Papers by Paolo Sassone-corsi
Febs Letters, 2005
Male germ cells specifically express paralogues of components of the general transcription appara... more Male germ cells specifically express paralogues of components of the general transcription apparatus including ALF a paralogue of TFIIAα/β. We show that endogenous ALF is proteolytically cleaved to give α- and β-subunits and we map the proteolytic cleavage site by mass spectrometry. Immunoprecipitations show that ALFα- and β-subunits form a series of homologous and heterologous complexes with somatic TFIIA which
Molecular Endocrinology, 2003
Spermatogenesis is a process whereby haploid spermatozoa differentiate through meiosis from precu... more Spermatogenesis is a process whereby haploid spermatozoa differentiate through meiosis from precursor stem cells. We examined the expression of circadian clock genes in the testis, to assess clock control over the timing of different develop- mental events. Clock genes are known to oscillate with circadian rhythmicity in the central clock structure, the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hy- pothalamus, but also
Bioinformatics (Oxford, England), Jan 6, 2015
Circadian oscillations have been observed in animals, plants, fungi, and cyanobacteria and play a... more Circadian oscillations have been observed in animals, plants, fungi, and cyanobacteria and play a fundamental role in coordinating the homeostasis and behavior of biological systems. Genetically encoded molecular clocks found in nearly every cell, based on negative transcription/translation feedback loops and involving only a dozen genes, play a central role in maintaining these oscillations. However, high-throughput gene expression experiments reveal that in a typical tissue, a much larger fraction (~ 10%) of all transcripts oscillate with the day-night cycle and the oscillating species vary with tissue type suggesting that perhaps a much larger fraction of all transcripts, and perhaps also other molecular species, may bear the potential for circadian oscillations. To better quantify the pervasiveness and plasticity of circadian oscillations, we conduct the first large-scale analysis aggregating the results of 18 circadian transcriptomic studies and 10 circadian metabolomic studies...
Molecular and cellular biology, 1995
Cyclin A is a pivotal regulatory protein which, in mammalian cells, is involved in the S phase of... more Cyclin A is a pivotal regulatory protein which, in mammalian cells, is involved in the S phase of the cell cycle. Transcription of the human cyclin A gene is cell cycle regulated. We have investigated the role of the cyclic AMP (cAMP)-dependent signalling pathway in this cell cycle-dependent control. In human diploid fibroblasts (Hs 27), induction of cyclin A gene expression at G1/S is stimulated by 8-bromo-cAMP and suppressed by the protein kinase A inhibitor H89, which was found to delay S phase entry. Transfection experiments showed that the cyclin A promoter is inducible by activation of the adenylyl cyclase signalling pathway. Stimulation is mediated predominantly via a cAMP response element (CRE) located at positions -80 to -73 with respect to the transcription initiation site and is able to bind CRE-binding proteins and CRE modulators. Moreover, activation by phosphorylation of the activators CRE-binding proteins and CRE modulator tau and levels of the inducible cAMP early re...
FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, 2014
Mammalian circadian control is determined by a central clock in the brain suprachiasmatic nucleus... more Mammalian circadian control is determined by a central clock in the brain suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) and synchronized peripheral clocks in other tissues. Increasing evidence suggests that SCN-independent regulation of peripheral clocks also occurs. We examined how activation of excitatory receptors influences the clock protein PERIOD 2 (PER2) in a contractile organ, the urinary bladder. PERIOD2::LUCIFERASE-knock-in mice were used to report real-time PER2 circadian dynamics in the bladder tissue. Rhythmic PER2 activities occurred in the bladder wall with a cycle of ∼ 24 h and peak at ∼ 12 h. Activation of the muscarinic and purinergic receptors by agonists shifted the peak to an earlier time (7.2 ± 2.0 and 7.2 ± 0.9 h, respectively). PER2 expression was also sensitive to mechanical stimulation. Aging significantly dampened PER2 expression and its response to the agonists. Finally, muscarinic agonist-induced smooth muscle contraction also exhibited circadian rhythm. These data iden...
Development (Cambridge, England), 2014
Sirtuins are NAD(+)-dependent deacylases that regulate numerous biological processes in response ... more Sirtuins are NAD(+)-dependent deacylases that regulate numerous biological processes in response to the environment. SirT1 is the mammalian ortholog of yeast Sir2, and is involved in many metabolic pathways in somatic tissues. Whole body deletion of SirT1 alters reproductive function in oocytes and the testes, in part caused by defects in central neuro-endocrine control. To study the function of SirT1 specifically in the male germ line, we deleted this sirtuin in male germ cells and found that mutant mice had smaller testes, a delay in differentiation of pre-meiotic germ cells, decreased spermatozoa number, an increased proportion of abnormal spermatozoa and reduced fertility. At the molecular level, mutants do not have the characteristic increase in acetylation of histone H4 at residues K5, K8 and K12 during spermiogenesis and demonstrate corresponding defects in the histone to protamine transition. Our findings thus reveal a germ cell-autonomous role of SirT1 in spermatogenesis.
Molecular Metabolism, 2014
Molecular Metabolism, 2014
The International Journal of Biochemistry & Cell Biology, 2001
Reproductive BioMedicine Online, 2004
Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology, 2009
Reproduction, 2004
Male germ-cell differentiation requires spermatogenic stage- and cell-specific gene expression th... more Male germ-cell differentiation requires spermatogenic stage- and cell-specific gene expression that is achieved by unique chromatin remodeling, transcriptional control and the expression of testis-specific genes or isoforms. Recent findings have shown that the testis has specialized transcription complexes that coordinate the differentiation program of spermatogenesis. There are male germ cell-specific differences in the components of the general transcription machinery. These include upregulated expression of the TATA-binding protein (TBP) family and its associated cofactors. Importantly, a member of the TBP family, TBP-like factor (TLF), has a distribution pattern that is dependent on the spermatogenic cycle and is essential for spermatogenesis. Interestingly TBP-associated factor (TAF7), a factor of the transcription factor (TF)IID complex, is exchanged at a critical stage in germ cell development for the testis-specific paralogue TAF7L. A compelling amount of data has established that cAMP-response-element modulator (CREM), a transcription factor responsive to the cAMP signal transduction pathway, drives expression of key testis-specific genes. In this review we summarize recent advances in the transcription machinery that is testis-specific, gene-selective and necessary for the process of spermatogenesis.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2005
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 1992
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Papers by Paolo Sassone-corsi