Alessandra Picollo

Research staff

Since 2017: Researcher, Institute of Biophysics, CNR, Genova, Italy
2015-2017: Assistant Telethon Scientist, Dulbecco Telethon Institute, Genova, Italy
2010-2015 Post-doc, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, USA
2007-2010 Post-doc, University of Iowa, Iowa city, USA
2006-2007 Collaborator, Institute of Biophysics, CNR, Genova, Italy
2003-2006 PhD at CNR - Institute of Biophysics and University of Genova
2002 Degree in Physics at University of Genova, Italy

My work is focused on the structure function investigation of ion channels and transporters to better understand their role in the manifestation of genetic disorders associated to alterations in these proteins, using electrophysiological and biochemical approaches.

orcid://0000-0003-2980-7951, ncbi://56650231

Contact:

- Email alessandra.picollo@ibf.cnr.it
- Phone +39-010-6475649
- Location Genova

Website:

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Alessandra-Picollo

Research interests:

- Functional and structural studies of human CLC protein complexes involved in genetic diseases (Principal investigator)
- Quantitative single molecule localizations of channel proteins by using fluorescence super resolution tecniques
- Neurotoxic effect of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)
- Synaptic transmission and plasticity

Further collaborations:

- Walter Rocchia, PI Concept lab (Istituto Italiano di tecnologia, IIT): Innovation Ecosystem RAISE “ Robotics and AI for Socio-economic Empowerment". Data and Simulation Integrated Biomolecular Digital Twin Platform for Precision Medicine
- Ulderico Fugacci (Istituto di Matematica Applicata e Tecnologie Informatiche, IMATI-CNR)): Innovation Ecosystem RAISE “ Robotics and AI for Socio-economic Empowerment". Data and Simulation Integrated Biomolecular Digital Twin Platform for Precision Medicine
- Cristina D'arrigo (Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche “Giulio Natta”, SCITEC-CNR)): Innovation Ecosystem RAISE “ Robotics and AI for Socio-economic Empowerment". Data and Simulation Integrated Biomolecular Digital Twin Platform for Precision Medicine
- Vera Kalscheuer, Max-Planck Institut, Berlin: CLCN4 related intellectual disability
- Emma Palmer, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney: CLCN4 related intellectual disability
- Cristina Sobacchi (Istituto di Ricerca Genetica e Biomendica, IRGB-CNR): CLC-7 and osteropetrosis

Financial support:

- Innovation Ecosystem RAISE “ Robotics and AI for Socio-economic Empowerment"
- Functional and structural studies of human CLC chloride proteins involved in genetic disease. TCP14008 Dulbecco Telethon Career Award.

Key publications:

Di Zanni E, Palagano E, Lagostena L, Strina D, Rehman A, Abinun M, De Somer L, Martire B, Brown J, Kariminejad A, Balasubramaniam S, Baynam G, Gurrieri F, Pisanti MA, De Maggio I, Abboud MR, Chiesa R, Burren CP, Villa A, Sobacchi C, Picollo A. Pathobiologic Mechanisms of Neurodegeneration in Osteopetrosis Derived From Structural and Functional Analysis of 14 ClC-7 Mutants. J Bone Miner Res. 2021 Mar;36(3):531-545. doi: 10.1002/jbmr.4200. Epub 2020 Nov 29. PubMed PMID: 33125761.

Lagostena L, Zifarelli G, Picollo A. New Insights into the Mechanism of NO3- Selectivity in the Human Kidney Chloride Channel ClC-Ka and the CLC Protein Family. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2019 Feb;30(2):293-302. doi: 10.1681/ASN.2018060593. Epub 2019 Jan 11. PubMed PMID: 30635372; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6362620.

Terashima H*, Picollo A* and Accardi A. (2013). Purified TMEM16A is sufficient to form Ca2+ activated Cl- channels. PNAS 110:19354-9

Picollo A, Malvezzi M , Houtman J and Accardi A. (2009). Basis of substrate binding and conservation of selectivity in the CLC family of channels and transporters. Nat Struct Mol Biol. 16:1294-301

Picollo A and Pusch M. (2005). Chloride/proton antiporter activity of mammalian CLC proteins ClC-4 and ClC-5. Nature. 21, 420-3.

Publications (24):

Functional and clinical studies reveal pathophysiological complexity of CLCN4-related neurodevelopmental condition
Palmer, Elizabeth E.; Pusch, Michael; Picollo, Alessandra; Forwood, Caitlin; Nguyen, Matthew H.; Suckow, Vanessa; Gibbons, Jessica; Hoff, Alva; Sigfrid, Lisa; Megarbane, Andre; Nizon, Mathilde; Cogne, Benjamin; Beneteau, Claire; Alkuraya, Fowzan S.; Chedrawi, Aziza; Hashem, Mais O.; Stamberger, Hannah; Weckhuysen, Sarah; Vanlander, Arnaud; Ceulemans, Berten; Rajagopalan, Sulekha; Nunn, Kenneth; Arpin, Stephanie; Raynaud, Martine; Motter, Constance S.; Ward-Melver, Catherine; Janssens, Katrien; Meuwissen, Marije; Beysen, Diane; Dikow, Nicola; Grimmel, Mona; Haack, Tobias B.; Clement, Emma; McTague, Amy; Hunt, David; Townshend, Sharron; Ward, Michelle; Richards, Linda J.; Simons, Cas; Costain, Gregory; Dupuis, Lucie; Mendoza-Londono, Roberto; Dudding-Byth, Tracy; Boyle, Jackie; Saunders, Carol; Fleming, Emily; El Chehadeh, Salima; Spitz, Marie-Aude; Piton, Amelie; Gerard, Benedicte; Warde, Marie-Therese Abi; Rea, Gillian; McKenna, Caoimhe; Douzgou, Sofia; Banka, Siddharth; Akman, Cigdem; Bain, Jennifer M.; Sands, Tristan T.; Wilson, Golder N.; Silvertooth, Erin J.; Miller, Lauren; Lederer, Damien; Sachdev, Rani; Macintosh, Rebecca; Monestier, Olivier; Karadurmus, Deniz; Collins, Felicity; Carter, Melissa; Rohena, Luis; Willemsen, Marjolein H.; Ockeloen, Charlotte W.; Pfundt, Rolph; Kroft, Sanne D.; Field, Michael; Laranjeira, Francisco E. R.; Fortuna, Ana M.; Soares, Ana R.; Michaud, Vincent; Naudion, Sophie; Golla, Sailaja; Weaver, David D.; Bird, Lynne M.; Friedman, Jennifer; Clowes, Virginia; Joss, Shelagh; Polsler, Laura; Campeau, Philippe M.; Blazo, Maria; Bijlsma, Emilia K.; Rosenfeld, Jill A.; Beetz, Christian; Powis, Zoe; McWalter, Kirsty; Brandt, Tracy; Torti, Erin; Mathot, Mikael; Mohammad, Shekeeb S.; Armstrong, Ruth; Kalscheuer, Vera M.
Molecular psychiatry, 2022
DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01852-9

Pathobiologic Mechanisms of Neurodegeneration in Osteopetrosis Derived from Structural and Functional Analysis of 14 ClC-7 Mutants
Eleonora Di Zanni, Eleonora Palagano, Laura Lagostena, Dario Strina , Asma Rehman, Mario Abinun, Lien De Somer, Baldassarre Martire, Justin Brown, Ariana Kariminejad, Shanti Balasubramanian, Gareth Baynam, Fiorella Gurrieri, Maria A Pisanti, Ilaria De Maggio, Miguel R Abboud, Robert Chiesa, Christine P Burren, Anna Villa, Cristina Sobacchi, Alessandra Picollo
Journal of bone and mineral research, 2021
DOI: 10.1002/jbmr.4200

New Insights into the Mechanism of NO3 - Selectivity in the Human Kidney Chloride Channel ClC-Ka and the CLC Protein Family
Lagostena L, Zifarelli G, Picollo A
Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, 2019
DOI: 10.1681/ASN.2018060593

TMEM16 proteins: Unknown structure and confusing functions
Picollo, Alessandra; Malvezzi, Mattia; Accardi, Alessio; Accardi, Alessio; Accardi, Alessio
Journal of Molecular Biology, 2015
DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2014.09.028

Conformational changes required for H+/Cl- exchange mediated by a CLC transporter
Basilio, Daniel; Noack, Kristin; Picollo, Alessandra; Accardi, Alessio
Nature structural & molecular biology, 2014
DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.2814

Purified TMEM16A is sufficient to form Ca2+-activated Cl- channels
Terashima, Hiroyuki; Picollo, Alessandra; Accardi, Alessio
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2013
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1312014110

Ca2+-dependent phospholipid scrambling by a reconstituted TMEM16 ion channel
Malvezzi Mattia; Chalat Madhavan; Janjusevic Radmila; Picollo Alessandra; Terashima Hiroyuki; Menon Anant K.; Accardi Alessio
Nature communications, 2013
DOI: 10.1038/ncomms3367

Synergistic substrate binding determines the stoichiometry of transport of a prokaryotic H+/Cl- exchanger
Picollo, Alessandra; Xu, Yanyan; Johner, Niklaus; Berneche, Simon; Accardi, Alessio
Nature structural & molecular biology, 2012
DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.2277

PIP2-Mediated HCN3 Channel Gating Is Crucial for Rhythmic Burst Firing in Thalamic Intergeniculate Leaflet Neurons
Ying, Shui-Wang; Tibbs, Gareth R.; Picollo, Alessandra; Abbas, Syed Y.; Sanford, R. Lea; Accardi, Alessio; Hofmann, Franz; Ludwig, Andreas; Goldstein, Peter A.
The Journal of neuroscience, 2011
DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0021-11.2011

A regulatory calcium-binding site at the subunit interface of CLC-K kidney chloride channels
Gradogna A, Babini E, Picollo A, Pusch M
The Journal of general physiology, 2010
DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201010455

Identification of sites responsible for the potentiating effect of niflumic acid on ClC-Ka kidney chloride channels.
Zifarelli G, Liantonio A, Gradogna A, Picollo A, Gramegna G, De Bellis M, Murgia AR, Babini E, Camerino DC, Pusch M
British journal of pharmacology, 2010
DOI: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.2010.00822.x

Proton block of the CLC-5 Cl-/H+ exchanger
Picollo, Alessandra; Malvezzi, Mattia; Accardi, Alessio
The Journal of general physiology, 2010
DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201010428

CLC channels and transporters: Proteins with borderline personalities
Accardi, Alessio; Picollo, Alessandra
Biochimica et biophysica acta. Biomembranes, 2010
DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2010.02.022

Basis of substrate binding and conservation of selectivity in the CLC family of channels and transporters
Picollo, Alessandra; Malvezzi, Mattia; Houtman, Jon C. D.; Accardi, Alessio
Nature structural & molecular biology (Online), 2009
DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.1704

Molecular switch for CLC-K Cl- channel block/activation: Optimal pharmacophoric requirements towards high-affinity ligands
Liantonio A1, Picollo A, Carbonara G, Fracchiolla G, Tortorella P, Loiodice F, Laghezza A, Babini E, Zifarelli G, Pusch M, Camerino DC
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2008
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0708977105

Niflumic acid inhibits chloride conductance of rat skeletal muscle by directly inhibiting the CLC-1 channel and by increasing intracellular calcium.
Liantonio A, Giannuzzi V, Picollo A, Babini E, Pusch M, Conte Camerino D
British journal of pharmacology, 2007
DOI: 10.1038/sj.bjp.0706954

Mechanism of Interaction of Niflumic Acid with Heterologously Expressed Kidney CLC-K Chloride Channels.
Picollo A, Liantonio A, Babini E, Camerino DC, Pusch M
The journal of membrane biology (Print), 2007
DOI: 10.1007/s00232-007-9034-z

Activation and inhibition of kidney CLC-K chloride channels by fenamates
Liantonio A, Picollo A, Babini E, Carbonara G, Fracchiolla G, Loiodice F, Tortorella V, Pusch M, Camerino DC
Molecular pharmacology (Print), 2006
DOI: 10.1124/mol.105.017384

Channel or transporter? The CLC saga continues
Pusch M, Zifarelli G, Murgia AR, Picollo A, Babini E
Experimental physiology (Print), 2006
DOI: 10.1113/expphysiol.2005.031799

Chloride/proton antiporter activity of mammalian CLC proteins ClC-4 and ClC-5.
Alessandra Picollo; Michael Pusch
Nature (Lond.), 2005
DOI: 10.1038/nature03720

Molecular determinants of differential pore blocking of kidney CLC-K chloride channels
Alessandra Picollo; Antonella Liantonio; Maria Paola Didonna; Laura Elia; Diana Conte Camerino; Michael Pusch
EMBO reports (Print), 2004
DOI: 10.1038/sj.embor.7400169

Investigations of pharmacologic properties of the renal CLC-K1 chloride channel co-expressed with barttin by the use of 2-(p-chlorophenoxy)propionic acid derivatives and other structurally unrelated chloride channels blockers
Liantonio A; Pusch M; Picollo A; Guida P; De Luca G; Pierno S; Fracchiolla G; Loiodice F; Tortorella P; Camerino DC
Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, 2004
DOI: 10.1097/01.ASN.0000103226.28798.EA

Tonic and phasic guanidinium toxin-block of skeletal muscle Na channels expressed in mammalian cells
Moran, O; Picollo, A; Conti, F
Biophysical journal (Print), 2003
DOI: 10.1016/S0006-3495(03)70026-5

Structural requisites of 2-(p-chlorophenoxy) propionic acid analogues for activity on native rat skeletal muscle chloride conductance and on heterologously expressed CLC-1
Liantonio, A; De Luca, A; Pierno, S; Didonna, MP; Loiodice, F; Fracchiolla, G; Tortorella, P; Laghezza, A; Bonerba, E; Traverso, S; Elia, L; Picollo, A; Pusch, M; Camerino, DC
British journal of pharmacology, 2003
DOI: 10.1038/sj.bjp.0705364