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Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology - FABIT

Molecular genetics of development and diseases. Coordinator: Cavaliere

The research is focused on the study of issues related to the normal development and the onset of disease. The model we use is Drosophila melanogaster. The lines of research we are conducting include the genetics of cancer, the study of neuroimmune modulation of the insect immune response and the impact of biotic and abiotic factors on insects immune response and development.

Areas: Cancer biology Genomics Industrial, plant and environmental biotechnologies

Research themes

Analysis of the anti-tumor awd/Nme gene function

The project focuses on the study of the metastasis suppressor gene Nme1 in the Drosophila model system. Nme1 protein possesses multiple molecular and cellular functions not yet fully elucidated. Our studies on awd, the Drosophila Nme1 homologue, allowed us to characterize some of the functions played by Awd protein. A better knowledge of the molecular mechanisms underlying Awd/Nme1 function will be relevant for the identification of prognostic and therapeutic targets.

Study of the nervous system role in regulating insects immunity

The project focuses on the neuromodulation of the insect immune response. The transcriptome profiling of selected Drosophila tissues and the use of molecular genetics tools will lead to the identification of the genes involved in neuroimmune modulation. Biotic and abiotic factors can affect the immune response and development of insects, including widely used neurotoxic insecticides. The identification of the immunoresponsive genes modulated by nervous system will lead to a complete evaluation of neurotoxic pesticide impact on neuroimmune crossmodulation and will aid the development of new effective bioassays for environmental risk evaluation.

Natural bioinsecticides from insect parasitoids

Parasitoids insects disrupt development, reproduction and immune system of insect pests through a highly complex cocktail of bioactive compounds. The project focuses on the functional analysis of some host regulation factors to elucidate their role and to define their possible use as bioinsecticides in pest control. These analyses will be performed in vivo, using the plethora of molecular genetics tools available in Drosophila.

Lab members

Valeria Cavaliere, Associate professor

Mattia Longanesi, PhD student

Stefania Salvatore,  Research fellow

Internship projects

For information about internship, please contact the coordinator.

Corso di Laurea in Scienze Biologiche

Corso di Laurea in Biologia Molecolare e Cellulare

Main publications

  • Giordani, G., Cattabriga, G., Becchimanzi, A., Di Lelio, I., De Leva, G., Gigliotti, S., Pennacchio, F., Gargiulo, G. & Cavaliere, V., Role of neuronal and non-neuronal acetylcholine signaling in Drosophila humoral immunity.Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 153, 103899, doi: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2022.103899  (2023)

  • Cattabriga G., Giordani G., Gargiulo G., Cavaliere V. Effect of aminergic signaling on the humoral innate immunity response of Drosophila. Frontiers in Physiology (14) https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2023.1249205 (2023)

  • Serafini, G., Giordani, G., Grillini, L., Andrenacci, D., Gargiulo, G. & Cavaliere, V. The Impact of Drosophila Awd/NME1/2 Levels on Notch and Wg Signaling Pathways. Int J Mol Sci 21, 7257 doi:10.3390/ijms21197257 (2020).
  • Mezzofanti, E., Ignesti, M., Hsu, T., Gargiulo, G. & Cavaliere, V. Vps28 Is Involved in the Intracellular Trafficking of Awd, the Drosophila Homolog of NME1/2. Front Physiol 10, 983, doi:10.3389/fphys.2019.00983 (2019).
  • Di Prisco, G. et al. Neonicotinoid clothianidin adversely affects insect immunity and promotes replication of a viral pathogen in honey bees. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 110, 18466-18471, doi:10.1073/pnas.1314923110 (2013).

Contacts