Unit of Plant cell growth and differentiation
Lab of Plant Protein modifications
tel. +++39-051-2091292
fax +++39-051-242576
Group Leader: Prof. Donatella Serafini Fracassini
E-mail : donatella.serafini@unibo.it
Research in progress :
- 1. Scientific Research Programme of National Interest (financed by the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research): Control of incompatibility flower system in fruit trees, pollen and stylar determinants and protein role in fecondative process for fruit yeld and quality: interaction mechanisms for protein mediators of flower incompatibility in fertilization of fruit trees. Within this research project we examine the transglutaminase-catalysed post-translational modifications of: 1) proteins coded by the gene locus S (S = self-incompatibility), such as the ribonucleases; 2) proteins involved in the self-incompatibility mechanism, such as the cytoskeletal proteins; 3) protein responsible for adhesion mechanism. The main aims are: purification of pollen transglutaminase and its biochemical characterisation; to establish the role of transglutaminase in the incompatibility response of the pollen of fruit trees, in which the regulation of the compatibility among species is tightly related to fruit production with clear agro-economic implications.
- 2. FIRB entitled: Post-translational modifications by transglutaminase during programmed cell death in plants. The aim of the research is to study the post-translational modifications and the cellular mechanisms involved in the programmed cell death (PCD) of Nicotiana tabacum petals. The localisation and post-translational modification of structural and plastidial proteins in relation to senescence and PCD will be studied. Transglutaminase will be characterised, sequenced and cloned, and the structural homology with human transglutaminase will be analysed. In vivo studies with knock-out mutations of Arabidopsis and transglutaminase over-expressing plants will help to clarify the physiological involvement of the enzyme in this process.
- 3. BRITISH-ITALIAN PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMME FOR YOUNG RESEARCHERS (2005-2006): “Influence of climatic changing factors on the allergenicity of pollen and allergic respiratory diseases: the involvement of pollen transglutaminase.” The aim of the research will be the understanding of the climate change-derived modifications of pollen antigens via transglutaminase in order to clarify their impact on the pollen allergenicity.
Funding :
- FIRB (MIUR) "Proteine modificate post-traduzionalmente da transglutaminasi durante la morte cellulare programmata".
- Local Funding (Ricerca Fondamentale Orientata): Properties of plant transglutaminases in growth senescence and programmed cell death.
- BRITISH-ITALIAN PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMME FOR YOUNG RESEARCHERS (2005-2006): “Influence of climatic changing factors on the allergenicity of pollen and allergic respiratory diseases: the involvement of pollen transglutaminase.”
- PRIN 2005 (MIUR) entitled: “Control of incompatibility flower system in fruit trees, pollen and stylar determinants and protein role in fecondative process for fruit yield and quality.
- COST Action 844: « Apoptosis and programmed cell death : molecular mechanisms and applications in Biotechnology and Agriculture »
Patents :
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Selected Publications :
- Del Duca S, Serafini-Fracassini D. 2005 Transglutaminase of plants. In: “Transglutaminases. Family of enzymes with diverse functions” (Metha K and Eckert R eds). Progress in Experimental Tumor Research, 38, 223-247 (IF 3.571)
- Della Mea M, Caparros-Ruiz D, Claparols I, Serafini-Fracassini D, Rigau J. 2004 AtPng1p. The first plant transglutaminase. Plant Physiol. 135: 2046-2054 (I.F. 5.80)
- Capell T, Claparols M I, Del Duca S, Bassie L, Miro B, Rodriguez-Montesinos J, Christou P and Serafini-Fracassini D 2004 Producing transglutaminases by molecular farming in plants Amino Acid 26, 419-423 (IF 2.000)
- Claparols M I, Bassie L, Mirò B, Del Duca S, Rodriguez-Montesinos J, Christou P, Serafini Fracassini D and Capell T. 2004 Transgenic rice as a vehicle for the production of the industrial enzyme transglutaminase. Transgenic Res 13: 195-199 (IF 2.587)
- Della Mea M, Di Sandro A, Dondini L, Del Duca S, Vantini F, Bergamini C, Bassi R and Serafini-Fracassini D 2004 A Zea mays 39 kDa thylakoid transglutaminase catalyses Light Harvesting Complex II by polyamines in a light-dependent way. Planta 219: 754-764 (IF. 3.053)
- Dondini L, Del Duca S, Dall’Agata L, Bassi R, Gastaldelli M, Della Mea M, Di Sandro A, Claparols I and Serafini-Fracassini D. 2003 Suborganellar localisation and effect of light on Helianthus tuberosus chloroplast transglutaminases and their substrates. Planta 217: 84-95 (IF. 3.053)
- Serafini-Fracassini D, Del Duca S, Monti F, Poli F, Sacchetti G, Bregoli AM, Biondi S and Della Mea M. 2002 Transglutaminase activity during senescence and programmed cell death in the corolla of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) flowers. Cell Death and Differentiation 9: 309-321 (I.F. 7.008)
- Dondini L, Bonazzi S, Del Duca S, Bregoli AM and Serafini-Fracassini D 2001 Acclimation of chloroplast transglutaminase to high NaCl concentration in a polyamine-deficient variant strain of Dunaliella salina and in its wild type. J. Plant Physiol. 158: 185-197 (I.F. 1.149)
- Del Duca S, Dondini L, Della Mea M, Munoz de Rueda P and Serafini-Fracassini D 2000 Factors affecting transglutaminase activity catalysing polyamine conjugation to endogenous substrates in the entire chloroplast. Plant Physiol. Biochem. 38: 1-11 (I.F. 1.729)
- Del Duca S, Creus JA, D’Orazi D, Dondini L, Bregoli AM and Serafini-Fracassini D 2000 Tuber vegetative stages and cell cycle in Helianthus tuberosus: protein pattern and their modification by spermidine. J. Plant Physiol. 156: 17-25 ( I.F. 1.149)
Postgraduate training :
- Post-doc and Research fellowships
- Student Grant
- Training
- PhD : Post-traslational modification of proteins by polyamines catalysed by transglutaminases in plants
Collaborations :
-Transglutaminase and phospholipase in the pollen- allergy derived respiratory diseases : Prof Martin Griffin School of Life and Health Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham (UK)
-Transglutaminase in the control of pollen apical growth and adhesion : Elisabetta Verderio Edwards and Philip L.R. Bonner, Department of Life Science, The Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, (UK)
-Production of recombinant substrates for transglutaminase : Prof Shigehisa Hirose, Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama, (Japan).
-Bio-molecular studies of transglutaminase, and production of transglutaminase knock-out and over-expressing Arabidopsis plants : Dra Inma. Claparols and Joan Rigau Loveras, Department of Molecular Genetics IBMB (C.S.I.C) Barcelona (Spain)
-Transglutaminase multi-functionality (peptide N-glycanase activity) in Arabidopsis : Dr Tadashi Suzuki Department of Biochemistry, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka (Japan)
-Transglutaminase and the cytoskeleton: effect on the polymerisation of actin and other motor proteins involved in cytoskeleton functionality : Dr. Giampiero Cai Dipartimento Scienze Ambientali, Università di Siena Siena (Italy)
-Differential screening of gene expression in Rosaceae pollen : Dr Matteo Komjanc Istituto Agrario San Michele all'Adige, San Michele all'Adige (Trento) Italy.
-- Transgenic rice as a vehicle for the industrial production of transglutaminase : Dr Teresa Capell , Crop Genetics and Biotechnology Department, Fraunhofer IME, Schmallenberg, (Germany).
-Role of transglutaminase in Chloroplast differentiation : Prof Jolanta Legocka 1.Faculty of Biology, Laboratory of Plant Physiology, Adam Mickiewicz University,. Poznan (Poland).
Links :
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http://crisceb.unina2.it/what
Research group :
Rosa Anna Iorio (PhD Student)
Alessia Di Sandro (Research contract)
Massimiliano Della Mea (Postdoc)
Stefano Del Duca (Research Associate)
Donatella Serafini-Fracassini (Full professor)
