Unit of Environmental physiology and biochemistry
Lab of Environmental physiology and biochemistry
tel. ++39 (0)544 600311
fax ++39 (0)544 -600411
Group Leader: Prof. Elena Fabbri
E-mail : elena.fabbri@unibo.it
Research in progress :
- Research is addressed to the way in which living organisms respond to environmental stresses. In particular, the following are analysed: 1) integrated responses coordinated via the hypothalamus/hypophysis/adrenal axis in vertebrates or through the biogenic amine release in invertebrates; 2) cellular responses such as the interaction between signal molecule and receptors, signal transduction pathway activation (e.g. AMPc-, IP3/calcium-, and MAPK- dependent), expression of some genes and related proteins (e.g. heat shock proteins and metallothioneins), and enzyme activities (e.g. acetylcholinesterase and ROS-metabolising enzymes). The model organisms are teleost fish, bivalves and most recently earthworms; the cellular models are fish hepatocytes, either freshly isolated or cell cultures, and human cell lines. All responses are studied both under physiological conditions and after the organism or cell has been exposed to natural or anthropogenic environmental stress factors, e.g. osmolarity or temperature changes, bacterial peptides, heavy metals, pesticides, electromagnetic fields. The methodologies used are: radiochemical, spectrophotometric and spectrofluorimetric assays; optical microscopy and image analysis; western blotting; PCR and RT-PCR; gene sequencing. The basic research provides scientific support to applications in the field centered on environmental biomonitoring by use of biomarkers.
Funding :
- PRIN 2000 (MIUR) "Realizzazione di un sistema esperto per la valutazione della sindrome di stress di un organismo sentinella (Mytilus sp.) in base ai valori di una batteria di biomarkers. Sviluppo di nuovi indici di stress relazionati ai processi di trasduzione del segnale Ca e cAMP dipendenti".
- ISPESL 2001-2002 "Sviluppo di criteri di valutazione del rischio ambientale e sanitario associato a microrganismi patogeni in ambienti acquatici".
- VI Piano triennale della pesca e acquacoltura in acque marine salmastre : "Interazioni fra batteri e molluschi bivalvi di interesse commerciale in aree costiere eutrofiche: valutazioni di aspetti strutturali, funzionali ed effetti sulla sopravvivenza".
- Comune di RA, Consorzio Parco del Delta, ARPA, AUSL, CIRSA Ravenna 2001-2003 "Programma di monitoraggio e risanamento della Pialassa Baiona (Protocollo d’Intesa)".
- WETLANDS II INTERREG IIIB CADSES 2003-2005 "Biomonitoraggio sperimentale su marker species (bivalve) in un’area campione del Delta del Po in Emilia Romagna".
- Regione Emilia Romagna 2004-2007 "Valutazione dei carichi massimi ammissibili sversati nei sistemi scolanti delle province di Ferrara e Ravenna nelle acque costiere dell’Adriatico".
- University of Bologna 2004 "Progetto Interdisciplinare Polo di Ravenna:Messa a punto di una metodologia integrata per valutare la possibile contaminazione dei suoli mediante biomarker e vermi sentinella".
Patents :
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Selected Publications :
- Valbonesi P, Caselli F, Capuzzo A, Fabbri E 2004 Modulation of adenyl cyclase activity in the gills of Tapes philippinarum. J Exp Zoolog Part A Comp Exp Biol 301A(12) 952-960
- Piano A, Valbonesi P, Fabbri E . 2004 Expression of cytoprotective proteins, heat shock protein 70 and metallothioneins, in tissues of Ostrea edulis exposed to heat and heavy metals. Cell Stress Chaperones 9 134-42
- Nicastro G, Peri F, Franzoni L, de Chiara C, Sartor G, Spisni A 2003 Conformational features of a synthetic model of the first extracellular loop of the angiotensin II AT1A receptor J Pept Sci 9(4) 229-43
- Valbonesi P, Sartor G, Fabbri E 2003 Characterization of cholinesterase activity in three bivalves inhabiting the North Adriatic sea and their possible use as sentinel organisms for biosurveillance programmes. Sci Total Environ 312(1-3) 79-88
- Fabbri E, Caselli F, Piano A, Sartor G, Capuzzo A 2003 Cd2+ and Hg2+ affect glucose release and cAMP-dependent transduction pathway in isolated eel hepatocytes. Aquat Toxicol 62(1) 55-65
- Piano A, Asirelli C, Caselli F, Fabbri E 2002 Hsp70 expression in thermally stressed Ostrea edulis, a commercially important oyster in Europe. Cell Stress Chaperones 7(3) 250-7
- Fabbri E, Selva C, Piano A, Caselli F, Capuzzo A 2002 Identification and properties of a Gs protein in catfish liver membranes. Gen Comp Endocrinol 125(3) 340-8
- Sartor G, Pagani R, Ferrari E, Sorbi RT, Cavaggioni A, Cavatorta P, Spisni A 2001 Determining the binding capability of the mouse major urinary proteins using 2-naphthol as a fluorescent probe. Anal Biochem 292(1) 69-75
- Fabbri E, Spisani S, Barbin L, Biondi C, Buzzi M, Traniello S, Zecchini GP, Ferretti ME 2000 Studies on fMLP-receptor interaction and signal transduction pathway by means of fMLPOMe selective analogues. Cell Signal 12(6) 391-8
- Fabbri E, Buzzi M, Biondi C, Capuzzo A 1999 Alpha-adrenoceptor-mediated glucose release from perifused catfish hepatocytes. Life Sci 65(1) 27-35
Postgraduate training :
- PhD Programme in Environmental Science: protection and management of natural resources.
Collaborations :
- : Dr. Thomas W. Moon Dept of Biology University of Ottawa Ottawa, ON Canada K1N 6N5.
- : Dr. Julián Blasco Dpto. Oceanografía Instituto de Ciencias Marinas de Andalucía (CSIC).Campus Río San Pedro 11510 Puerto Real (Cádiz) Spain.
- : Thomas Mommsen, Dept. of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Canada.
- : Aldo Viarengo, Dept. of Scienze dell’Ambiente e della Vita, University of Piemonte Orientale, Alessandria, ITALY.
- : Alberto Spisni, Dept. Experimental Medicine, University of Parma.
- : Carla Biondi, Dept of Biology, University of Ferrara.
- : Ferdinando Bersani, Physics Dept., University of Bologna.
Links :
Fisiologia e Biochimica Ambientale
http://www1.ambra.unibo.it/epb/
Protein Data Bank
http://www.rcsb.org/pdb/
Proteomics Server
http://www.expasy.org/
Structural Biology Labs
http://xray.bmc.uu.se/
BRENDA - Comprehensive Enzyme Information
http://www.brenda.uni-koeln.de/
Structural Classification of Proteins
http://scop.mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk/scop/index.html
Giorgio Sartor Selected Links
http://www1.ambra.unibo.it/giorgio.sartor/links.html
Research group :
Elena Fabbri (Associate professor)
Giorgio Sartor (Associate professor)
Paola Valbonesi (Technician)
Silvia Franzellitti (PhD student)
Filippo Donnini (PhD student)
Federico Caselli (Postdoc)
Annamaria Piano (Postdoc)
