FASANO MAURO | Università degli studi dell'Insubria

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Mauro Fasano graduated in Chemistry in 1989 at the University of Torino working on NMR characterization of cell pigments. He later got the Doctorate degree (Chemical sciences, 1992) with a thesis on non-covalent interactions between small paramagnetic molecules and proteins. From 1992 to 2000 he was appointed to the position of Assistant Professor of general and inorganic chemistry at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Torino. In the period 1992-2000 Prof. Fasano worked on the characterization of metal ion centers in biomolecules by NMR spectroscopy. In particular, he investigated the solid-state structure of different melanin pigments including human mesencephalic melanin, and the NMR relaxometric properties of heme proteins. These two interests have been further developed in the forthcoming years.
Starting from 1st November 2000 he has been appointed as an Associate Professor of Biochemistry at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Insubria at Varese, being affiliated to the Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences. He was among the founders of the University outstation in Busto Arsizio establishing there the laboratory of Neuroproteomics and contributing to the development of the Biomedical research division. His research interests are mainly devoted to two main areas: i) characterization of the allosteric properties of human serum albumin and ii) biochemistry of metabolic stress pathways in neurodegenerative diseases. The latter aspect, being the predominant one, is in turn focused on two main objectives: a) understand molecular mechanisms leading to neurodegeneration to eventually block them by neuroprotective drugs, and b) discover and validate peripheral markers of the disease to allow early and differential diagnosis so that neuroprotective or neurorestorative strategies could be attempted. Both objectives are mainly pursued by means of proteomics techniques, where a first look by a global, hypothesis-free approach is followed by a bioinformatic screening of functional information available in the literature to end up in the generation of a new hypothesis to be confirmed experimentally by classical, hypothesis driven methodologies.
He has been a member of the postgraduate school of molecular and cellular biology of the University of Insubria (2004-2008), and since 2008 he is a member of the Board of Advisors of the postgraduate school of Neurobiology of the University of Insubria. Since 1998 he collaborates with the Biotechnology Foundation (www.fobiotech.org) in the National School of Bioinformatics where he still has teaching duties. He has been among the founders of the first Master School in Bioinformatics in Italy (www.masterbioinformatica.it).
His long-standing record of project- and group-leader is witnessed by the following main activities:
1997-98: local unit coordinator, CNR target project on Biotechnologies.
1998-2008: coordinator of the biochemistry and proteomics unit at the Bioindustry Park Canavese, Colleretto Giacosa (Torino).
2002-04: principal investigator in the project "DAOS - danno ossidativo nella malattia di Parkinson" funded by Fondazione Monzino, Milano. Objective: To understand molecular mechanisms of Parkinson's disease using a cell model of dopamine toxicity.
2004-05: principal investigator in the project "Metabolic changes in the neurodegenerative process at the basis of Parkinson's disease" funded by the ministry of Health. Objective: To understand molecular mechanisms of Parkinson's disease pathogenesis by differential proteomic analysis of mesencephalic tissue specimens from Parkinson's disease patients.
2006: principal investigator of the project "SIMBA - Silicon Innovative Monitors for Biological Applications" supported by EU (Interreg IIIc) and Regione Lombardia. Specific aim: to develop new technological platforms for low cost and high performance analysis of antibody arrays for peripheral biomarkers quantification.
2008-2012: team leader in the identification of biomarkers of Parkinson's disease in peripheral blood cells. The project is currently supported by a lay association (Italian Parkinson's association).
2010-2012: industrial research project ParIS (Parkinson Informative Systems) funded by Regione Autonoma Valle d'Aosta through collaborative project agreement with BioDigitalValley Srl for the development of a software for automatic detection of biomarkers of Parkinson's disease in plasma.
2011-2013: team leader in the project "A cellular model for mitochondrial impairment in Parkinson's disease" funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research.
Prof. Fasano has been past-president of the biological chemistry division of the Italian Chemical Society (2009-2011), member of the scientific board of the proteome chemistry group of the Italian Chemical Society (2009-2011), deputy-director of the Department of Structural and Functional Biology of the University of Insubria (2003-2011). He is currently coordinator of the biotechnology group of the Italian Chemical Society (2011-2013), deputy-director of the Center of NeuroScience of the University of Insubria (2009-2012), member of the scientific advisory board of the Italian Proteome Association (2010-2012 and 2013-2015). Moreover, he is member of the Italian League against Parkinson's Disease, of the Italian NMR Discussion Group, of the Human Proteome Organization and of the Italian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. He has been member of scientific committees of several national and international conferences including the World Chemistry Congress (Torino, 2007) as the scientific coordinator of the Biological Chemistry session.
He acted as reviewer for several journals in the fields of proteomics and neuroscience, such as Journal of Proteomics, Journal of Proteome Research, Proteomics, Proteome Science, Parkinsonism and Related Disorders, Biochimica et Biophysica Acta – Molecular Basis of Disease, Biochimica et Biophysica Acta – Proteins and Proteomics, FEBS Journal, Expert Reviews of Proteomics, Neuroscience Letters, Journal of Neurochemistry, Neurobiology of Aging, Neurobiology of Disease, Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, Future Neurology, Expert Reviews of Neurotherapeutics, Brain Research, Cell Research, Journal of Neuroscience, Scientific Reports.
He is author of about 125 papers on peer-reviewed international journals, as well as books, edited books, e-books, articles in encyclopedias. He received more than 3300 citations, with h-index = 29 (Sources: ISI Web of Knowledge and Scopus).

Portale IRInSubria

Pubblicazioni in evidenza

Recent Papers (2013-2008)

Ascenzi P, di Masi A, Leboffe L, Alberio T, Fanali G, Fasano M. Molecular phylogenetic analyses of albuminoids reveal the molecular evolution of allosteric properties. IUBMB Life. 2013.

Bocedi A, De Sanctis G, Ciaccio C, Tundo GR, Di Masi A, Fanali G, Nicoletti FP, Fasano M, Smulevich G, Ascenzi P, Coletta M. Reciprocal allosteric modulation of carbon monoxide and warfarin binding to ferrous human serum heme-albumin. PLoS One. 2013; 8:e58842.

Falvella FS, Alberio T, Noci S, Santambrogio L, Nosotti M, Incarbone M, Pastorino U, Fasano M, Dragani TA. Multiple isoforms and differential allelic expression of CHRNA5 in lung tissue and lung adenocarcinoma. Carcinogenesis. 2013.

Alberio T, Bucci EM, Natale M, Bonino D, Di Giovanni M, Bottacchi E, Fasano M. Parkinson's disease plasma biomarkers: An automated literature analysis followed by experimental validation. J Proteomics. 2013.

Fanali G, Fasano M, Ascenzi P, Zingg JM, Azzi A. α-Tocopherol binding to human serum albumin. Biofactors. 2013.

Alberio T, Pippione AC, Zibetti M, Olgiati S, Cecconi D, Comi C, Lopiano L, Fasano M. Discovery and verification of panels of T-lymphocyte proteins as biomarkers of Parkinson's disease. Sci Rep. 2012; 2:953.

Alberio T, Pippione AC, Comi C, Olgiati S, Cecconi D, Zibetti M, Lopiano L, Fasano M. Dopaminergic therapies modulate the T-CELL proteome of patients with Parkinson's disease. IUBMB Life. 2012; 64:846-52.

Fanali G, Cao Y, Ascenzi P, Fasano M. Mn(II) binding to human serum albumin: A (1)H-NMR relaxometric study. J Inorg Biochem. 2012; 117:198-203.

Ascenzi P, Fasano M. Pseudo-enzymatic hydrolysis of 4-nitrophenyl myristate by human serum albumin. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2012; 422:219-23.

Ascenzi P, Gioia M, Fanali G, Coletta M, Fasano M. Pseudo-enzymatic hydrolysis of 4-nitrophenyl acetate by human serum albumin: pH-dependence of rates of individual steps. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2012; 424:451-5.

Fanali G, Ascenzi P, Bernardi G, Fasano M. Sequence analysis of serum albumins reveals the molecular evolution of ligand recognition properties. J Biomol Struct Dyn. 2012; 29:691-701.

Urbani A, Modesti A, Timperio AM, Bini L, Castagnola M, Fasano M, Roncada P. Integrative proteomics: perspective in complex system interpretation. Mol Biosyst. 2012; 8:951-2.

Alberio T, Lopiano L, Fasano M. Cellular models to investigate biochemical pathways in Parkinson's disease. FEBS J. 2012; 279:1146-55.

Fasano M. Biochemistry of Parkinson's disease--insights from cellular models, animal models and human tissue specimens obtained by autopsy. FEBS J. 2012; 279:1145.

Fanali G, di Masi A, Trezza V, Marino M, Fasano M, Ascenzi P. Human serum albumin: from bench to bedside. Mol Aspects Med. 2012; 33:209-90.

Alberio T, Fasano M. Proteomics in Parkinson's disease: An unbiased approach towards peripheral biomarkers and new therapies. J Biotechnol. 2011; 156:325-37.

Cao Y, Nicoletti FP, De Sanctis G, Bocedi A, Ciaccio C, Gullotta F, Fanali G, Tundo GR, di Masi A, Fasano M, Smulevich G, Ascenzi P, Coletta M. Evidence for pH-dependent multiple conformers in iron(II) heme-human serum albumin: spectroscopic and kinetic investigation of carbon monoxide binding. J Biol Inorg Chem. 2012; 17:133-47.

Ascenzi P, Cao Y, Tundo GR, Coletta M, Fanali G, Fasano M. Ibuprofen and warfarin modulate allosterically ferrous human serum heme-albumin nitrosylation. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2011; 411:185-9.

Fanali G, Cao Y, Ascenzi P, Trezza V, Rubino T, Parolaro D, Fasano M. Binding of δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol and diazepam to human serum albumin. IUBMB Life. 2011; 63:446-51.

Alberio T, Anchieri C, Piacentini L, Gentile G, Simmaco M, Biasin M, Fasano M. Proteomic characterization of Jurkat T leukemic cells after dopamine stimulation: A model of circulating dopamine-sensitive cells. Biochimie. 2011; 93:892-8.

Urbani A, Modesti A, Timperio AM, Bini L, Castagnola M, Fasano M, Roncada P. Proteomics and renaissance: accounts of the V Italian Proteomics Association Congress, Florence 2010. Mol Biosyst. 2011; 7:577-8.

Ascenzi P, Gullotta F, Gioia M, Coletta M, Fasano M. O(2)-mediated oxidation of ferrous nitrosylated human serum heme-albumin is limited by nitrogen monoxide dissociation. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2011
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21296054.

di Masi A, Gullotta F, Bolli A, Fanali G, Fasano M, Ascenzi P. Ibuprofen binding to secondary sites allosterically modulates the spectroscopic and catalytic properties of human serum heme-albumin. FEBS J. 2011; 278:654-62.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21205199.

Ascenzi P, Bolli A, Gullotta F, Fanali G, Fasano M. Drug binding to Sudlow's site I impairs allosterically human serum heme-albumin-catalyzed peroxynitrite detoxification. IUBMB Life. 2010; 62:776-80.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20979209.

Alberio T, Bossi AM, Milli A, Parma E, Gariboldi MB, Tosi G, Lopiano L, Fasano M. Proteomic analysis of dopamine and α-synuclein interplay in a cellular model of Parkinson's disease pathogenesis. FEBS J. 2010; 277:4909-19.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20977677.

Ascenzi P, Bolli A, di Masi A, Tundo GR, Fanali G, Coletta M, Fasano M. Isoniazid and rifampicin inhibit allosterically heme binding to albumin and peroxynitrite isomerization by heme-albumin. J Biol Inorg Chem. 2010.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20865291.

Alberio T, Colapinto M, Natale M, Ravizza R, Gariboldi MB, Bucci EM, Lopiano L, Fasano M. Changes in the two-dimensional electrophoresis pattern of the Parkinson's disease related protein DJ-1 in human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells after dopamine treatment. IUBMB Life. 2010.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20836127.

Bolli A, Marino M, Rimbach G, Fanali G, Fasano M, Ascenzi P. Flavonoid binding to human serum albumin. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2010; 398: 444-449.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20599706.

Ascenzi P, Cao Y, di Masi A, Gullotta F, De Sanctis G, Fanali G, Fasano M, Coletta M. Reductive nitrosylation of ferric human serum heme-albumin. FEBS J. 2010; 277:2474-2485.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20456498.

Fanali G, Rampoldi V, di Masi A, Bolli A, Lopiano L, Ascenzi P, Fasano M. Binding of anti-Parkinson's disease drugs to human serum albumin is allosterically modulated. IUBMB Life. 2010; 62: 371-376.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20225277.

Natale M, Bonino D, Consoli P, Alberio T, Ravid RG, Fasano M, Bucci EM. A meta-analysis of two-dimensional electrophoresis pattern of the Parkinson's disease-related protein DJ-1. Bioinformatics. 2010; 26: 946-952.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20172943.

Ascenzi P, Fasano M. Allostery in a monomeric protein: The case of human serum albumin. Biophys Chem. 2010; 148: 16-22.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20346571.

Ascenzi P, Fasano M. Serum heme-albumin: an allosteric protein. IUBMB Life. 2009; 61: 1118-1122.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19946891.

Ascenzi P, di Masi A, Coletta M, Ciaccio C, Fanali G, Nicoletti FP, Smulevich G, Fasano M. Ibuprofen impairs allosterically peroxynitrite isomerization by ferric human serum heme-albumin. J Biol Chem. 2009; 284: 31006-31017.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19734142.

Ascenzi P, di Masi A, De Sanctis G, Coletta M, Fasano M. Ibuprofen modulates allosterically NO dissociation from ferrous nitrosylated human serum heme-albumin by binding to three sites. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2009; 387: 83-6.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19559669.

Baroni S, Pariani G, Fanali G, Longo D, Ascenzi P, Aime S, Fasano M. Thermodynamic analysis of hydration in human serum heme-albumin. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2009; 385: 385-9.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19464261.

Rubino T, Realini N, Braida D, Alberio T, Capurro V, Viganò D, Guidali C, Sala M, Fasano M, Parolaro D. The depressive phenotype induced in adult female rats by adolescent exposure to THC is associated with cognitive impairment and altered neuroplasticity in the prefrontal cortex. Neurotox Res. 2009; 15: 291-302.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19384563.

Fanali G, Pariani G, Ascenzi P, Fasano M. Allosteric and binding properties of Asp1-Glu382 truncated recombinant human serum albumin--an optical and NMR spectroscopic investigation. FEBS J. 2009; 276:2241-2250.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19298387.

Willems P, Magri V, Cretnik M, Fasano M, Jakubowska A, Levanat S, Lubinski J, Marras E, Musani V, Thierens H, Vandersickel V, Perletti G, Vral A. Characterization of the c.190T>C missense mutation in BRCA1 codon 64 (Cys64Arg). Int J Oncol. 2009; 34: 1005-1015.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19287957.

Mila S, Giuliano Albo A, Corpillo D, Giraudo S, Zibetti M, Bucci EM, Lopiano L, Fasano M. Lymphocyte proteomics of Parkinson's disease patients reveals cytoskeletal protein dysregulation and oxidative stress. Biomarkers Med. 2009; 3: 117-128.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20477505.

Fanali G, De Sanctis G, Gioia M, Coletta M, Ascenzi P, Fasano M. Reversible two-step unfolding of heme-human serum albumin: a (1)H-NMR relaxometric and circular dichroism study. J Biol Inorg Chem. 2009; 14: 209-217.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18936983.

Fasano M, Alberio T, Lopiano L. Peripheral biomarkers of Parkinson's disease as early reporters of central neurodegeneration. Biomarkers Med. 2008; 2: 465-78.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20477424.

Nicoletti FP, Howes BD, Fittipaldi M, Fanali G, Fasano M, Ascenzi P, Smulevich G. Ibuprofen induces an allosteric conformational transition in the heme complex of human serum albumin with significant effects on heme ligation. J Am Chem Soc. 2008; 130: 11677-88.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18681435.

Ascenzi P, Imperi F, Coletta M, Fasano M. Abacavir and warfarin modulate allosterically kinetics of NO dissociation from ferrous nitrosylated human serum heme-albumin. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2008; 369: 686-91.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18307975.

Fasano M, Lopiano L. Alpha-synuclein and Parkinson's disease: a proteomic view. Expert Rev Proteomics. 2008; 5: 239-48.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18466054.

Fasano M, Alberio T, Colapinto M, Mila S, Lopiano L. Proteomics as a tool to investigate cell models for dopamine toxicity. Parkinsonism Relat Disord. 2008; 14 Suppl 2: S135-8.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18585082.