Author

P. Polard

Listed by name: these papers carry no ORCID for this author, so different people with the same name may be mixed together.

Biology Disciplines

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Microbiology· 10

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Approach:experimental assay· 10 Organism:bacteria (other)· 6 Research Focus:chromatin & epigenetic regulation· 5 Research Focus:cell signaling & trafficking· 4 Organism:human· 4 Research Focus:host-pathogen & immune response· 3 Research Focus:cell type annotation· 2 Assay:cryo-EM· 2

Frequent Co-Authors

a.-L. Soulet· 5 shared C. H. G. JOHNSTON· 3 shared D. De Lemos· 3 shared M. Berge· 3 shared N. Campo· 3 shared I. Mortier-Barriere· 2 shared M. Prudhomme· 2 shared R. Fronzes· 2 shared

Activity by Year

2018-2025 · peak 2/yr

Co-Author Collaboration Network

10 top collaborators · 21 mutual co-author links

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5 shared papersMicrobiology

a.-L. Soulet

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10 papers

Recent·Most cited

Transient inhibition of cell division in competent pneumococcal cells results from deceleration of the septal peptidoglycan complex

D. Juillot, C. Billaudeau, A. Barbotin, A. Lablaine, I. Mortier-Barriere, P. Polard, N. Campo, R. C. LOPEZ

The paper investigates how ComM, a membrane protein in Streptococcus pneumoniae, transiently inhibits cell division during competence by reducing septal peptidoglycan synthesis.

Nature Communications · Jul 1, 2025Peer-reviewedMicrobiology

Structural basis for activation and mechanism of the bacterial hexameric motors RadA and ComM in DNA branch migration during homologous recombination

L. T. Rosa, E. Vernhes, a.-L. Soulet, P. Polard, R. Fronzes

This study presents cryoEM structures of RadA and ComM, revealing their mechanisms of ATP hydrolysis and DNA branch migration during homologous recombination.

bioRxiv · Feb 15, 2024 · PreprintMicrobiology

Two D-loop resolution systems enable natural genetic transformation in bacteria

L. Hardy, V. Morales, C. J. Rousseau, M. Berge, J. Plantade, F. Mazzamurro, T. N. Dalia, A. B. Dalia, E. P. C. Rocha, X. Charpentier, P. Polard

This study identifies two D-loop resolution systems in bacteria, YraN/ComM and CoiA/RadA, that work together to process the transformation D-loop during natural genetic transformation.

bioRxiv · Feb 6, 2024Microbiology

Pneumococcal competence, a populational health sensor driving multilevel heterogeneity in response to antibiotics.

M. Prudhomme, C. H. G. JOHNSTON, A.-L. Soulet, D. De Lemos, N. Campo, P. Polard

This study reveals a populational QS mechanism in Streptococcus pneumoniae that drives antibiotic response heterogeneity through competence-induced bet-hedging.

bioRxiv · Nov 17, 2023 · PreprintMicrobiology

Fever-like temperature bursts promote competence development via an HtrA-dependent pathway in Streptococcus pneumoniae.

M. Maziero, D. Lane, P. Polard, M. Berge

The paper shows that fever-like temperature increases induce competence in Streptococcus pneumoniae via an HtrA-dependent pathway, independent of other stress signals.

bioRxiv · Apr 15, 2023 · PreprintMicrobiology

The RecA-directed recombination pathway of natural transformation initiates at chromosomal replication forks in Streptococcus pneumoniae.

C. H. G. JOHNSTON, R. HOPE, A.-L. SOULET, M. DEWAILLY, D. DE LEMOS, P. POLARD

This study shows that RecA and DprA accumulate at replication forks during natural transformation in Streptococcus pneumoniae, linking HR with replication.

bioRxiv · Aug 4, 2022Microbiology

Assembly mechanism and cryoEM structure of RecA recombination nucleofilaments from Streptococcus pneumoniae.

M. Hertzog, T. N. Perry, P. Dupaigne, S. Serres, V. Morales, A.-L. Soulet, J. Bell, E. Margeat, S. C. Kowalczykowski, E. Le Cam, R. Fronzes, P. Polard

This study characterizes the ATP-dependent assembly mechanism and cryoEM structure of RecA nucleofilaments from Streptococcus pneumoniae, revealing differences in ssDNA binding and HR activity compared to Escherichia coli.

bioRxiv · Jul 28, 2022 · PreprintMicrobiology

The alternative sigma factor σX mediates competence shut-off at the cell pole in Streptococcus pneumoniae.

C. H. G. Johnston, A.-L. Soulet, M. Berge, M. Prudhomme, D. De Lemos, P. Polard

This study identifies σX as a key regulator that spatially coordinates competence shut-off by anchoring DprA at the cell pole in Streptococcus pneumoniae.

bioRxiv · Jun 12, 2020Microbiology

Unbiased homeologous recombination during pneumococcal transformation allows for multiple chromosomal integration events

J. Kurushima, N. Campo, R. van Raaphorst, G. Cerckel, P. Polard, J.-W. Veening

This study investigates pneumococcal transformation at the single-cell level, showing that multiple chromosomal integration events occur through unbiased homeologous recombination, with transformation efficiency capped at ~50%.

bioRxiv · Mar 15, 2020Microbiology

Fine-tuning cellular levels of DprA ensures transformant fitness in the human pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae

C. Johnston, I. Mortier-Barriere, V. Khemici, P. Polard

This study shows that high DprA expression in Streptococcus pneumoniae is crucial for competence shut-off and transformant fitness, but not for DNA protection or RecA loading during transformation.

bioRxiv · May 4, 2018Microbiology