Alessandro Vannini
- Head of Structural Biology Research Centre, Biologia Strutturale
- Research Group Leader, Vannini Group
Alessandro Vannini è un biochimico. Dirige il Centro di Biologia Strutturale dopo quasi otto anni passati nel Regno Unito in qualità di Principal Investigator e Deputy Head of Division all’Institute of Cancer Research di Londra.
Il suo laboratorio si occupa di studiare in dettaglio i meccanismi molecolari di complessi proteici che vengono assemblati intorno a siti di legame per la RNA Polymerase III e che giocano un ruolo fondamentale nella regolazione dell’espressione genica e nella organizzazione strutturale del genoma eucariotico. Questi meccanismi sono spesso deregolati in patalogie umane, quali il cancro e malattie neurodegenerative congenite.
Email: alessandro.vannini[at]fht.org
Contatti
Segui
Pubblicazioni
-
09/2021 - Molecular Cell
A small nucleosome from a weird virus with a fat genome
Valencia-Sánchez et al. (2021) and Liu et al. (2021) provide structural and biological insights about the existence and importance of a nucleosome-like particle in a family of giant viruses.
-
08/2021 - Elife
Linker histone H1.8 inhibits chromatin binding of condensins and DNA topoisomerase II to tune chromosome length and individualization
DNA loop extrusion by condensins and decatenation by DNA topoisomerase II (topo II) are thought to drive mitotic chromosome compaction and individualization. Here, we reveal that the linker histone H1.8 antagonizes condensins and topo II to shape mitotic chromosome organization. In vitro chromatin reconstitution experiments demonstrate that H1.8 inhibits binding of condensins and topo II […]
-
05/2021 - Genes Dev
Mechanism of selective recruitment of RNA polymerases II and III to snRNA gene promoters
RNA polymerase II (Pol II) small nuclear RNA (snRNA) promoters and type 3 Pol III promoters have highly similar structures; both contain an interchangeable enhancer and “proximal sequence element” (PSE), which recruits the SNAP complex (SNAPc). The main distinguishing feature is the presence, in the type 3 promoters only, of a TATA box, which determines […]
-
01/2021 - Wellcome Open Res
A commercial antibody to the human condensin II subunit NCAPH2 cross-reacts with a SWI/SNF complex component
Condensin complexes compact and disentangle chromosomes in preparation for cell division. Commercially available antibodies raised against condensin subunits have been widely used to characterise their cellular interactome. Here we have assessed the specificity of a polyclonal antibody (Bethyl A302-276A) that is commonly used as a probe for NCAPH2, the kleisin subunit of condensin II, in […]
-
12/2020 - Nature Communications
Structure of human RNA polymerase III
In eukaryotes, RNA Polymerase (Pol) III is specialized for the transcription of tRNAs and other short, untranslated RNAs. Pol III is a determinant of cellular growth and lifespan across eukaryotes. Upregulation of Pol III transcription is observed in cancer and causative Pol III mutations have been described in neurodevelopmental disorders and hypersensitivity to viral infection. […]