Alessandro Bartolomucci, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Physiology 2-145 Jackson Hall Tel: 612-626-7006 Email: abartolo@umn.edu

Upcoming Meetings I'm Organizing

The Obese Species:
Clinical and preclinical understanding of eating and energy balance disorders
This is an advanced workshop compirsed of experts in ethology, psychology, endocrinology, physiology and neuroscience that will address recent advances in our understanding of appetite and weight control
Venue: Erice, Sicily, Italy
Date: October 21-26, 2011

Biosketch

• Assistant Professor of Physiology (tenure track) – Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of Minnesota – August 2010 to present
• Project leader (tenure) – Department of Evolutionary and Functional Biology, University of Parma, Italy. 2006-2010
• Visiting Professor – USP, Sao Paulo, Brazil. July 2007
• Postdoctoral Fellow, Section of Psychobiology and Psychopharmacology, Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council (CNR), Rome, Italy. 2003-2006
• PhD Student, University of Parma, Italy and University of Milan, Italy. 2000-2003.
  Visiting Scientist, Laboratory of Integrative Neurobiology, INRA-INSERM, Bordeaux, France. 2002
• Graduate Research Fellow, Laboratory of Clinical Neurobiology, German Primate Center, Goettingen, Germany. 1999-2000
• Undergraduate student, Department of Evolutionary and Functional Biology, University of Parma, Italy. 1997-1999

Editorial Responsibility

• PLoS ONE, Academic Editor, 2006 to present
• Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, Review Editor, 2007 to present
• World Journal of Diabetes, Editorial Board, 2010 to present

My Research

My laboratory primarily focuses on stress pathophysiology and Vgf gene derived peptides.
We investigate the pathological consequences of chronic stress exposure in animal models of human disease, with the ultimate goal of understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms. Specific pathologies investigated include depression-like disorders, neuroendocrine disease, obesity and diabetes.

My laboratory has also pioneered the existing research on Vgf gene derived peptides with special reference to their role in stress physiology, psychopathologies, pain and obesity. Together with other colleagues, we have identified a VGF peptide designated TLQP-21 in the rodent brain. After having established its unique role in energy homeostasis we are now working on its potential pharmacological applications with a translational biomedical approach.

My laboratory uses an integrate approach to animal physiology which encompass behavioral biology, metabolic, neuroendocrine and imaging techniques in living animals. Great emphasis is devoted to the face validity of the animal models used for a specific human disease.

Significant Publications

Bartolomucci A, Pasinetti GM, Salton SRJ. Granins as disease-biomarkers: translational potential for psychiatric and neurological disorders. NEUROSCIENCE, 2010;170:289-297.

Bartolomucci A, Carola V, Pascucci T, Pugliesi-Allegra S, Lesch KP, Parmigiani S, Palanza P, Gross C. Increased vulnerability to psychosocial stress in heterozygous serotonin transporter knockout mice. DISEASE MODELS & MECHANISMS. 2010;3:459-70.

Bartolomucci A, Cabassi A, Govoni P, Ceresini G, Cero C, Dadomo H, Berra D, Franceschini P, Parmigiani S, Palanza P. 2009. Metabolic consequences and vulnerability to diet-induced obesity in male mice under chronic social stress. PLoS ONE, 4(1):e4331.

Rizzi R*, Bartolomucci A*, Moles A, D’Amato FR, Sacerdote P, Levi A, Ciotti T, Possenti R, Pavone F. 2008. The VGF-derived peptide TLQP-21: A new modulatory peptide for inflammatory pain. NEUROSCI LETT, 441: 129-133 *cofirst authors.

Bartolomucci A. 2007. Social stress, immune functions and disease in rodents. FRONT NEUROENDOCRINOL. 28:28-49.

Bartolomucci A, G. La Corte, R. Possenti, V. Locatelli, A.E. Rigamonti, A. Torsello, E. Bresciani, I. Bulgarelli, R. Rizzi, F. Pavone, F.R. D’Amato, G. Mignogna, A. Giorgi, M.E. Schininà, A.M. Rinaldi, G. Elia, C. Brancia, G.-L. Ferri, R. Conti, B. Ciani, T. Pascucci, G. Dell’Omo, E.E. Muller, A. Levi, A. Moles. 2006. TLQP-21, a VGF-derived peptide, increases energy expenditure and prevents the early phase of diet-induced obesity. PROC NATL ACAD SCI USA 103,14584-14589.

Bartolomucci A, Palanza P, Sacerdote P, Panerai AE, Sgoifo A, Dantzer R, Parmigiani S. 2005. Social factors and individual vulnerability to chronic stress exposure. NEUROSCI BIOBEHAV REV, 29, 67-81.

Bartolomucci A, Pederzani T, Sacerdote P, Panerai AE, Parmigiani S, Palanza P. 2004. Behavioral and physiological characterization of male mice under chronic psychosocial stress. PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY, 29:899-910.

Bartolomucci A, Palanza, P, Sacerdote P, Ceresini, G, Chirieleison, A, Panerai, AE, Parmigiani, S 2003 Individual housing induce altered immuno-endocrine responses to psychological stress in male mice. PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY, 28: 540-558.

Bartolomucci A, de Biurrun G, Czeh B, van Kampen M, Fuchs E. 2002. Selective enhancement of spatial memory under chronic psychosocial stress. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, 15, 1863-1866.

Czeh B, Michaelis T, Watanabe T, Frahm J, de Biurrun G, van Kampen M, Bartolomucci A, Fuchs E. 2001. Stress-induced changes in cerebral metabolites, hippocampal volume and cell proliferation are prevented by the antidepressant treatment with tianeptine. PROC NATL ACAD SCI USA, 98, 12796-12801.

Bartolomucci A, Palanza, P, Gaspani, L, Limiroli, E, Panerai, AE, Ceresini, G, Poli, MD, Parmigiani, S 2001. Social status in mice: behavioral endocrine and immune changes are context dependent. PHYSIOL BEHAV, 73, 401-410.

PUBMED List of Publications