Technologist
Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms Department
Tel. +39 081 5833407
Fax: +39 081 7641355
e-mail chun(at)szn.it
Google scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=3Q2VcVkAAAAJ&hl=en
ERC sectors - Cell junctions, cell adhesion, the extracellular matrix, cell communication (LS3_4), Cell signalling and signal transduction, exosome biology (LS3_5)
Settori scientifico-disciplinari - Fisiologia (BIO/09), Biologia molecolare (BIO/11)
Research interests
Starfish oocytes and sea urchin eggs provide an optimal opportunity to study the cytological events of meiotic progression, fertilization, and cell division. The eggs passing through these stages manifest accelerated remodelling of the actin cytoskeleton and transitional changes of the intracellular calcium levels. In recent years, our research activities have mostly focused on the reciprocal influence of the intracellular calcium signals and the actin cytoskeleton, which was monitored by use of microinjected fluorescent probes for free calcium, actin filaments, and various exogenous proteins interfering with the normal regulation of the actin cytoskeleton. Our recent acquisition of the transcriptome information on the oocytes and early embryos of the local species of starfish (Astropecten aranciacus) is expected to expedite the development of diverse approaches to target the key elements involved in intracellular calcium signalling and the cytoskeletal controls.
Selected Publications
Limatola, N., Vasilev, F., Santella, L., & Chun, J.T. (2019). Nicotine induces polyspermy in sea urchin eggs through a non-cholinergic pathway modulating actin dynamics. Cells, 9(1), 63.
Musacchia, F., Vasilev, F., Borra, M., Biffali, E., Sanges, R., Santella, L., & Chun, J. T. (2017). De novo assembly of a transcriptome from the eggs and early embryos of Astropecten aranciacus. PLoS One, 12(9), e0184090.
Chun, J.T., Limatola, N., Vasilev, F., & Santella, L. (2014). Early events of fertilization in sea urchin eggs are sensitive to actin-binding organic molecules. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 450(3), 1166-1174.
Chun, J.T., & Santella, L. (2013). Intracellular calcium waves. In: Lennarz, W.J., & Lane, M.D. (eds.) The encyclopedia of biological chemistry, Vol. 2, pp. 640-647. Academic Press, Waltham, MA, USA.
Chun, J.T., Puppo, A., Vasilev, F., Gragnaniello, G., Garante, E., & Santella, L. (2010). The biphasic increase of PIP2 in the fertilized eggs of starfish: new roles in actin polymerization and Ca2+ signaling. PLoS One, 5(11), e14100.
Book chapters
Chun JT, Vasilev F, Limatola N, Santella L (2018) Fertilization in Starfish and Sea Urchin: Roles of Actin. In: Kloc M and Kubiak JZ (eds.) Marine Organisms as Model Systems. Sereies Title: Results and Problems in Cell Differentiation, Springer Nature.
Santella L, Limatola N, and Chun JT (2014) Actin Cytoskeleton and Fertilization in Starfish Eggs. In: H. Sawada. (eds.) Sexual Reproduction in Animals and Plants, Springer Verlag, Japan, ISBN 978-4-43154588-0
Chun JT and Santella L. (2013) Intracellular Calcium Waves. In: Lennarz, W.J. and Lane, M.D. (eds.) The Encyclopedia of Biological Chemistry, Vol. 2, pp. 640-647. Academic Press, Waltham, MA, USA.
Santella L and Chun JT (2013) Calcium Signaling by Cyclic ADP-Ribose and NAADP. In: Lennarz, W.J. and Lane, M.D. (eds.) The Encyclopedia of Biological Chemistry, Vol. 1, pp. 331-336. Academic Press, Waltham, MA, USA.
Chun JT and Santella L (2007). Calcium and fertilization. In: “Calcium, A Matter of Life or Death”. (Ed. by J. Krebs and M. Michalak). pp.425-470, Elsevier B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
