Autonomic Control of Cardiac Function

The lab is devoted to improving basic understandings of mechanisms that regulate intercellular communication between autonomic neurons and the cardiomyocytes. In particular, the role of sympathetic innervation is explored in the context of the physiology of cardiac function and trophism, and to understand its role in cardiovascular pathology. To this aim, methods used in the research span from molecular biology to cellular imaging to electrophysiology in vitro and in vivo

  People

Faculty

  • Marco MONGILLO - Associate Professor
  • Tania ZAGLIA - Assistant Professor

Lab Member

  • Valentina PRANDO - Research fellow
  • Giulia BORILE - PhD Student

  Five recent publications

  1. MiR-133 Modulates the β1Adrenergic Receptor Transduction Cascade. Castaldi A, Zaglia T, Di Mauro V, Carullo P, Viggiani G, Borile G, Di Stefano B, Schiattarella GG, Gualazzi MG, Elia L, Stirparo GG, Pironti G, Kunderfranco P, Colorito ML, Esposito G, Bang ML, Mongillo M, Condorelli GV, Catalucci D. Circ Res. 2014 May 9.
  2. Atrogin-1 deficiency promotes cardiomyopathy and premature death via impaired autophagy. Zaglia T, Milan G, Ruhs A, Franzoso M, Bertaggia E, Pianca N, Carpi A, Carullo P, Pesce P, Sacerdoti D, Sarais C, Catalucci D, Krüger M, Mongillo M, Sandri M. J Clin Invest. 2014 Jun 2;124(6):2410-24. doi: 10.1172/JCI66339.
  3. Cardiac sympathetic neurons provide trophic signal to the heart via β2-adrenoceptor-dependent regulation of proteolysis. Zaglia T, Milan G, Franzoso M, Bertaggia E, Pianca N, Piasentini E, Voltarelli VA, Chiavegato D, Brum PC, Glass DJ, Schiaffino S, Sandri M, Mongillo M.Cardiovasc Res. 2013 Feb 1;97(2):240-50. doi: 10.1093/cvr/cvs320.
  4. Bioinformatic and mutational analysis of channelrhodopsin-2 protein cation-conducting pathway. Plazzo AP, De Franceschi N, Da Broi F, Zonta F, Sanasi MF, Filippini F, Mongillo M. J Biol Chem. 2012 Feb 10;287(7):4818-25. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M111.326207.
  5. Leaky Ca2+ release channel/ryanodine receptor 2 causes seizures and sudden cardiac death in mice. Lehnart SE, Mongillo M, Bellinger A, Lindegger N, Chen BX, Hsueh W, Reiken S, Wronska A, Drew LJ, Ward CW, Lederer WJ, Kass RS, Morley G, Marks AR. J Clin Invest. 2008 Jun;118(6):2230-45. doi: 10.1172/JCI35346.

  Projects

  • European Commission FP7 EuTrigTreat: identification and targeting of common arrhythmia mechanisms (2009-2015)
  • Telethon Grant (GGP11224): novel optogenetic approach to target catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (2012-2015).