Research Groups
Neurobiology
Research Interests and Description
Research Interests
Mechanisms of neuronal differentiation, aging, genetic models of neurodegenerative diseases using Drosophila melanogaster.
Description of Research
Our Laboratory aims to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration in the most common neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s (AD) and Motor Neuron Diseases (MND). To find answers to these questions we utilize the fruit-fly Drosophila melanogaster, a simpler model organism that presents a remarkable genetic conservation with humans. Accordingly, we have recently focused our attention on the protein TDP-43 which appears pathologically modified in patients with familial and nonfamilial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We observed that alterations in Drosophila TDP-43 function recreates the principal symptoms of the human disease in flies by inducing progressive locomotive dysfunctions and reduced life span. Moreover, we found that the expression of the human protein in flies was able to rescue these phenotypes indicating that the regulatory activity of TDP-43 is well conserved in such evolutionary distant species. The laboratory is now using the genetic and molecular tools available in Drosophila to uncover the pathogenesis behind ALS and extending this approach to model complex human disorders.
Recent Publications
Godena, V.K., Romano, G., Romano, M., Appocher, C., Klima, R., Buratti, E., Baralle, F.E., Feiguin, F. 2011. TDP-43 Regulates Drosophila Neuromuscular Junctions Growth by Modulating futsch/MAP-1B Levels and Synaptic Microtubules Organization. PLoS ONE 11, 6 e17808 PubMed link
Feiguin, F., Godena, V.K., Romano, G., D'Ambrogio, A., Klima, R., Baralle, F.E. 2009. Depletion of TDP-43 affects Drosophila motoneurons terminal synapsis and locomotive behaviour. FEBS Lett 583, 1586-1592 PubMed link
Marcucci, R., Romano, M., Feiguin, F., O'Connell, M.A., Baralle, F.E. 2009. Dissecting the splicing mechanism of the Drosophila editing enzyme; dADAR. Nucleic Acids Res 37, 1663-1671 PubMed link
Herranz, H., Stamataki, E., Feiguin, F., Milan, M. 2006. Self-refinement of Notch activity through the transmembrane protein Crumbs: modulation of gamma-Secretase activity. EMBO Rep. 7, 297-302 PubMed link
Calderon de Anda, F., Pollarolo, G., Santos Da Silva, J., Camoletto, P., Feiguin, F., Dotti, C.G. 2005. Centrosome localization determines neuronal polarity. Nature 436, 704-708 PubMed link
