Dott. Roberto Giambruno

Ricercatore CNR-ITB

Istituto di Tecnologie Biomediche

Milano

Discovering host protein interactions specific for SARS-CoV-2 RNA genome

15/09/2022 – ore 14:00

Abstract: 

SARS-CoV-2 is a positive single-stranded RNA virus that interacts with proteins of infected cells at different stages of its life cycle. These interactions are necessary for the host to recognize and block the replication of the virus. Yet, if cells fail to block SARS-CoV-2, host proteins are recruited to translate, transcribe and replicate the genetic material of the virus. To identify the host proteins that bind to SARS-CoV-2 RNA, we adopted the RNA-Protein Interaction Detection coupled to Mass Spectrometry (RaPID-MS) technology, which allows the purification and identification by MS-based proteomics of the proteins associated with a specific RNA of interest expressed in mammalian cells. We specifically investigated proteins associated with the 5′ and 3′ end regions of SARS-CoV-2 RNA. As associations might involve non-physical protein-RNA interactions, we defined a set of reliable protein-RNA interactions by exploiting the predictive power of the catRAPID algorithm that assesses the direct binding potential of proteins to a given RNA region. Among these specific SARS-CoV-2 RNA end interactors, we identified the pseudouridine synthase PUS7 that binds to both 5′ and 3′ ends of viral RNA, which harbor the canonical consensus sequence modified by PUS7. We corroborated our results through SARS-CoV-2 RNA analysis by nanopore direct RNA sequencing. Indeed, these PUS7 consensus regions were found highly modified on viral RNAs, as demonstrated by ionic current features that are significantly different compared to the unmodified in vitro transcribed RNA. Overall, our data map the specific host protein interactions of SARS-CoV-2 RNA and point to a role for cellular pseudouridine synthases and the post-transcriptional pseudouridine modifications in the viral life cycle.

INFO : seminari.irib@irib.cnr.it

Dott. Domenico Nuzzo

Ricercatore CNR-IRIB

Istituto per la Ricerca e  l’Innovazione Biomedica

Palermo

3-8 Ottobre 2022 FESTIVAL DELL’INNOVAZIONE AGROALIMENTARE

Il Festival è un evento online di 6 giorni nato per diffondere le ultime innovazioni a tutti gli stakeholder italiani dell’agrifood

Il Festival è il punto di origine del MOVIMENTO che aggrega i professionisti della ricerca scientifica e dell’industria, che vogliono innovare il settore agroalimentare.

Dott. Luigi Mari

Post Doctoral Research Associate
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Memphis, TN, United States

Understanding Parkin-mediated Cell Death

13/10/2022 – ore 15:00

Abstract: 

Parkin is an E3-ubiquitin ligase with a central role in mitochondrial quality control. Following translocation to the mitochondrial surface, it ubiquitylates several outer mitochondrial membrane proteins, which in turn recruit other proteins to initiate autophagy of damaged mitochondria (mitophagy) and maintain, in this way, cellular homeostasis. Because mutations in Parkin have been associated with genetic forms of early-onset Parkinson Diseases (PD), it has been proposed that a dysregulated mitophagy can cause PD due to the accumulation of defective mitochondria and subsequent loss of neuronal function, thus leading to cell death. However, how Parkin is involved in the regulation of cell death remains to be elucidated.

INFO : seminari.irib@irib.cnr.it

Dott. Nicola Origlia, PhD
Senior Research Scientist

Institute of Neuroscience, CNR – Pisa

Microglial large extracellular vesicles as a vehicle to propagate neurodegeneration

19/01/2023 – ore 14:00

Abstract: 

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are involved in neuron-neuron communication and glia-neuron communication. In neurodegenerative diseases, EVs act as carriers of pathogenic proteins over large distances. Therefore, an intriguing hypothesis is that EVs could be implicated in the progression of neuronal dysfunction between connected regions, contributing to the spreading of neurodegeneration. We have recently demonstrated the involvement of large l EVs, released by microglial cells, in the rise and propagation of early synaptic dysfunction in Alzheimer’s disease. We suggest a new mechanism controlling the diffusion of large EVs and their pathogenic signals in the brain parenchyma.

INFO : seminari.irib@irib.cnr.it

Dott. Walter Arancio, PhD
Ricercatore

Istituto per la Ricerca e l’Innovazione Biomedica, CNR-IRIB

Introducing myself: my road towards bioinformatics applied to the epigenetics of aging

07/02/2023 – ore 14:00

Abstract: 

Epigenetics and the activities of DNA repetitive sequences are crucial in cellular homeostasis. Their deregulation is a key event that leads to genomic instability and cellular senescence, which in turn contribute to the process of human aging and aging-related diseases. During the seminar, I will talk about the path that led me to study this complex but fascinating scenario.

INFO : seminari.irib@irib.cnr.it

Prof.ssa Laura Sacerdote

Dipartimento di Matematica “G. Peano”
Università di Torino

Matematica e neuroscienze, una collaborazione utile per entrambe

18/04/2023 – ore 14:30

Abstract: 

Comprendere il codice utilizzato dal cervello per ricevere ed elaborare informazioni è sicuramente una delle più grandi sfide proponibili al cervello stesso e, almeno per il momento, molto lontana dall’essere veramente affrontabile. Quello che si può fare è procedere a piccoli passi comprendendone aspetti fondamentali, spesso con miglioramenti legati a nuove tecniche sperimentali che forniscono nuovi dati.

In questo contesto, la collaborazione tra neuroscienze e altri rami della scienza, dalla fisica all’informatica e alla matematica diviene fondamentale. In questo seminario il fuoco sarà nell’interscambio di problemi e soluzioni tra neuroscienze e matematica, nell’ambito della modellistica neuronale dedicata allo studio del codice nervoso.

In una prima parte del seminario, si presenteranno modelli relativi all’attività di neuroni singoli via via più realistici ma anche simultaneamente complessi. Si osserverà come tali modelli possano in un qualche senso cercare di “spiegare” i meccanismi base della trasmissione nervosa o come fenomeni di risonanza stocastica possano avere un ruolo nella trasmissione del segnale. Si vedrà poi come tali modelli abbiano suggerito problemi matematici che sono stati risolti negli anni e che hanno una valenza anche per applicazioni molto diverse da quelle originali. In questo modo neuroscienze e matematica hanno fatto progressi grazie alla reciproca collaborazione.

Nella seconda parte del seminario si sottolineerà come oggigiorno lo studio del sistema nervoso richieda di affrontare lo studio di grandi reti e si discuterà quale possa essere il contributo della matematica, in un contesto sempre più occupato dall’approccio informatico. In questo contesto presenterò i risultati di un recente lavoro dedicato allo studio della consistenza tra il segnale in entrata e quello in uscita in una rete, sotto opportune condizioni.

INFO : seminari.irib@irib.cnr.it

Dott. Salvo D. Lombardo

MD-Predoctoral Fellow, Menche Lab
Max Perutz Labs
University of Vienna

Cell-fate trajectory: mathematical analysis of immune actions on tumors

23/05/2023 – ore 14:30

Abstract: 

Immuno-oncology (IO) clinical trials have been at the forefront of cancer treatments in the past decade, obtaining promising results in specific cancer types, such as melanoma, or bladder cancer. However, predicting their efficacy during early drug development remains a challenge. Incorporating dynamical systems theory and network science into medicine has brought significant benefits and new mechanistic insights, enabling predictions applicable in clinical trials. Here, we review the latest studies that have combined these techniques with the latest high-throughput technologies, such as single-cell RNAseq and single-cell ATACseq, in different cancer types including neuroblastoma, glioblastoma, and colon-rectum cancers. We show that by treating each molecular reaction as a Michaelis-Menten equation, we are able to predict immune marker expression, such as PDL1, before and after other cancer treatments, forecasting resistance to immunotherapy, and predicting drug-induced cell states. We believe that mathematical modeling is critical in cancer research, guiding new discoveries, and helping with patient stratification and treatment optimization.

INFO : seminari.irib@irib.cnr.it

Dott.ssa Maria Lucibello

Ricercatore
CNR-IRIB

Targeting TCTP in breast cancer: an opportunity for personalized medicine

20/07/2023 – ore 14:30

Abstract: 

The characterization of biomarkers that support a more aggressive phenotype may provide new diagnostic tools and new opportunities for cancer therapy.
Growing evidence shows that the Translationally Controlled Tumor Protein (TCTP) may depict specific cancer cell subpopulations with stress adaptation, stem-like and immune-evasive properties.
Our experience suggests the potential use of TCTP in the phosphorylated form as a new prognostic and predictive biomarker in the clinical management of patient cohorts with a more aggressive breast cancer disease. TCTP is also a critical target for a therapy based on dihydroartemisinin (DHA), a drug repurposing candidate for cancer therapy. Our findings suggest that targeting TCTP could be an anti-metastatic strategy to be explored at an early stage of disease.
We propose TCTP as an actionable relevant target for combinatorial therapies that might improve patient outcomes.

INFO : seminari.irib@irib.cnr.it