Researcher
Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms Department
Tel. +39 081 5833266 - +39 081 5833275
Fax: +39 081 7641355
e-mail annamaria.locascio(at)szn.it
Google scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=it&user=l2Xyb04AAAAJ
ERC Sectors Integrative biology: from genes and genomes to systems (LS2) - Environmental biology, ecology and evolution (LS8)
Settori scientifico-disciplinari Biologia molecolare (BIO/11) - Biologia applicata (BIO/13)
Componenti
Giulia Paolella
Lucia Sgambato
Monica Testa
Research interests
Marine organisms as model systems to study the effects of emerging contaminants in the environment, developmental biology and the evolution of the nervous system and sense organs.
Mytilus galloprovincialis as a model system for ecotoxicological studies
1) PRIN 2020: Impact of microplastics and associated contaminants on reproduction and development: a comparative and multidisciplinary study on mechanisms of action and protective strategies.
Study of the acute and chronic alterations on the different phases of the reproductive cycle of M. galloprovincialis induced by microplastics alone and in combination with emerging contaminants. Comparative studies on different model systems, to understand the impact of microplastics across different taxonomic groups with different ecological niches, gonadal structure and reproductive strategies.
2) Characterization of the Natural Organic Matter (NOM) from sea and terrestrial environments, its complex interaction with pollutants of emerging concern and impact on the marine organisms.
Effects of the Natural Organic Matter NOM from marine and terrestrial environments on emerging contaminants. Chemical, histological and molecular analyses to study the response mechanisms of M. galloprovincialis and the effects induced by NOM alone and in combination with contaminants.
The ascidian Ciona robusta as a model system to study the evolution in chordates of the eye and of specific gene regulatory elements.
1) Eye regulatory network in chordate development and evolution. Differential RNAseq analyses and characterization of Onecut genetic pathway.
In an attempt to shed light on the evolutionary history of the chordate photoreceptive structures we are using a transcriptomic approach and transgenic embryos to reconstruct the genetic cascade responsible for the development of the Ciona ocellus.
2) Regulatory elements that cannot be lost in tunicate and chordate evolution.
Genomic and functional analyses with transgenic embryos to understand the role of non-coding elements (CNEs) and their conservation and divergence during the evolution of the genomes of chordates and in particular of various species of Tunicates.
Selected Publications
Salatiello, F., Gerdol, M., Pallavicini, A., Locascio, A., & Sirakov, M. (2022). Comparative analysis of novel and common reference genes in adult tissues of the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis. BMC Genomics, 23, 349.
Vassalli, Q.A., Colantuono, C., Nittoli, V., Ferraioli, A., Fasano, G., Berruto, F., Chiusano, M.L., Kelsh, R., Sordino, P., & Locascio, A. (2021). Onecut regulates core components of the molecular machinery for neurotransmission in photoreceptor differentiation. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, 9, 602450.
Marotta, P., Salatiello, F., Ambrosino, L., Berruto, F., Chiusano, M.L., & Locascio, A. (2021). The Ascidia Ciona robusta provides novel insights on the evolution of the AP-1 transcriptional complex. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, 9, 709696.
Pontoni, L., La Vecchia, C., Boguta, P. Sirakov, M., D’Aniello, E., Fabbricino, M., & Locascio, A. (2021). Natural organic matter controls metal speciation and toxicity for marine organisms: a review. Environmental Chemistry Letters, 20, 797-812.
Ambrosino, L., Vassalli, Q.A., D’Agostino, Y., Esposito, R., Cetrangolo, V., Caputi, L., Amoroso, A., Aniello, F., D’Aniello, S., Chatzigeorgiou, M., Chiusano, M.L., & Locascio, A. (2019). Functional conserved non-coding elements among tunicates and chordates. Developmental Biology, 448, 101-110.
