Cristiana Picco

Research staff

1990: Degree in Physics, University of Genoa
1990-1996: Professional collaborations with INFN and CNR working on international projects (EU Esprit Basic Research, Human Frontiers Science Program).
1997-1999: Temporary researcher at the Institute of Biophysics (IBF)/ CNR.
2001-present: Permanent researcher at IBF of Genoa.

orcid://0000-0002-6512-1802,

Contact:

- Email cristiana.picco@ibf.cnr.it
- Phone +39-010-6475569
- Location Genova

Research interests:

- Natural plant products for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases (Principal investigator)
- Electronic transport mediated by proteins belonging to the cytochrome b561 family (Principal investigator)
- Interaction of scorpion and spider neurotoxins with sodium and potassium channels (Principal investigator)
- Genetic diseases caused by mutations of the auxiliary subunits of the sodium channel
- Study of the Ca2+-activated chloride channels and phospholipid scramblases of the TMEM16/Anoctamin family
- Recordings of electronic currents from plant cytochromes
- Volume-regulated Cl and oxidation-activated K channels in invasiveness and immunotherapy efficiency in human melanoma
- Leveraging basic knowledge of ion channel network in cancer for innovative therapeutic strategies (LIONESS)

Further collaborations:

- Armando Carpaneto (Distav, Università di Genova)
- Silvia Bisti (Scienze cliniche applicate e biotecnologiche, Università dell’Aquila Università dell’Aquila; IIT Central Research Lab Genova)
- Stefano Di Marco (Scienze cliniche applicate e biotecnologiche, Università dell’Aquila)
- Gerardo Corzo (Instituto de Biotecnologia, UNAM)
- Paolo Trost (FaBiT, Università di Bologna)

Key publications:

Baroni D, Picco C, Moran O. 2018. A mutation of SCN1B associated with GEFS+ causes functional and maturation defects of the voltage-dependent sodium channel. Hum Mutat. 2018 Jul 10 doi: 10.1002/humu.23589.

Corso L, Cavallero A, Baroni D, Garbati P, Prestipino G, Bisti S, Nobile M, Picco C. 2016. Saffron reduces ATP-induced retinal cytotoxicity by targeting P2X7 receptors. 2016. Purinergic Signal. 12(1). 161-74. doi: 10.1007/s11302-015-9490-3.

Picco C, Scholz-Starke J, Festa M, Costa A, Sparla F, Trost P, Carpaneto A. Direct Recording of Trans-Plasma Membrane Electron Currents Mediated by a Member of the Cytochrome b561 Family of Soybean. 2015 Plant Physiol. 169(2). 986-95. doi: 10.1104/pp.15.00642.

Picco C., Scholz-Starke J., Naso A., Preger V., Sparla F., Trost P. and Carpaneto A.
How Are Cytochrome b561 Electron Currents Controlled by Membrane Voltage and Substrate Availability? 2014. Antioxid Redox Signal. 21(3). 384-91. doi: 10.1089/ars.2013.5809

Picco C., Corzo G., Possani L.D. and Prestipino G. Interaction of the scorpion toxin Discrepin with Kv4.3 channels and A-type K+ channels in cerebellum granular cells. 2014. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1840(9). 2744-51. doi: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2014.05.009.

Publications (36):

Time-dependent expression of ryanodine receptors in sea urchin eggs, zygotes and early embryos
Percivale G., Angelini C., Falugi C., Picco C. and Prestipino G.
Zygote (Camb., Print), 2022
DOI: 10.1017/S0967199421000514

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

Saffron and retinal neurodegenerative diseases: Relevance of chemical composition
Maggi M.A.; Consonni R.; Cagliani L.R.; Prestipino G.; Bisti S.; Picco C.
Journal of anatomy (Print), 2022
DOI: 10.1111/joa.13722

The VRAC blocker DCPIB directly gates the BK channels and increases intracellular Ca2+ in melanoma and pancreatic duct adenocarcinoma cell lines
Zuccolini Paolo; Ferrera Loretta; Remigante Alessia; Picco Cristiana; Barbieri Raffaella; Bertelli Sara; Moran Oscar; Gavazzo Paola; Pusch Michael
British journal of pharmacology, 2022
DOI: 10.1111/bph.15810

Mechanisms of activation of LRRC8 volume regulated anion channels
Bertelli S.; Remigante A.; Zuccolini P.; Barbieri R.; Ferrera L.; Picco C.; Gavazzo P.; Pusch M.
Cellular physiology and biochemistry, 2021
DOI: 10.33594/000000329

Saffron: Chemical Composition and Neuroprotective Activity
Maggi, Maria Anna; Bisti, Silvia; Picco, Cristiana
Molecules (Basel, Online), 2020
DOI: 10.3390/molecules25235618

Correctors modify the bicarbonate permeability of F508del-CFTR
Fiore M.; Picco C.; Moran O.
Scientific reports (Nature Publishing Group), 2020
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-65287-4

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

Correctors modify the bicarbonate permeability of F508del-CFTR
Fiore Michele; Picco Cristiana and Moran Oscar
Scientific reports (Nature Publishing Group), 2020
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-65287-4

Small molecule-facilitated anion transporters in cells for a novel therapeutic approach to cystic fibrosis
Fiore M, Cossu C, Capurro V, Picco C, Ludovico A, Mielczarek M, Carreira-Barral I, Caci E, Baroni D, Quesada R, Moran O
British journal of pharmacology, 2019
DOI: 10.1111/bph.14649

A mutation of SCN1B associated with GEFS+ causes functional and maturation defects of the voltage-dependent sodium channel
Baroni D, Picco C, Moran O
Human mutation, 2018
DOI: 10.1002/humu.23589

Electron current recordings in living cells
Trost P, Picco C, Scholz-Starke J, Festa M, Lagostena L, Costa A, Sparla F, Carpaneto A
Biophysical chemistry (Print), 2017
DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2017.05.006

Mutation E87Q of the beta 1-subunit impairs the maturation of the cardiac voltage-dependent sodium channel
Baroni D, Picco C, Moran O
Scientific reports (Nature Publishing Group), 2017
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-10645-y

Saffron reduces ATP-induced retinal cytotoxicity by targeting P2X7 receptors
Corso, Lucia; Cavallero, Anna; Baroni, Debora; Garbati, Patrizia; Prestipino, Gianfranco; Bisti, Silvia; Nobile, Mario; Picco, Cristiana
Purinergic signalling (Print), 2016
DOI: 10.1007/s11302-015-9490-3

Identification of mutations allowing Natural Resistance Associated Macrophage Proteins (NRAMP) to discriminate against cadmium
Pottier, Mathieu; Oomen, Ronald; Picco, Cristiana; Giraudat, Jerome; Scholz-Starke, Joachim; Richaud, Pierre; Carpaneto, Armando; Thomine, Sebastien
Plant journal (Print), 2015
DOI: 10.1111/tpj.12914

Direct Recording of Trans-Plasma Membrane Electron Currents Mediated by a Member of the Cytochrome b561 Family of Soybean.
Picco, Cristiana; Scholz-Starke, Joachim; Festa, Margherita; Costa, Alex; Sparla, Francesca; Trost, Paolo; Carpaneto, Armando
Plant physiology (Bethesda), 2015
DOI: 10.1104/pp.15.00642

How Are Cytochrome b561 Electron Currents Controlled by Membrane Voltage and Substrate Availability?
Picco, Cristiana; Scholz-Starke, Joachim; Naso, Alessia; Preger, Valeria; Sparla, Francesca; Trost, Paolo; Carpaneto, Armando
Antioxidants & redox signalling, 2014
DOI: 10.1089/ars.2013.5809

Antisense-mediated post-transcriptional silencing of SCN1B gene modulates sodium channel functional expression
Baroni, Debora; Picco, Cristiana; Barbieri, Raffaella; Moran, Oscar
Biology of the cell, 2014
DOI: 10.1111/boc.201300040

Interaction of the scorpion toxin discrepin with Kv4.3 channels and A-type K+ channels in cerebellum granular cells
Picco, Cristiana; Corzo, Gerardo; Possani, Lourival D.; Prestipino, Gianfranco
Biochimica et biophysica acta. G, General subjects (Print), 2014
DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2014.05.009

Functional modulation of voltage-dependent sodium channel expression by wild type and mutated C121W-beta 1 subunit
Baroni D.; Barbieri R.; Picco C.; Moran O.
Journal of bioenergetics and biomembranes, 2013

Solution structure of native and recombinant expressed toxin CssII from the venom of the scorpion Centruroides suffusus suffusus, and their effects on Nav1.5 Sodium channels
Saucedo AL, del Rio-Portilla F, Picco C, Estrada G, Prestipino G, Possani LD, Delepierre M, Corzo G.
Biochimica et biophysica acta. Proteins and proteomics, 2012

The Role of the C-Terminus for Functional Heteromerization of the Plant Channel KDC1
Naso A; Dreyer I; Pedemonte L; Testa I; Gomez-Porras JL; Usai C; Mueller-Rueber B; Diaspro A; Gambale F; Picco C
Biophysical journal (Print), 2009
DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2009.02.055

The zinc binding site of the Shaker channel KDC1 from Daucus carota
Picco C; Naso A; Soliani P; Gambale F
Biophysical journal (Print), 2008
DOI: 10.1529/biophysj.107.114009

Voltage-induced morphological modifications in oocyte membranes containing exogenous K(+) channels studied by electrochemical scanning force microscopy
Alessandrini A; Gavazzo P; Picco C; Facci P
Microscopy research and technique (Print), 2008
DOI: 10.1002/jemt.20552

The Arabidopsis vacuolar malate channel is a member of the ALMT family
Kovermann P; Meyer S; Hörtensteiner S; Picco C; Scholz-Starke J; Ravera S; Lee Y; Martinoia E
Plant journal (Print), 2007
DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-313X.2007.03367.x

KDC2, a functional homomeric potassium channel expressed during carrot embryogenesis
Formentin E.; Naso A.; Varotto S.; Picco C.; Gambale F.; Lo Schiavo F.
FEBS letters (Print), 2006
DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2006.08.017

Stoichiometry studies reveal functional properties of KDC1 in plant Shaker potassium channels
Naso A; Montisci R; Gambale F; Picco C
Biophysical journal (Print), 2006
DOI: 10.1529/biophysj.106.091777

Histidines are responsible for zinc potentiation of the current in KDCl carrot channels.
Cristiana Picco; Monica Bregante; Alessia Naso; Paola Gavazzo; Alex Costa; Elide Formentin; Patrick Downey; Fiorella Lo Schiavo; Franco Gambale
Biophysical journal (Print), 2004
DOI: 10.1016/S0006-3495(04)74098-9

DKT1, a novel K+ channel from carrot, forms functional heteromeric channels with KDC1
Formentin E.; Varotto S.; Costa A.; Downey P.; Bregante M.; Naso A; Picco C.; Gambale F.; Lo Schiavo F.
FEBS letters (Print), 2004
DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2004.07.052

Co-expression of wild-type and mutant olafctory cyclic nucleotide-gated channels: restoration of the native sensitivity to Ca2+ and Mg2+ blockage
Picco C. 1, Gavazzo P. 1, Menini A. 1,2
NeuroReport (Oxf.), 2001

A point mutation in the pore region alters gating, Ca2+ blockage, and permeation of olfactory cyclic nucleotide-gated channels
Gavazzo P; Picco C; Eismann E; Kaupp UB; Menini A
The Journal of general physiology, 2000
DOI: 10.1085/jgp.116.3.311

Mechanisms of modulation by internal protons of cyclic nucleotide-gated channels cloned from sensory receptor cells
Gavazzo P; Picco C; Menini A
Proceedings - Royal Society. Biological sciences (Print), 1997

Modulation by internal protons of native cyclic nucleotide-gated channels from retinal rods
Picco C; Sanfilippo C; Gavazzo P; Menini A
The Journal of general physiology, 1996
DOI: 10.1085/jgp.108.4.265

QUANTAL-LIKE CURRENT FLUCTUATIONS INDUCED BY ODORANTS IN OLFACTORY RECEPTOR-CELLS
Menini A, Picco C, Firestein S
Nature (Lond.), 1995
DOI: 10.1038/373435a0

THE RELATION BETWEEN STIMULUS AND RESPONSE IN OLFACTORY RECEPTOR-CELLS OF THE TIGER SALAMANDER
FIRESTEIN S, PICCO C, MENINI A
Journal of physiology (Lond., Print), 1993

THE PERMEABILITY OF THE CGMP-ACTIVATED CHANNEL TO ORGANIC CATIONS IN RETINAL RODS OF THE TIGER SALAMANDER
Picco C, Menini A
Journal of physiology (Lond., Print), 1993