Contact person: Rita Berisio, rita.berisio
unina.itActors: Flavia Squeglia, flavia.squeglia
cnr.it, Alessia Ruggiero, alessia.ruggierounina.it, Maria Romano, maria.romanocnr.it, Rita Berisio, rita.berisiounina.it, The"structure-based" approach used by our group at CNR-IBB is aimed atunderstanding the mechanisms of action of the main molecular actors ofdifferent human pathogens. Several key macromolecules of important humanpathogens, such as M. tuberculosis, Streptococci, Enterococci and nocosomalK. pneumoniae are under investigation. Among these, proteins involved inthe recognition and division of the bacterial cell walls [1-14], are also usedin our laboratory for diagnostic purposes.
Aspart of the IDRICA project, funded by Regione Campania, the activities of ourgroup have as main objective the identification of molecular probes for thedetection of bacteria in contaminated water and the design of biosensors forthe evaluation of microbiological pollution of water. These studies are carriedout by combining molecular biology techniques with biochemical and biophysicaltechniques. The molecular probes, properly engineered and mutated, have beencloned, expressed and purified with high-throughput techniques at ourinstitute. The best probes have been studied in terms of stability over timeand ability to recognize bacteria. In addition, a study has been conducted toidentify the best functionalization of probes for biosensoristic use. Theactivities for the development of a demonstrator containing this innovativesensor technology are currently underway in collaboration with the CNRInstitute IREA.
[1]
Squeglia F, Moreira M, Ruggiero A, Berisio R. The Cell Wall HydrolyticNlpC/P60 Endopeptidases in Mycobacterial Cytokinesis: A Structural Perspective.Cells. 2019 Jun 18;8(6):609.
[2]
Squeglia F, Ruggiero A, Berisio R. Chemistry of Peptidoglycan inMycobacterium tuberculosis Life Cycle: An off-the-wall Balance of Synthesis andDegradation. Chemistry. 2018 Feb 21;24(11):2533-2546.
[3]
Squeglia F, Romano M, Ruggiero A, Berisio R. Molecular Players inTuberculosis Drug Development: Another Break in the Cell Wall. Curr Med Chem.2017 Nov 24;24(36):3954-3969.
[4]
Lukomski S, Bachert BA, Squeglia F, Berisio R. Collagen-like proteins ofpathogenic streptococci. Mol Microbiol. 2017 Mar;103(6):919-930.
[5]
Ruggiero A, Squeglia F, Romano M, Vitagliano L, De Simone A, Berisio R.Structure and dynamics of the multi-domain resuscitation promoting factor RpfBfrom Mycobacterium tuberculosis. J Biomol Struct Dyn. 2017 May;35(6):1322-1330.
[6]
Ruggiero A, Squeglia F, Romano M, Vitagliano L, De Simone A, Berisio R. Thestructure of Resuscitation promoting factor B from M. tuberculosis revealsunexpected ubiquitin-like domains. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2016Feb;1860(2):445-51.
[7]
Squeglia F, Ruggiero A, Berisio R. Exit from mycobacterial dormancy: astructural perspective. Curr Med Chem. 2015;22(14):1698-709. Review. PubMedPMID: 25666798.
[8]
Correale S, Ruggiero A, Capparelli R, Pedone E, Berisio R. Structures offree and inhibited forms of the L,D-transpeptidase LdtMt1 from Mycobacterium tuberculosis.Acta Crystallogr D Biol Crystallogr. 2013 Sep;69(Pt 9):1697-706.
[9]
Ruggiero A, De Simone P, Smaldone G, Squeglia F, Berisio R. Bacterial celldivision regulation by Ser/Thr kinases: a structural perspective. Curr ProteinPept Sci. 2012 Dec;13(8):756-66. Review. PubMed PMID: 23305362; PubMed CentralPMCID: PMC3601408.
[10]
Squeglia F, Marchetti R, Ruggiero A, Lanzetta R, Marasco D, Dworkin J,Petoukhov M, Molinaro A, Berisio R, Silipo A. Chemical basis of peptidoglycandiscrimination by PrkC, a key kinase involved in bacterial resuscitation fromdormancy. J Am Chem Soc. 2011 Dec 28;133(51):20676-9.
[11]
Ruggiero A, Squeglia F, Marasco D, Marchetti R, Molinaro A, Berisio R.X-ray structural studies of the entire extracellular region of the serine/threoninekinase PrkC from Staphylococcus aureus. Biochem J. 2011 Apr 1;435(1):33-41.
[12]
Ruggiero A, Squeglia F, Pirone L, Correale S, Berisio R. Expression,purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic analysisof a major fragment of theresuscitation-promoting factor RpfB from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. ActaCrystallogr Sect F Struct Biol Cryst Commun. 2011 Jan 1;67(Pt 1):164-8.
[13]
Ruggiero A, Marasco D, Squeglia F, Soldini S, Pedone E, Pedone C, BerisioR. Structure and functional regulation of RipA, a mycobacterial enzymeessential for daughter cell separation. Structure. 2010 Sep 8;18(9):1184-90.
[14]
Ruggiero A, Tizzano B, Pedone E, Pedone C, Wilmanns M, Berisio R. Crystalstructure of the resuscitation-promoting factor (DeltaDUF)RpfB from M.tuberculosis.
J Mol Biol. 2009 Jan9;385(1):153-62.
| ▼ Evaluation of new molecular probes by preclinical imaging |
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