Epigenetic Memory Determination by a Transinducing ncRNA-mediated Mechanism

Il 11/03/2013 ore 11.30 - 13.00

Istituto di Genetica e Biofisica "Adriano Buzzati-Traverso"
Aula Conferenze CNR
Via Pietro Castellino 111
80131 Napoli

Seminario del Dott. Davide Corona del Dulbecco Telethon Institute c/o Università degli Studi di Palermo, Dipartimento di Biologia Cellulare e dello Sviluppo.

Profession profile

My research activity is focused on chromatin structure and its modifications. Chromatin modifications occurring without a change in DNA sequence constitute the epigenetic marks of our genome. However, despite the wealth of data concerning the mechanisms of action of chromatin remodeling factors and histone modifying enzymes, relatively little is known about how their activities are coordinated and inherited to regulate chromatin structure, gene expression and other nuclear functions. Therefore, as an independent investigator, I got interested in dissecting the functional network of regulation existing between ATP-dependent remodelers and covalent modifiers of chromatin. Using the fruit fly as a model system and a combination of genetic and biochemical approaches, my lab recently found that ISWI activity is regulated by several evolutionarily conserved covalent modifiers of chromatin, including HDAC1 (Histone-De-ACetylase-1), PARP (Poly-ADP-Ribose Polymerase) as well as a number of non-coding RNAs. We are currently characterizing some unanticipated nuclear components regulating ISWI function 16 as well as factors whose expression is dependent on ISWI chromatin remodeling  activity. Our work established that ATP-dependent chromatin remodelers are regulated by a variety of chromatin modifications and factors that escaped previous biochemical characterization.
I have been working on this topic as an independent scientist since 2004 when I was awarded the position of Assistant Telethon Scientist of the Dulbecco Telethon Institute. In 2010 was promoted to the Associate position. Before starting my independent career in Italy, I spent several years abroad at the University of California, Santa Cruz first and more recently at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Germany.
I have also been the recipient of the following awards: Human Frontier Science Programme (HFSP) Career Development Award 2005-2007; Armenise–Harvard Foundation Award 2005-2009; European Molcular Biology Organization (EMBO) Young Investigator Programme Award 2011-2013.

Selected publications:

Burgio G, Onorati MC, Corona DF, “Chromatin remodeling regulation by small molecules and metabolites”. Biochim Biophys Acta 2010 May 20.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20493981 

Arancio W, Onorati MC, Burgio G, Collesano M, Ingrassia AM, Genovese SI, Fanto M, Corona DF, “The nucleosome remodeling factor ISWI functionally interacts with an evolutionarily conserved network of cellular factors”. Genetics 2010 May; 185(1):129-40. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2870949/?tool=pubmed 

Merendino AM, Bucchieri F, Campanella C, Marcianò V, Ribbene A, David S, Zummo G, Burgio G, Corona DF, Conway de Macario E, Macario AJ, Cappello F, “Hsp60 is actively secreted by human tumor cells”. PLoS One 2010 Feb; 16;5(2):e9247. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2821922/?tool=pubmed 

Morciano P, Carrisi C, Capobianco L, Mannini L, Burgio G, Cestra G, DeBenedetto GE, Corona DF, Musio A, Cenci G, “A conserved role for the mitochondrial citrate transporter Sea/SLC25A1 in the maintenance of chromosome integrity”. Hum Mol Genet 2009 Nov 1; 18 (21): 4180-8.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19654186 

Sala A, Corona DF, “Poly-ADP-ribose (PAR) as an epigenetic flag”. Epigenetics, 2009 Jul 1; 4(5): 287-90.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19633412 

Di Gesù V, Lo Bosco G, Pinello L, Yuan GC, Corona DF, “A multi-layer method to study genome-scale positions of nucleosomes”. Genomics. 2009 Feb; 93(2): 140-5.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18951969 

Sala A, La Rocca G, Burgio G, Kotova E, Di Gesù D, Collesano M, Ingrassia AM, Tulin AV, Corona DF, “The nucleosome-remodeling ATPase ISWI is regulated by poly-ADP-ribosylation”. PLoS Biol. 2008 Oct 14; 6(10):e252. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2567001/?tool=pubmed 

Sala A, Corona DF, “Epigenetics: More than genetics”. Fly (Austin). 2008 May-Jun; 2(3):165-8. 

Burgio G, La Rocca G, Sala A, Arancio W, Di Gesù D, Collesano M, Sperling AS, Armstrong JA, van Heeringen SJ, Logie C, Tamkun JW, Corona DF, “Genetic identification of a network of factors that functionally interact with the nucleosome remodeling ATPase ISWI”. PLoS Genet. 2008 Jun 6; 4(6): e1000089.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2390755/?tool=pubmed 

Corona DF, Siriaco G, Armstrong JA, Snarskaya N, McClymont SA, Scott MP, Tamkun JW, “ISWI regulates higher-order chromatin structure and histone H1 assembly in vivo”. PLoS Biol 2007 Sep; 5(9):e232.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1951781/?tool=pubmed

Organizzato da:
IGB-CNR

Referente organizzativo:
Adriana La Volpe
CNR - Istituto di genetica e biofisica "Adriano Buzzati Traverso"
adriana.lavolpe@igb.cnr.it
0816132366

Modalità di accesso: ingresso libero