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)

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 (11):

ALLIN: A tool for annotation of a protein alignment combined with structural visualization
Picollo, Alessandra; Pusch, Michael
JOURNAL OF GENERAL PHYSIOLOGY, 157, 2025
DOI: 10.1085/jgp.202413635

Intracellular CLC Transporters - From Kidney Stones to Intellectual Disability
Pusch, Michael; Picollo, Alessandra; Bertelli, Sara; Zifarelli, Giovanni; Palmer, Elizabeth E.; Kalscheuer, Vera
Biophysical Journal, 118, 2020

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,...
Journal of bone and mineral research: the official journal of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research, 2020
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, Picolllo A
Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, 30, 2019
DOI: 10.1681/ASN.2018060593

A regulatory calcium-binding site at the subunit interface of CLC-K kidney chloride channels
Gradogna A, Babini E, Picollo A, Pusch M
Journal of general physiology, 136, 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, 160, 2010
DOI: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.2010.00822.x

Molecular switch for CLC-K Cl- channel block/activation: optimal pharmacophoric requirements towards high affinity ligands.
Liantonio A, Picollo A, Carbonara G, Fracchiolla G, Tortorella P, Loiodice F, Laghezza A, Babini E, Zifarelli G, Pusch M, Conte Camerino D.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 105, 2008
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0708977105

Mechanism of Interaction of Niflumic Acid with Heterologously Expressed Kidney CLC-K Chloride Channels.
Picollo A, Liantonio A, Babini E, Camerino DC, Pusch M.
Journal of membrane biology, 45, 2007
DOI: 10.1007/s00232-007-9034-z

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, 150, 2007
DOI: 10.1038/sj.bjp.0706954

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., Conte Camerino D.
Molecular pharmacology, 69, 2006
DOI: 10.1124/mol.105.017384

Channel or transporter? The CLC saga continues.
Pusch, M., Zifarelli G., Murgia A.R., Picollo A., Babini E.
Experimental physiology, 91, 2006
DOI: 10.1113/expphysiol.2005.031799