Universitą degli studi di Pavia
Contenuto della pagina
Cappelletti's curriculum
Curriculum
Personal information
ELEONORA CAPPELLETTI
Date of birth: 15/12/1991
Address: Via Cremona 44/A, 46100 Mantova (MN), Italy
e-mail: eleonora.cappelletti01@universitadipavia.it
Phone: 3661790379
Education
September 2013 − July 2015: University of Pavia (Universitą degli Studi di Pavia), MSc in MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND GENETICS (110/110 cum laude). Experimental thesis: “Role of the mammalian CENP-B protein in the epigenetic establishment of centromeric chromatin” (Supervisor: Prof. Elena Giulotto; Co-supervisor: Dott. Maria Francesca Piras).
September 2010 − July 2013: University of Pavia (Universitą degli Studi di Pavia), BSc in Biological Sciences (Laurea in SCIENZE BIOLOGICHE, Curriculum: Scienze biomolecolari e genetiche) (110/110 cum laude). Experimental thesis: “Amplificazione, sequenziamento e analisi di frammenti di DNA del neocentromero evolutivo del cromosoma 16 di Equus asinus” (Supervisor: Dott. Solomon Nergadze; Co-supervisor: Prof. Elena Giulotto).
September 2005 − June 2010: Graduation in Scientific High School at Liceo scientifico “Belfiore”, Mantova (100/100).
Research activity
February 2013 (ongoing): Laboratory of MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR BIOLOGY (Prof. Elena Giulotto and Prof. Solomon Nergadze) at the Department of Biology and Biotecnology “Lazzaro Spallanzani”, University of Pavia.
Student tutoring experience
January 2014 (ongoing): Tutor for students of the Master Course “Molecular Biology and Genetics” (Supervisor: Prof. Elena Giulotto).
Languages
ITALIAN: mother tongue
ENGLISH: advanced (June 2010: First Certificate in English)
GERMAN: basic
Laboratory skills
Cell cultures of primary fibroblast (stabilization from skin biopsies) and human tumoral cells.
Routine bacterial culture manipulation.
DNA extraction and purification from different sources (mammalian or bacterial cell cultures, tissues).
PCR and qRT−PCR.
Cloning of exogenous DNA fragments into bacterial cells.
Protein extracts preparation (total, nuclear, cytoplasmic).
Western Blotting.
Slot Blot.
Immunofluorescence, FISH and immuno−FISH.
ChIP−seq.
EMSA.
Basic bioinformatic tools (NCBI, UCSC Genome Browser, Multalin, Tandem Repeat Finder, MEME Suite, ENSEMBL, Uniprot, BLAST, RepBase, Gene Ontology) e tools for NGS data analysis (Galaxy, IGV, Bowtie, MACS, R).
Computer skills
Windows and Mac OS operating systems (Word, LyX, Power Point, Excel, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, ImageJ, Terminal, 4Peaks). Basic user in C++ programming.
Publications
Abstracts
Nergadze SG, Cerutti F, Piras FM, Gamba G, Mazzagatti A, Corbo M, Badiale C, Cappelletti E, Raimondi E, Giulotto E. Functional organization of horse centromeres: a genome wide analysis. 2015. 11th Dorothy Russell Havemeyer Foundation International Equine Genome Mapping Workshop – Hannover.
Nergadze SG, Cerutti F, Gamba R, Piras FM, Mazzagatti A, Corbo M, Badiale C, Cappelletti E, McCarter J, Sullivan K, Raimondi E, Giulotto E. Functional organization of satellite-less equid centromeres. 2015. 10th European Cytogenetics Conference – Strasbourg.
Badiale C, Nergadze SG, Cerutti F, Gamba R, Piras FM, Mazzagatti A, Corbo M, Cappelletti E, McCarter J, Sullivan K, Raimondi E, Giulotto E. Epigenetic specification of the centromeric function in the absence of satellite DNA. 2015. SIBBM 2015 – Torino.
Research project
Role of the mammalian CENP-B protein in the epigenetic establishment of centromeric chromatin
The centromere is a specialized nucleoprotein structure of the eukaryotic chromosome whose role is ensuring proper segregation of sister chromatids during cell division. In centromeric chromatin, despite the evolutionary conservation of proteins, DNA sequences are highly variable. This paradox is now explained by the well-established knowledge that the centromeric function is epigenetically specified.
Although satellite DNA (highly repetitive DNA) is a common feature of mammalian centromeres, in our laboratory we proved that, in Equus species, several centromeres are completely satellite-free, thus representing a unique model for studying the organization, function and evolution of mammalian centromeres.
CENP-B is the only known centromeric protein that exhibits unequivocal DNA binding specificity, mediating the recognition of the so called CENP-B box, which represents the only common motif shared by the highly divergent centromeric satellites of these species. In spite of the extreme conservation of CENP-B and its binding site among mammals, the protein appears to be dispensable for centromere function. This “CENP-B paradox” is still an open issue and the role of CENP-B in centromere function remains unclear.
We plan to shed light on the role of the CENP-B protein in the epigenetic establishment of centromeric chromatin in mammals, taking advantage of the model system of the genus Equus, given the extraordinary plasticity of their centromeres. Indeed, the genus Equus provides us the opportunity of evaluating the association between CENP-B, satellites and centromeres in a system characterized by the coexistence of both satellite-associated and satellite-free centromeres.
Personal information
ELEONORA CAPPELLETTI
Date of birth: 15/12/1991
Address: Via Cremona 44/A, 46100 Mantova (MN), Italy
e-mail: eleonora.cappelletti01@universitadipavia.it
Phone: 3661790379
Education
September 2013 − July 2015: University of Pavia (Universitą degli Studi di Pavia), MSc in MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND GENETICS (110/110 cum laude). Experimental thesis: “Role of the mammalian CENP-B protein in the epigenetic establishment of centromeric chromatin” (Supervisor: Prof. Elena Giulotto; Co-supervisor: Dott. Maria Francesca Piras).
September 2010 − July 2013: University of Pavia (Universitą degli Studi di Pavia), BSc in Biological Sciences (Laurea in SCIENZE BIOLOGICHE, Curriculum: Scienze biomolecolari e genetiche) (110/110 cum laude). Experimental thesis: “Amplificazione, sequenziamento e analisi di frammenti di DNA del neocentromero evolutivo del cromosoma 16 di Equus asinus” (Supervisor: Dott. Solomon Nergadze; Co-supervisor: Prof. Elena Giulotto).
September 2005 − June 2010: Graduation in Scientific High School at Liceo scientifico “Belfiore”, Mantova (100/100).
Research activity
February 2013 (ongoing): Laboratory of MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR BIOLOGY (Prof. Elena Giulotto and Prof. Solomon Nergadze) at the Department of Biology and Biotecnology “Lazzaro Spallanzani”, University of Pavia.
Student tutoring experience
January 2014 (ongoing): Tutor for students of the Master Course “Molecular Biology and Genetics” (Supervisor: Prof. Elena Giulotto).
Languages
ITALIAN: mother tongue
ENGLISH: advanced (June 2010: First Certificate in English)
GERMAN: basic
Laboratory skills
Cell cultures of primary fibroblast (stabilization from skin biopsies) and human tumoral cells.
Routine bacterial culture manipulation.
DNA extraction and purification from different sources (mammalian or bacterial cell cultures, tissues).
PCR and qRT−PCR.
Cloning of exogenous DNA fragments into bacterial cells.
Protein extracts preparation (total, nuclear, cytoplasmic).
Western Blotting.
Slot Blot.
Immunofluorescence, FISH and immuno−FISH.
ChIP−seq.
EMSA.
Basic bioinformatic tools (NCBI, UCSC Genome Browser, Multalin, Tandem Repeat Finder, MEME Suite, ENSEMBL, Uniprot, BLAST, RepBase, Gene Ontology) e tools for NGS data analysis (Galaxy, IGV, Bowtie, MACS, R).
Computer skills
Windows and Mac OS operating systems (Word, LyX, Power Point, Excel, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, ImageJ, Terminal, 4Peaks). Basic user in C++ programming.
Publications
Abstracts
Nergadze SG, Cerutti F, Piras FM, Gamba G, Mazzagatti A, Corbo M, Badiale C, Cappelletti E, Raimondi E, Giulotto E. Functional organization of horse centromeres: a genome wide analysis. 2015. 11th Dorothy Russell Havemeyer Foundation International Equine Genome Mapping Workshop – Hannover.
Nergadze SG, Cerutti F, Gamba R, Piras FM, Mazzagatti A, Corbo M, Badiale C, Cappelletti E, McCarter J, Sullivan K, Raimondi E, Giulotto E. Functional organization of satellite-less equid centromeres. 2015. 10th European Cytogenetics Conference – Strasbourg.
Badiale C, Nergadze SG, Cerutti F, Gamba R, Piras FM, Mazzagatti A, Corbo M, Cappelletti E, McCarter J, Sullivan K, Raimondi E, Giulotto E. Epigenetic specification of the centromeric function in the absence of satellite DNA. 2015. SIBBM 2015 – Torino.
Research project
Role of the mammalian CENP-B protein in the epigenetic establishment of centromeric chromatin
The centromere is a specialized nucleoprotein structure of the eukaryotic chromosome whose role is ensuring proper segregation of sister chromatids during cell division. In centromeric chromatin, despite the evolutionary conservation of proteins, DNA sequences are highly variable. This paradox is now explained by the well-established knowledge that the centromeric function is epigenetically specified.
Although satellite DNA (highly repetitive DNA) is a common feature of mammalian centromeres, in our laboratory we proved that, in Equus species, several centromeres are completely satellite-free, thus representing a unique model for studying the organization, function and evolution of mammalian centromeres.
CENP-B is the only known centromeric protein that exhibits unequivocal DNA binding specificity, mediating the recognition of the so called CENP-B box, which represents the only common motif shared by the highly divergent centromeric satellites of these species. In spite of the extreme conservation of CENP-B and its binding site among mammals, the protein appears to be dispensable for centromere function. This “CENP-B paradox” is still an open issue and the role of CENP-B in centromere function remains unclear.
We plan to shed light on the role of the CENP-B protein in the epigenetic establishment of centromeric chromatin in mammals, taking advantage of the model system of the genus Equus, given the extraordinary plasticity of their centromeres. Indeed, the genus Equus provides us the opportunity of evaluating the association between CENP-B, satellites and centromeres in a system characterized by the coexistence of both satellite-associated and satellite-free centromeres.
