Education and training:

1968-1973: Undergraduate student at the Medical School, University Federico II, Napoli;
July 1973: Medical Doctor Degree 'summa cum laude' in Medicine and Surgery;
1973-1977: Hygiene Resident at the Medical School, University Federico II, Napoli;October
1977: Residency in Hygiene
1975-1979: Recipient of a Fellowship at the Dpt. di Biologia e Patologia Cellulare e Molecolare,University Federico II, Napoli

Employment and research experience:

1980-1983: CNR Researcher at the Centro di Endocrinologia ed Oncologia Sperimentale of CNR, Napoli;
1983-1985: University Researcher at the Department of Biologia e Patologia Cellulare e Molecolare, Napoli;
1985-1990: Associate Professor of Cell Biology at the Medical School, University Federico II, Napoli;
1990-2011: Full Professor of Cell Biology at the Medical School, University Federico II, Napoli;
1994-2011: Head of the Cytogenetics and Prenatal Diagnosis Unit, Medical School, University Federico II, Napoli;
2010-2011: Chairman of the Department of Biologia e Patologia Cellulare e Molecolare, Napoli;
Group leader since 1980.

Grants from: MIUR, CNR, AIRC, ACRO, Campania Region, BIOGEM, TELETHON, etc.

Scientific societies: ABCD, AIBG, ASCB, ELSO, SIGU, ESHG, ECA, ETA

We recently demonstrated that the cadherin CDH16 is expressed in the mouse thyroid gland, that its expression is dependent upon TSH and that it is strongly down-regulated during tumor progression. The aim of our present project is to understand the role of CDH16 in the development, differentiation and function of the thyroid gland. To this aim the phenotype of the CDH16 KO mouse and of thyroid cells in culture, in which CDH16 expression is inhibited by RNAi, will be characterized. The KO mice will be examined with respect to their weight, motility, food intake, temperature control and adipose tissue deposition. TSH, FT3 and FT4 hormones will be measured to evaluate thyroid function. The size, shape, morphology and ultrastructure of the thyroid gland will be examined in the adult as well as during embryonic development. Since CDH16 is a cell-cell adhesion molecule, the expression and the location of adherens junction and tight junction proteins will be investigated by qRT-PCR, WB, confocal and electron microscopy. The distribution of the CRYAB protein, that has been suggested to interact with CDH16 cytosolic tail, will also be investigated. To study CDH16 function in cultured cells, RNAi technique in the rat thyroid FRT and FRTL5 cells will be used. CDH16 role in determining the polarized epithelial phenotype will be assessed. The kinetics of acquisition and maintenance of transepithelial resistance on filters in bicameral systems, and the sorting of proteins to the apical and to the basolateral plasma membrane domains will be determined. Finally, the involvement of CDH16 in tumor progression will be evaluated.

Silberschmidt D, Rodriguez-Mallon A, Mithboakar P, Calì G, Amendola E, Sanges R, Zannini M, Scarfò M, De Luca P, Nitsch L, Di Lauro R, De Felice M. (2011) In vivo role of different domains and of phosphorylation in the transcription factor Nkx2-1. BMC Dev Biol. 11:9.

Furia A, Moscato M, Calì G, Pizzo E, Confalone E, Amoroso MR, Esposito F, Nitsch L, D'Alessio G. (2011) The ribonuclease/angiogenin inhibitor is also present in mitochondria and nuclei. FEBS Lett. 585(4):613-617.

Melis D, Genesio R, Cozzolino M, Del Giudice E, Mormile A, Imperati F, Ronga V, Della Casa R, Nitsch L, Andria G. (2010) An emerging phenotype of proximal 11q deletions. Eur J Med Genet. 53(5):340-343.
Di Domenico C, Villani GR, Di Napoli D, Nusco E, Calì G, Nitsch L, Di Natale P. (2009) Intracranial gene delivery of LV-NAGLU vector corrects neuropathology in murine MPS IIIB. Am J Med Genet A. 149A(6):1209-1218.

de Cristofaro T, Mascia A, Pappalardo A, D'Andrea B, Nitsch L, Zannini M. (2009) Pax8 protein stability is controlled by sumoylation. J Mol Endocrinol. 42(1):35-46.

Sellitto M, Genesio R, Conti A, Fabbrini F, Nitsch L, D'Armiento M, Capasso L, Paludetto R, Raimondi F. (2008) Short 9q interstitial deletion in a neonate with lethal non-immune hydrops. Am J Med Genet A. 146A(19):2566-2569.

Ginocchio VM, De Brasi D, Genesio R, Ciccone R, Gimelli S, Fimiani F, de Berardinis T, Nitsch L, Banfi S, Magli A, Della Casa R. (2008) Sonic Hedgehog deletion and distal trisomy 3p in a patient with microphthalmia and microcephaly, lacking cerebral anomalies typical of holoprosencephaly. Eur J Med Genet. Nov-Dec;51(6):658-65.

Greco D, Somervuo P, Di Lieto A, Raitila T, Nitsch L, Castrén E, Auvinen P. (2008) Physiology, pathology and relatedness of human tissues from gene expression meta-analysis. PLoS ONE. 3(4):e1880.

Conti A, Fabbrini F, D'Agostino P, Negri R, Greco D, Genesio R, D'Armiento M, Olla C, Paladini D, Zannini M, Nitsch L. (2007) Altered expression of mitochondrial and extracellular matrix genes in the heart of human fetuses with chromosome 21 trisomy. BMC Genomics. 8:268.

Calì G, Zannini M, Rubini P, Tacchetti C, D'Andrea B, Affuso A, Wintermantel T, Boussadia O, Terracciano D, Silberschmidt D, Amendola E, De Felice M, Schütz G, Kemler R, Di Lauro R, Nitsch L. (2007) Conditional inactivation of the E-cadherin gene in thyroid follicular cells affects gland development but does not impair junction formation. Endocrinology. 148(6):2737-2746.

De Lorenzo C, Di Malta C, Calì G, Troise F, Nitsch L, D'Alessio G. (2007) Intracellular route and mechanism of action of ERB-hRNase, a human anti-ErbB2 anticancer immunoagent. FEBS Lett. 581(2):296-300.

Conti A, Scala S, D'Agostino P, Alimenti E, Morelli D, Andria B, Tammaro A, Attanasio C, Della Ragione F, Scuderi V, Fabbrini F, D'Esposito M, Di Florio E, Nitsch L, Calise F, Faiella A. (2007) Wide gene expression profiling of ischemia-reperfusion injury in human liver transplantation. Liver Transpl. 13(1):99-113.

Project Title: