Luigi Xodo
Luigi Xodo
e-mail:
affiliation: Università di Udine
research area(s): Molecular Biology, Cancer Biology
Course: Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences
University/Istitution: Università di Udine
Luigi E. Xodo was born in Donada (RO) 07-11-1952. After his degree in chemistry at the University of Trieste (1976), he worked at the University of Reading (UK) (1979) and at the University of Guildford (UK) (1980). In 1983 he was appointed “Researcher” at the University of Trieste and in 1992 he became Associate Professor in Biochemistry at the Faculty of Science. In 1997 he moved to the University of Udine where he is full professor in biochemistry at the School of Medicine of Udine, since 2004. Luigi Xodo is the head of a research group at the Department of Medical and Biological Science. At present the activity of the group is carried out in a context of international collaborations: Prof. G. van der Marel (Leiden, NL), Prof E. Pedersen (Odense, DK), Prof. Nathan Luedtke (Zurich, CH).
The laboratory directed by Luigi Xodo works on themes at the interface between chemistry and biology. Over the past five years many efforts have been direct to elucidate the role of G-rich elements in critical regions of gene promoters, in particular in the KRAS and HRAS oncogenes. These studies have led to the discovery that transcription in these oncogenes is regulated by folded G-quadruplex structures assumed by critical G-elements bound by nuclear proteins. A great deal of work has been dedicated to identify proteins interacting with the quadruplex structures and study their function in the context of transcription. This work is important for the design of molecular strategies to inhibit the expression of KRAS/HRAS oncogenes, as they are involved in the pathogenesis of several types of human cancers. The work done by the laboratory has given a significant contribution to understand the role played by folded DNA conformations in gene promoters. Another area of interest of the group is the development of new molecules for the photodynamic therapy for cancer. The study of the molecular mechanism of the photoprocess and the effect in animal models of new photosensitizers (porphyrins, chlorins and phthalocyanines) are the main topics on interest.
Luigi E. Xodo has published 71 peer reviewed papers indexed in PubMed. In most of the papers he is the first or last author. The most recent papers (2008-2011) have a total impact factor of 67.7. His most quoted first author paper is “Effect of 5-methylcytosine on the stability of triple-stranded DNA: a thermodynamic study” published in Nucleic Acids Research in 1991 received 171 citations; his most quoted last author paper is “G-quadruplex formation within the promoter of the KRAS oncogene and its effect on transcription” published in Nucleic Acids Research in 2006 received 122 citations.
The most recent publications (2009-2010) are:
1) Enhanced G4-DNA binding of 5,10,15,20 (N-propyl-4-pyridyl) porphyrin (TPrPyP4): a comparative study with TMPyP4. Cogoi S, Xodo LE. Chem Commun (Camb). 2010 Oct 21;46(39):7364-6. (IF 5.5)
2) Conjugated PDT drug: photosensitizing activity and tissue distribution of PEGylated pheophorbide a. Rapozzi V, Zacchigna M, Biffi S, Garrovo C, Cateni F, Stebel M, Zorzet S, Bonora GM, Drioli S, Xodo LE. Cancer Biol Ther. 2010 Sep;10(5):471-82. (IF 2.8)
3) The KRAS promoter responds to Myc-associated zinc finger and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 proteins, which recognize a critical quadruplex-forming GA-element. Cogoi S, Paramasivam M, Membrino A, Yokoyama KK, Xodo LE. J Biol Chem. 2010 Jul 16;285(29):22003-16. (IF 5.3)
4) Photooxidation and Phototoxicity of pi-extended squaraines. Rapozzi V, Beverina L, Salice P, Pagani GA, Camerin M, Xodo LE. J Med Chem. 2010 Mar 11;53(5):2188-96. (IF 4.8)
5) Cellular uptake and binding of guanidine-modified phthalocyanines to KRAS/HRAS G-quadruplexes. Membrino A, Paramasivam M, Cogoi S, Alzeer J, Luedtke NW, Xodo LE. Chem Commun (Camb). 2010 Jan 28;46(4):625-7. (IF 5.5)
6) Molecular models for intrastrand DNA G-quadruplexes. Fogolari F, Haridas H, Corazza A, Viglino P, Corà D, Caselle M, Esposito G, Xodo LE. BMC Struct Biol. 2009 Oct 7;9:64 (IF 2.5)
7) Evidence that photoactivated pheophorbide a causes in human cancer cells a photodynamic effect involving lipid peroxidation. Rapozzi V, Miculan M, Xodo LE. Cancer Biol Ther. 2009 Jul;8(14):1318-27. (IF 2.8)
8) Protein hnRNP A1 and its derivative Up1 unfold quadruplex DNA in the human KRAS promoter: implications for transcription. Paramasivam M, Membrino A, Cogoi S, Fukuda H, Nakagama H, Xodo LE. Nucleic Acids Res. 2009 May;37(9):2841-53. (IF 7.4)
9) Identification of a new G-quadruplex motif in the KRAS promoter and design of pyrene-modified G4-decoys with antiproliferative activity in pancreatic cancer cells. Cogoi S, Paramasivam M, Filichev V, Géci I, Pedersen EB, Xodo LE. J Med Chem. 2009 Jan 22;52(2):564-8 (IF 4.8)
No projects are available to students for the current accademic year.