutz S, Herrera-Fernández V, Olvera A, Kiefer K, Brander C, Steinberger P and Vicente R. (Epub 2018 Dec 14). Zip6 transporter is an essential component of the lymphocyte activation machinery. J Immunol. 202(2):441-450. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.1800689.