Marco Parenti

Marco Parenti - Full Professor


M_Parenti_DIMET Department and institution: Department of Health Sciences, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano Bicocca
email: marco.parenti@unimib.it
tel. +39 02 6448 8202
Curriculum Vitae
institutional profile page: UNIMIB
see also: ResearchGate, Linkedin, Facebook, BOA

Keywords: GPCR, G proteins, signal transduction, oxytocin, autism, pancreatic cancer

Risultati-esperimenti-TPgiustp

Research interests

    The main research interest of the laboratory has always been focused on the study of structural and functional properties of seven-transmembrane receptors (GPCRs) and their coupled heterotrimeric G proteins. Though the years several aspects of GPCR/G protein biology have been investigated, ranging from post-translational modifications to partitioning in membrane domains, receptor dimerization, and signaling. Currently, we study the oxytocin GPCR in relationship to synapse formation in the hippocampal neurons and the role of the heterotrimeric G15 protein in pancreatic cancer. Our experimental models are primary neuronal cultures or cell lines wild type or transfected with various cDNAs. We combine multiple techniques, such as biochemistry, cell and molecular biology, high-resolution imaging analysis using immunofluorescence and confocal biology, and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) proximity assay to detect protein-protein interactions in living cells.

Main topics of the group

    - Novel pharmacological targets for the treatment of autism spectrum disorders
    - Role of heterotrimeric G15 protein in pancreatic cancer

Current research projects

    - "Gαlpha15 in pancreatic cancer initiation and progression: exploring its potential as a marker and pharmacological target", AIRC, in collaboration with Dipartimento di Chirurgia, Università di Verona
    - "Social reward deficit as a possible pharmacological target in autism spectrum disorder", MIUR (pending), in collaboration with Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e dello Sviluppo, Università di Siena
    - "The endocannabinoid system as a possible pharmacological target for autism spectrum disorder: insights from the valproic acid model", Fondazione Cariplo (pending), in collaboration with Dipartimento di Biotecnologie e Scienze della Vita, Università dell'Insubria

Internal and external collaborators

Selected pubblications

    1) D. Lentini, F. Guzzi, F. Pimpinelli, R. Zaninetti, A. Cassetti, S. Coco, R. Maggi, M. Parenti. (2008). Polarization of caveolins and caveolae during migration of immortalized neurons. J Neurochem. 104: 514-523.
    (2) G. Innamorati, F. Giannone, F. Guzzi, G.E. Rovati, M.R. Accomazzo, B. Chini, E. Bianchi, M.V. Schiaffino, G. Tridente, M. Parenti (2009). Heterotrimeric G proteins demonstrate differential sensitivity to β-arrestin dependent desensitization. Cell. Signal. 21:1135-1142.
    (3) F. Fanelli, M. Mauri, V. Capra, F. Raimondi, F. Guzzi, M. Ambrosio, G. E. Rovati, M. Parenti (2011). Light on the structure of thromboxane A(2) receptor heterodimers. Cell. Mol. Life Sci. 68:3109-3120.
    (4) M. Sala, D. Braida, D. Lentini, M. Busnelli, E. Bulgheroni, V. Capurro, A. Finardi, A.Donzelli, L. Pattini, T. Rubino, D. Parolaro, K. Nishimori, M. Parenti, B. Chini (2011). Pharmacologic Rescue of Impaired Cognitive Flexibility, Social Deficits, Increased Aggression, and Seizure Susceptibility in Oxytocin Receptor Null Mice: A Neurobehavioral Model of Autism. Biol. Psychiat. 69:875-882.
    (5) M. Busnelli, M. Mauri, M. Parenti, B. Chini (2013). Analysis of GPCR dimerization using acceptor photobleaching FRET and BRET techniques. Methods Enzymol. 521:311-327.

    last update: January 2018