Personal Card



Anna Elisabetta Boccaccio

Research staff

Degree in Physics conferred by the Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Natural Sciences of the University of Genoa (1996), PhD in Physics at the Technical University of Munich, Germany (TUM, 2001).
From 1998 to 2001 PhD student at the Molecular and Cellular Neuropharmacology Group of the Max-Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany.
From 2002 to 2008 post-doc and later researcher at the Neurobiology sector of the International School of Advanced Studies (SISSA) of Trieste. From 2008 to 2010 post-doc senior at the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Genoa.
Researcher at the Institute of Biophysics in Genoa since 2010

orcid://0000-0002-6219-2285, ncbi://40667148

Contact:

- Email anna.boccaccio@ibf.cnr.it
- Phone +39-010-6475891
- Location Genova

Website:

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Anna_Boccaccio

Research interests:

- Study of the Ca2+-activated chloride channels and phospholipid scramblases of the TMEM16/Anoctamin family (Principal investigator)
- Characterization of LRRC8 volume regulated anion channels

Further collaborations:

- Anna Menini (SISSA, Trieste)
- Paola Pedarzani (UCL,London, UK)

Key publications:

Boccaccio A and Pusch M. TMEM16 Ca2+ activated Cl- channels and CLC chloride channels and transporters. In Handbook of Neuronal Ion Channels. Oxford University Press in press

Di Zanni E, Gradogna A, Scholz-Starke J, Boccaccio A. Gain of function of TMEM16E/ANO5 scrambling activity caused by a mutation associated with gnathodiaphyseal dysplasia. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences 2018 May;75(9):1657-1670. doi: 10.1007/s00018-017-2704-9

Pietra G, Dibattista M, Menini A, Reisert J, Boccaccio A. The Ca2+ -activated Cl- channel TMEM16B regulates action potential firing and axonal targeting in olfactory sensory neurons. The Journal of General Physiology 2016. Oct 148 (4) 293-311; doi: 10.1085/jgp.201611622

Cherian OL, Menini A and Boccaccio A* Multiple effects of anthracene-9-carboxylic acid on the TMEM16B/anoctamin2 calcium-activated chloride channel. Biochim Biophys Acta-Biomembrane.2015 Apr;1848(4):1005-13. doi:10.1016/j.bbamem.2015.01.009

Boccaccio A, Scholz-Starke J, Hamamoto S, Larisch N, Festa M, Gutla PV, Costa A, Dietrich P, Uozumi N, Carpaneto A. The phosphoinositide PI(3,5)P2 mediates activation of mammalian but not plant TPC proteins: functional expression of endolysosomal channels in yeast and plant cells. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences 2014 Apr 26. doi: 10.1007/s00018-014-1623-2.

Publications (33):

Functional Inhibitory Connections Modulate the Electrophysiological Activity Patterns of Cortical-Hippocampal Ensembles
Brofiga Martina, Pisano Marietta, Tedesco Mariateresa, Boccaccio Anna and Massobrio Paolo
Cerebral cortex (N. Y. N. Y., 1991), 2022
DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab318

Slow Inactivation of Sodium Channels Contributes to Short-Term Adaptation in Vomeronasal Sensory Neurons
Sarno Nicole, Hernandez-Clavijo Andres, Boccaccio Anna, Menini Anna and Pifferi Simone
ENeuro, 2022
DOI: 10.1523/ENEURO.0471-21.2022

Ca2+-Activated Chloride Channels and Phospholipid Scramblases
Pifferi Simone and Boccaccio Anna
International journal of molecular sciences (Online), 2022
DOI: 10.3390/ijms23042158

Phospholipid scrambling by a TMEM16 homolog of Arabidopsis thaliana
Boccaccio Anna, Picco Cristiana, Di Zanni Eleonora and Scholz-Starke Joachim
The FEBS journal (Print), 2022
DOI: 10.1111/febs.16279

The cyclic AMP signaling pathway in the rodent main olfactory system
Boccaccio A.; Menini A.; Pifferi S.
Cell & tissue research (Internet), 2021
DOI: 10.1007/s00441-020-03391-7

TMEM16E/ANO5 mutations related to bone dysplasia or muscular dystrophy cause opposite effects on lipid scrambling
Di Zanni Eleonora; Gradogna Antonella; Picco Cristiana; Scholz-Starke Joachim and Boccaccio Anna
Human mutation, 2020
DOI: 10.1002/humu.24006, Early Access Date = MAR 2020

Lifting the veils on TMEM16E function
Boccaccio A, Di Zanni E, Gradogna A, Scholz-Starke J
Channels (Austin Tex.), 2019
DOI: 10.1080/19336950.2018.1557470

Gain of function of TMEM16E/ANO5 scrambling activity caused by a mutation associated with gnathodiaphyseal dysplasia
Di Zanni E, Gradogna A, Scholz-Starke J, Boccaccio A
Cellular and molecular life sciences (Print. ed.), 2018
DOI: 10.1007/s00018-017-2704-9

Mechano-sensitization of mammalian neuronal networks through expression of the bacterial large-conductance mechanosensitive ion channel
Soloperto A, Boccaccio A, Contestabile A, Moroni M, Hallinan GI, Palazzolo G, Chad J, Deinhardt K, Carugo D, Difato F
Journal of cell science (Online), 2018
DOI: 10.1242/jcs.210393

Cisplatin activates volume sensitive LRRC8 channel mediated currents in Xenopus oocytes
Gradogna A.; Gaitan-Penas H.; Boccaccio A.; Estevez R.; Pusch M.
Channels (Austin Tex.), 2017
DOI: 10.1080/19336950.2017.1284717

The signaling lipid phosphatidylinositol-3,5-bisphosphate targets plant CLC-a anion/H exchange activity.
Carpaneto A, Boccaccio A, Lagostena L, Di Zanni E, Scholz-Starke J
EMBO reports (Print), 2017
DOI: 10.15252/embr.201643814

Subunit-dependent oxidative stress sensitivity of LRRC8 volume-regulated anion channels
Gradogna A, Gavazzo P, Boccaccio A, Pusch M
Journal of physiology (Lond., Print), 2017
DOI: 10.1113/JP274795

The long tale of the calcium activated Cl- channels in olfactory transduction
Dibattista M, Pifferi S, Boccaccio A, Menini A, Reisert J
Channels (Austin Tex.), 2017
DOI: 10.1080/19336950.2017.1307489

The Ca2+-activated Cl- channel TMEM16B regulates action potential firing and axonal targeting in olfactory sensory neurons
Pietra G, Dibattista M, Menini A, Reisert J, Boccaccio A
The Journal of general physiology, 2016
DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201611622

Conditional knockout of TMEM16A/anoctamin1 abolishes the calcium-activated chloride current in mouse vomeronasal sensory neurons
Amjad, Asma; Hernandez-Clavijo, Andres; Pifferi, Simone; Maurya, Devendra Kumar; Boccaccio, Anna; Franzot, Jessica; Rock, Jason; Menini, Anna
The Journal of general physiology, 2015
DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201411348

Circuit formation and function in the olfactory bulb of mice with reduced spontaneous afferent activity
Lorenzon, P.; Redolfi, N.; Podolsky, M.J.; Zamparo, I.; Franchi, S.A.; Pietra, G.; Boccaccio, A.; Menini, A.; Murthy, V.N.; Lodovichi, C.
The Journal of neuroscience, 2015
DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0613-14.2015

Multiple effects of anthracene-9-carboxylic acid on the TMEM16B/anoctamin2 calcium-activated chloride channel
Cherian, O.L., Menini, A., Boccaccio, A.
Biochimica et biophysica acta. Biomembranes, 2015
DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2015.01.009

The phosphoinositide PI(3,5)P-2 mediates activation of mammalian but not plant TPC proteins: functional expression of endolysosomal channels in yeast and plant cells.
Boccaccio, Anna; Scholz-Starke, Joachim; Hamamoto, Shin; Larisch, Nina; Festa, Margherita; Gutla, Paul Vijay Kanth; Costa, Alex; Dietrich, Petra; Uozumi, Nobuyuki; Carpaneto, Armando
Cellular and molecular life sciences (Print. ed.), 2014
DOI: 10.1007/s00018-014-1623-2

Interactions between permeation and gating in the TMEM16B/anoctamin2 calcium-activated chloride channel
Betto, Giulia; Cherian, O. Lijo; Pifferi, Simone; Cenedese, Valentina; Boccaccio, Anna; Menini, Anna
The Journal of general physiology, 2014
DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201411182

A Dynamical Feedback Model for Adaptation in the Olfactory Transduction Pathway
De Palo G; Boccaccio A; Miri A; Menini A; Altafini C
Biophysical journal (Print), 2012
DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2012.04.040

The Arabidopsis central vacuole as an expression system for intracellular transporters: functional characterization of the Cl-/H+ exchanger CLC-7
Costa A; Gutla PVK; Boccaccio A; Scholz-Starke J; Festa M; Basso B; Zanardi I; Pusch M; Lo Schiavo F; Gambale F; Carpaneto A
Journal of physiology (Lond., Print), 2012
DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.2012.230227

Modulation of plant TPC channels by polyunsaturated fatty acids
Gutla PV; Boccaccio A; De Angeli A; Gambale F; Carpaneto A
Journal of experimental botany, 2012
DOI: 10.1093/jxb/ers272

Flash Photolysis of Caged Compounds in the Cilia of Olfactory Sensory Neurons
Boccaccio A (1,2); Sagheddu C (1) and Menini A (1,3)
Journal of visualized experiments, 2011
DOI: 10.3791/3195

Calcium concentration jumps reveal dynamic ion selectivity of calcium-activated chloride currents in mouse olfactory sensory neurons and TMEM16b-transfected HEK 293T.
Sagheddu Claudia 1; Boccaccio Anna 1,2; Dibattista Michele 1;Montani Giorgia 3; Tirindelli Roberto 3; Menini Anna 1
Journal of physiology (Lond., Print), 2010
DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.2010.194407

Calcium-activated chloride currents in olfactory sensory neurons from mice lacking bestrophin-2
Pifferi Simone 1; Dibattista Michele 1; Sagheddu Claudia 1; Boccaccio Anna 1; Al Qteishat Ahmed 1; Ghirardi Filippo 2; Tirindelli Roberto 2; Menini Anna 1
Journal of physiology (Lond., Print), 2009
DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.2009.176131

Regulation of bestrophins by Ca2+: a theoretical and experimental study.
Kranjc Agata 1; Grillo Federico W. 1; Rievaj Juraj 1; Boccaccio Anna 1,2; Pietrucci Fabio 1; Menini Anna 1,2; Carloni Paolo 1,2; Anselmi Claudio 1,3
PloS one, 2009
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0004672

Temporal development of cyclic nucleotide-gated and Ca2+ -activated Cl- currents in isolated mouse olfactory sensory neurons.
Boccaccio Anna; Menini Anna
Journal of neurophysiology, 2007
DOI: 10.1152/jn.00270.2007

Electrophysiological properties and modeling of murine vomeronasal sensory neurons in acute slice preparations.
Shimazaki, Ranken 1 ; Boccaccio, Anna 1; Mazzatenta, Andrea 1; Pinato, Giulietta 1; Migliore, Michele 2 ; Menini, Anna 1
Chemical senses, 2006
DOI: 10.1093/chemse/bjj047

Bestrophin-2 is a candidate calcium-activated chloride channel involved in olfactory transduction.
Pifferi Simone 1; Pascarella Giovanni 1; Boccaccio Anna 1; Mazzatenta Andrea 1; Gustincich Stefano 1,2; Menini Anna 1; Zucchelli Silvia 1,2
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2006
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0604505103

Fast adaptation in mouse olfactory sensory neurons does not require the activity of phosphodiesterase.
Boccaccio Anna 1; Lagostena Laura 1; Hagen Volker 2; Menini Anna 1
The Journal of general physiology, 2006
DOI: 10.1085/jgp.200609555

Cyclic nucleotide-gated ion channels in sensory transduction.
Simone Pifferi, Simone; Boccaccio, Anna; Menini, Anna
The FEBS journal (Print), 2006
DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2006.03.086

Binding of kappa-conotoxin PVIIA to Shaker K+ channels reveals different K+ and Rb+ occupancies within the ion channel pore.
Boccaccio A., Conti F., Olivera B.M., Terlau H.
The Journal of general physiology, 2004
DOI: 10.1085/jgp.200409048

Olfaction: from odorant molecules to the olfactory cortex.
Menini, Anna; Lagostena, Laura; Boccaccio, Anna
News in physiological sciences, 2004
DOI: 10.1152/nips.1507.2003