Institute of Protein Biochemistry, CNR.

Via P. Castellino, 111 - 80131 Napoli

2014 IBP Seminar Series

CNR Conference Room

Friday, April 4th, 2014 at 14:30

Prof. Loredano Pollegioni

Università degli Studi dell'Insubria, Varese, Italy

"Mechanisms of modulation of the cellular concentration of the neuromodulator D-serine: the hDAAO-pLG72 interaction"

Host: Antonio Varriale

Tel. 081-6132283; e-mail: a.varriale@ibp.cnr.it

The scientific career of Loredano Pollegioni focused, as a general topic, on the structure-function relationships in enzymatic proteins, as FAD-dependent oxidases. These enzymes have been investigated by using a multidisciplinary methodological approach: kinetic studies, reaction mechanism studies, structural studies, flavin reactivity and protein stability studies. This experience has been largely exploited in the field of protein biotechnology: flavooxidases, acylases and proteases have been employed as biocatalysts and as a pro-drug converter in cancer gene-therapy.
In the last years, the research activity focused on the evolution of enzymatic activities by using rational (site-directed mutagenesis) and directed evolution (random and site-saturation mutagenesis) methods, and in the investigation of human enzymes involved in pathologies and in important biochemical processes (DAAO, pLG72, proline oxidase: all related to schizophrenia susceptibility). These investigations allowed the production of new enzymatic activities and the characterization of human flavoenzymes. The DAAO enzymatic reaction has been also used for the production of a prototype biosensor for the analytical determination of D-amino acids (and recently to develop a microbiosensor for the determination of D-serine in the brain) and for the production of α-keto acids.
Loredano Pollegioni is Full Professor of Biochemistry, University of Insubria, Varese (Italy) and Director of the Research Center The Protein Factory – Politecnico of Milano, ICRM CNR Milano and University of Insubria, Member of the Editorial Board of FEBS Journal, Coordinator SIB group "Enzymology and Metabolic Regulation"
Prof. Loredano Pollegioni is author of more than 125 publications on main international journals in the field of Biochemistry, Molecular and Structural Biology and Biotechnology.

Seminar Coordinators:
Drr Maria Rosaria Coscia, Stefania Mariggiò
Institute of Protein Biochemistry, CNR
Via P. Castellino, 111
80131 Naples Italy
Tel 0039 081 6132556/545