PhD: University of Rome, Italy, '92 Postdoc: CNRS, France, '91-'93 Postdoc : Harvard Univ, Cambridge US, '93-'94 Postdoc : EMBL, Germany, '94-'96 Associate Prof : University of Rome " Tor Vergata ", Italy, since 2002 VIB Group leader since 2008
Research interests
One of the big tasks in neurobiology is to understand how a neuronal cell can store previous experience and change its output accordingly: the basis of learning and memory. A crucial contribution comes from regulated local protein synthesis in the dendrites and axons of the neuronal cell. To understand how this process contributes to learning and memory processes, three broad questions have to be addressed: (i) How are the necessary components of the protein synthesis machinery transported to the dendrites/axons? (ii) What triggers local protein synthesis? (iii) What downstream processes are affected by regulated translation? My lab has extensively studied the molecular basis of the Fragile X syndrome (FXS) that is caused by the absence of the Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein, FMRP. FMRP is implicated in mRNA metabolism at synapses, and the study of the protein and of its mRNA offers a major inroad into the understanding of the learning and memory processes. We will use this approach further to obtain a complete understanding of the regulation of synaptic protein synthesis. Finally, Autistic Spectrum Disorder is linked to the Fragile X Syndrome; in fact, FXS is the monogenic Syndrome with the highest incidence of Autism. Both the Fragile X Syndrome and Autism are still without an effective cure. We will therefore use the knowledge obtained from these lines of research to identify, in collaboration with clinical researchers, possible pharmacological approaches and strategies.
Key Publications
Di Penta A, Mercaldo V, Florenzano F, Munck S, Ciotti MT, Zalfa F, Mercanti D, Molinari M, Bagni C and Achsel T (2009). Dendritic LSm1/CBP80-mRNPs mark the early steps of transport commitment and translational control. J. Cell Biol. 184: 423-435. Epub 2009 Feb 2.
Napoli I, Mercaldo V, Pilo Boyl P, Eleuteri B, Zalfa F, De Rubeis S, Di Marino D, Mohr E, Massimi M, Falconi M, Witke W, Costa-Mattioli M, Sonenberg N, Achsel T and Bagni C (2008). The Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein represses activity-dependent translation through CYFIP1, a new 4E-BP” Cell, 134: 1042-1054
Bagni C. On BC1 RNA and the fragile X mental retardation protein. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 105: E19. Epub 2008 Apr 15 - On FMRP and BC1: point-by-point response to Iacoangeli et al. 2008
Centonze D, Rossi S, Ferrari F, Napoli I, Lacoux C, Mercaldo V, Ciotti MT, De Chiara V, Prosperetti C, Calabresi P, Bernardi G and Bagni C (2007) “ The Brain cytoplasmic RNA BC1 regulates dopamine D2 receptor-mediated transmission in the striatum”. J. Neurosc., 27: 8885-8892.
Centonze D, Rossi S, Ferrari F, Napoli I, De Chiara V, Prosperetti C, Calabresi P, Bernardi G and Bagni C. (2007). “Abnormal striatal GABA transmission in the mouse model for the fragile X syndrome” Biological, Psychiatry, 63: 963-73. Epub 2007 Oct 29.Epub 2007 Oct 29.
Zalfa F., Eleuteri B., Dickson K.S., Mercaldo V., Di Penta A., Ragnoni S, De Rubeis S, Tabolacci E, Chiurazzi P, Neri G, Grant SG and Bagni C. (2007) “Regulation of PSD-95 mRNA stability: a new function for the Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein”. Nature Neurosci., 10: 578-587. Epub 2007 Apr 8.
Ferrari F, Mercaldo V, Piccoli G, Sala C, Cannata S, Achsel T and Bagni C. (2007) “The Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein-RNP granules show an mGluR dependent localization in the spines”. Mol. Cell. Neurosci., 34: 343-54. Epub 2007 Jan 23.
Restivo, L., Passino, E., Sgobio, C.A., Ferrari, F., Oostra, B., Bagni, C. and Ammassari-Teule*, M. (2005). “Environmental manipulations restore behavioural and neuronal morphology abnormalities in a mouse model of Fragile X Mental Retardation Sindrome”. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 102, 11557-11562.
Zalfa, F., Adinolfi, S., Napoli, I., Kuhn-Holsken, E., Urlaub, H., Achsel, T., Pastore, A. and Bagni, C. (2005). “FMRP binds specifically to the brain cytoplasmic RNAs BC1/BC200 via a novel RNA binding motif”. J. Biol. Chem. 280, 33403-33410.
Bagni, C., and Greenough, W.T. (2005) “From mRNP trafficking to spine dysmorphogenesis: the roots of fragile X syndrome” Nat. Rev. Neurosci. 5, 376-387.
