Dorianna Sandonà

Qualifica: Ricercatore Universitario
Ssd: BIO/11
Facoltà: Medicina e Chirurgia
Gruppo di ricerca: ER processing of skeletal muscle membrane proteins
Telefono: +39 049 827 6028
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Studio:Primo piano nord, numero 44

Attività didattica:

• Corso di Laurea Triennale interfacoltà in Biotecnologie Sanitarie, Corso di Biologia Molecolare
• Corso di Laurea Magistrale in Biotecnologie Farmaceutiche, Corso Integrato di Biologia Molecolare, modulo di Biologia Molecolare II
• Scuola di Specializzazione in Biochimica Clinica e Biologia Molecolare Clinica, corso di Biologia Molecolare.
• Scuola di Specializzazione in Tossicologia Medica, corso di Biologia Molecolare

Ricevimento studenti: lunedì 10.30 - 12.30 o previo appuntamento via e-mail

Main research interests:

ER processing of skeletal muscle membrane proteins

Glycosylated membrane proteins undergo multifaceted processing in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). In this compartment proteins are folded, post-translationally modified and, if members of a multimeric complex, assembled to partner components in the route to the plasma membrane. The presence of defects, generating misfolded membrane proteins, are also intercepted in the ER. The ER associated protein degradation (ERAD), in fact, is responsible for the removal of such proteins through the ubiquitin-proteasome system. We are interested in the elucidation of the mechanisms of sarcoglycan complex trafficking and in the identification of ERAD components involved in the processing of sarcoglycan mutants, as these mechanisms play a fundamental role in the pathogenesis of sarcoglycanopathies.

Muscle atrophy signaling and space flight
Skeletal muscle atrophy is the result of the imbalance between anabolism and catabolism, with the latter being the winner. Muscle proteins and organelles are mainly dismantled by autophagy and proteasome; the signaling pathways governing these two systems are for large part interconnected. Our project is devoted to study skeletal muscle atrophy activated during exposition to the microgravity environment, both in isolated adult muscle fibers and in mice hosted in the International Space Station.

Selected publications

• Sandonà D, Betto R. (2009) Sarcoglycanopathies: molecular pathogenesis and therapeutic prospects. Expert Rev Mol Med 11:e28
• Gastaldello S, D’Angelo S, Franzoso S, Fanin M, Angelini C, Betto R, Sandonà D (2008) Inhibition of proteasome activity promotes the correct localization of disease-causing -sarcoglycan mutants in HEK-293 cells constitutively expressing -, -, and -sarcoglycan. Am J Pathol, 173:170-181.
• Sandonà D, Danieli-Betto D, Germinario E, Biral D, Martinello T, Lioy A, Tarricone E, Betto R. (2005) The T-tubule membrane ATP-operated P2X4 receptor contractility of skeletal muscle. FASEB J  19:1184-1186.
• Bassi R, Croce R, Cugini D, Sandonà D. (1999) Mutation analysis of an higher plant antenna protein provides identification of chromophores bound into multiple sites PNAS 96: 10056-10061.
• Bisson R, Vettore S, Aratri E, Sandonà D. (1997) Subunit change in cytochrome c oxidase: identification of the oxygen switch in Dictyostelium. EMBO J 16:739-749