Clara Musicco

Biography

"PRESENT POSITION March 2001 to date Permanent position as Researcher at Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche - Institute of Biomembranes and Bioenergetics – Bari. EDUCATION AND TRAINING March 1999 Degree of “Dottore di Ricerca in Biochimica e Biologia Molecolare” (Italian Graduate Degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology), at the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Bari, (four years course) with the final thesis entitled: “Purification and characterization of protein factors involved in sea urchin mitochondrial DNA metabolism”. July 21, 1994 “Laurea degree” in Biological Science (110/110 cum laude), at the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Bari, with a final experimental dissertation in Biological Chemistry entitled: “Characterization of a DNA-binding protein that binds double and single strand sequences of Paracentrotus lividus mitochondrial DNA”. May 2003 - June 2003 Stage in the Laboratory of Dr. Thierry Rabilloud at DRDC/BECP CEA - Grenoble (France). November 2001 Theoretic and Practical Course of Two-dimensional electrophoresis organized by Fondazione per le Biotecnologie at the Bioindustry Park of Canavese, Colleretto Giacosa (TO) 7-9 November 2001. June 1995 Course of ""Post-Translational Regulation of the Gene Expression"" Cortona, 19-21 June 1995"

Research Interest

In vitro and in vivo studies of mitochondrial DNA-binding proteins in sea urchin eggs and embryos: cloning of mtDBP (D-loop-binding protein) cDNA; identification of a mitochondrial DNA elicase activity; purification of a mitochondrial single-strand DNA-binding protein (mtSSB). In vivo footprinting experiments to study the regulatory regions of mtDNA in P. lividus eggs and embryos. - In vivo study of protein-DNA interactions in the TAS region of mitochondrial DNA in human and rat to investigate the mechanisms involved in the regulation of mtDNA copy number: footprinting experiments were performed in human fibroblasts and in rat liver mitochondria. - Cloning of mitochondrial DNA-binding proteins in Drosophila melanogaster. - Study of post-translational modification of the mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM) in liver of aged rat. - Study of the effect of acetyl-L-carnitine (ALCAR) dietary supplementation in the regulation of TFAM in rat hindlimb skeletal muscles. - Study of protein alterations in rat soleus muscle during unloading and of the effect of ALCAR supplementation by Differential In Gel Electrophoresis (DIGE) approach. - Study of rat liver mitochondrial proteome, by two-dimensional electrophoresis analysis, in normal and patho-physiological conditions. The differentially expressed proteins are identified by MALDI and nano ESI MS/MS mass spectrometry analysis at the laboratory of prof. Zolla (Tuscia University). Two-dimensional analysis has allowed to study a post-translational modification of peroxiredoxin 3, a protein belonging to the mitochondrial antioxidant system. "