Silvia Barabino

Silvia Barabino - Associate Professor


Department and institution: Biotechnology and Biosciences Department, University of Milano Bicocca
silvia.barabino@unimib.it
tel. +39 02 6448 3052
Curriculum Vitae
lab's website: Silvia Barabino Research Group
institutional profile page: UNIMIB and Biotechnology and Biosciences Department
see also: PubMed, BOA

Keywords: Neurons and glial cells

Research interests:

    Genetic regulation of gene expression involves a complex network of interactions not only at the level of transcription but also at the levels of mRNA processing, export and quality control. In higher metazoans, most protein-coding genes are transcribed as primary transcripts (pre-mRNAs) that are composed of several coding exons, separated by intervening regions (introns). The maturation of pre-mRNAs (pre-mRNA splicing and 3’ end polyadenylation) constitutes a critical step for the regulation of gene expression. During RNA splicing cells may remove and splice together different segments of RNA from the same gene, resulting in alternatively spliced gene products. In many cases, the alternative spliced products can have very different biological effects. Moreover, defects in the splicing process play a central role in many human diseases. Finally, correct processing is essential for the export and the subsequent translation of mRNAs in the cytoplasm.

    Our work concentrates on the roles of the SR family of proteins in the regulation of AS and in mRNA export. We are particularly interested in the mechanisms of regulation of AS in response to oxidative stress. Oxidative stress has been implicated in several human diseases including neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. Alterations in gene expression induced by cellular stress such as oxidative stress are mediated through the interplay of multiple signal transduction pathways. AS can be regulated by cellular signaling pathways and both the activity and the intracellular distribution of SR proteins can be affected by their phosphorylation status. We have established a system where we can stimulate cells and test changes both in splicing regulatory proteins and in the splicing pattern of several pre-mRNAs.

Recent Publications
Full list on BOA
see also: PubMed

  • Fontana, G., Rigamonti, A., Lenzken, S., Filosa, G., Alvarez, R., Calogero, R., et al. (2016).
    Oxidative stress controls the choice of alternative last exons via a Brahma-BRCA1-CstF pathway.
    NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH, 45(2), 902-914.     MORE

  • Reber, S., Stettler, J., Filosa, G., Colombo, M., Jutzi, D., Lenzken, S., et al. (2016).
    Minor intron splicing is regulated by FUS and affected by ALS-associated FUS mutants.
    EMBO JOURNAL, e201593791.     MORE

  • Loffreda, A., Rigamonti, A., Barabino, S., & Lenzken, S. (2015).
    RNA-Binding Proteins in the Regulation of miRNA Activity: A Focus on Neuronal Functions.
    BIOMOLECULES, 5(4), 2363-2387.     MORE

    • last update: May 2018 ( #BarabinoLab_BtBs )