Developed skills and lines of research

Valeria Casavola is a Full Professor of General Physiology at the University of Bari. She graduated in Biological Sciences from the same university in 1973. Her current research focuses on elucidating the organization and dynamics of protein-protein interactions underlying the regulation of cellular ion transporters, which are altered in various pathological states. Specifically, her work in human airway cells examines:

The spatiotemporal compartmentalization of PKA in polarized bronchiolar cells from healthy and cystic fibrosis subjects.

The mechanisms and dynamics through which the PDZ domain protein NHERF regulates the insertion of the CFTR channel into the apical membrane and its activity once inserted.

Projects funded by FFC Ricerca as Principal Investigator or as Research Manager

FFC#1/2013
Mechanism of action of trimethylangelicin in rescuing F508del CFTR functional expression

FFC#1/2011
Properties of trimethylangelicin in F508del CFTR rescue

FFC#1/2009
Interactome in cystic fibrosis: role of NHERF1 in actin cytoskeleton and tight junction phathophysiology

FFC#2/2007
Cellular and molecular mechanisms of the actin cytoskeleton involvement in the NHERF1-dependent rescue of deltaF508 CFTR in human airway cells

FFC #1/2005
Role of the scaffolding protein NHERF in the PKA-mediated regulation of CFTR sorting and activity

FFC#1/2003
CFTR regulation by protein-protein interaction

Projects financed by FFC Ricerca as a partner

FFC#2/2006
Homing of bone marrow-derived stem cells to the respiratory epithelium in a cystic fibrosis mouse model: Role of bioenergetic metabolism

Publications from FFC Research projects

Zaccolo M, Use of Chimeric Fluorescent Proteins and Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer to Monitor Cellular Responses, Circulation Research, 2004, 94(7):866-73

Mongillo M, McSorley T, Evellin S et al., Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer-Based Analysis of cAMP Dynamics in Live Neonatal Rat Cardiac Myocytes Reveals Distinct Functions of Compartmentalized Phosphodiesterases, Circulation Research, 2004, 95(1):67-75

Abrahamsen H1, Baillie G, Ngai J et al., TCR – and CD28 Mediated Recruitment of Phosphodiesterase 4 to Lipid Rafts Potentiates T Cell Receptor Signaling, Journal of Immunology, 2004, 173(8):4847-58

Guerra L, Favia M, Fanelli T et al., Stimulation of Xenopus P2Y1 receptor activates CFTR in A6 cells, Pflugers Arch, 2004, 449(1):66-75

Cardone RA, Bagorda A, Bellizzi A et al., Protein kinase A gating of a pseudopodial-located rhoA/ROCK/p38/NHE1 signal module regulates invasion in breast cancer cell lines, Mol Biol Cell, 2005,16(7):3117-27

Pantano S, Zacolo M, Carloni P et al., Molecular basis of the allosteric mechanism of cAMP in the regulatory PKA subunit, FEBS Letters, 2005, 579(12):2679-85

Guerra L, Fanelli T, Favia M et al., Na+/H+ exchanger regulatory factor isoform 1 overexpression modulates cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) expression and activity in human airway 16HBE14o- cells and rescues DeltaF508 CFTR functional expression in cystic fibrosis cells, J Biol Chem, 2005, 280(49):40925-33

Favia M, Fanelli T, Bagorda A et al., NHE3 inhibits PKA-dependent functional expression of CFTR by NHERF2 PDZ interactions, Biochem Biophys Res Commun., 2006, 25;347(2):452-9

Favia M, Guerra L, Fanelli T et al., Na+/H+ exchanger regulatory factor 1 overexpression-dependent increase of cytoskeleton organization is fundamental in the rescue of F508del cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator in human airway CFBE41o- Cells, Mol Biol Cell., 2010, 21(1):73-86

Monterisi S, Favia M, Guerra L et al., CFTR regulation in human airway epithelial cells requires integrity of the actin cytoskeleton and compartimetalized cAMP and PKA activity, J Cell Sci, 2012, Mar 1;125(Pt 5):1106-17

Castellani S, Guerra L, Favia M et al., NHERF1 and CFTR restore tight junction organisation and function in cystic fibrosis airway epithelial cells: role of ezrin and the RhoA/ROCK pathway, Laboratory Investigation, 2012, 92(11):1527-40

Favia M, Mancini MT1, Bezzerri V et al., Trimethylangelicin promotes the functional rescue of mutant F508del CFTR protein in cystic fibrosis airway cells, Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol, 2014, 307(1):L48-61

Abbattiscianni AC, Favia M, Mancini MT et al., Correctors of mutant CFTR enhance subcortical cAMP/PKA signaling via ezrin phosphorylation and cytoskeleton organization, J Cell Sci, 2016, 129(6):1128-40

Trotta T, Guerra L, Piro D et al., Stimulation of β2-adrenergic receptor increases CFTR function and decreases ATP levels in murine hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells, J Cyst Fibros, 2015, 14(1):26-33

Fanelli T, Cardone RA, Favia M et al., Beta-oestradiol rescues DeltaF508CFTR functional expression in human cystic fibrosis airway CFBE41o- cells through the up-regulation of NHERF1, Biol Cell. 2008, 100(7):399- 412 

Laselva O, Molinski S, Casavola V, Bear CE, The investigational Cystic Fibrosis drug Trimethylangelicin directly modulates CFTR by stabilizing the first membrane-spanning domain, 2016