Research Line: MD.P01.008.001 – Protein structure and dynamics
People: Giuliano Colombetti, Roberto Marangoni

Description
This line of research is aimed at investigating the responses of some model organisms to chemical and physical environmental stresses arising from climatic changes. Different extremophile ciliates were exposed to UV irradiation levels higher than the natural ones with the aim of clarifying the molecular mechanisms of the activation of the genes involved in the response by mean of proteomics and metabolomics techniques.

Current activity and research prospects
We have determined the hsp70 genes expression pattern in the Antarctic psychrophile Euplotes focardii. By means on “in vivo” NMR the UV-induced primary osmolites in the hypersaline ciliate Fabrea salina. We will then investigate the medium term metabolic responses due to UV irradiation in these extremophiles. At the same we will carry on the proteomic approach, trying to overcome the difficulties caused by the extreme properties of the examined proteins. We will be following a protocol based on ultra-HPLC-ESI-MS/MS instead of the previous 2D-PAGE-MALDI-MS/MS one.

Keywords:UV-radiation, oxidative stress, mass spectroscopy,  Fabrea salina, Euplotes focardii, “in vivo” mono- and bidimensional NMR.