Maria Rosaria Pinto
Research interests: From 1978 to 1999, scientific interest has been focused on gamete self-nonself recognition in the ascidian, Ciona intestinalis. From 2000, the interest has been centered on the study of C. intestinalis immune system, and in particular on C3, the key component of the Complement System using different methodological approaches.
Most relevant publications:
Azumi K., De Santis R., De Tomaso A., Rigoutsos I., Yoshizaki F., Pinto M.R., Marino R., Shida K., Ikeda M., Arai M., Inoue Y., Shimizu T., Satoh N., Rokhsar D.S., Du Pasquier L., Kasahara M., Satake M. & Nonaka M. 2003. Genomic analysis of immunity in a Urochordate and the emergence of the vertebrate immune system: "waiting for Godot". Immunogenetics 55: 570-581.
Marino R., De Santis R., Giuliano P. & Pinto M.R. 1999. Follicle cell proteasome activity and acid extract from the egg vitelline coat prompt the onset of self-sterility in Ciona intestinalis oocytes. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences U S A 96: 9633-9636.
Marino R., Kimura Y., De Santis R., Lambris J.D. & Pinto M.R. 2002. Complement in urochordates: cloning and characterization of two C3-like genes in the ascidian Ciona intestinalis. Immunogenetics 53: 1055-1064.
Marino R., Melillo D., Di Filippo M., Yamada A., Pinto M.R., De Santis R., Brown E.R. & Matassi G. 2007. Ammonium channel expression is essential for brain development and function in the larva of Ciona intestinalis. Journal of Comparative Neurology 503: 135-147.
Marino R., Pinto M.R., Cotelli F., Lamia C.L. & De Santis R. 1998. The hsp70 protein is involved in the acquisition of gamete self-sterility in the ascidian Ciona intestinalis. Development 125: 899-907.
Melillo D., Sfyroera G., De Santis R., Graziano R., Marino R., Lambris J.D. & Pinto M.R. 2006. First identification of a chemotactic receptor in an invertebrate species: structural and functional characterization of Ciona intestinalis C3a receptor. Journal of Immunology 177: 4132-4140.
Pinto M.R., Chinnici C.M., Kimura Y., Melillo D., Marino R., Spruce L.A., De Santis R., Parrinello N. & Lambris J.D. 2003. CiC3-1a-mediated chemotaxis in the deuterostome invertebrate Ciona intestinalis (Urochordata). Journal of Immunology 171: 5521-5528.
Pinto M.R., Melillo D., Giacomelli S., Sfyroera G. & Lambris J.D. 2007. Ancient origin of the complement system: emerging invertebrate models. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology 598: 372-388.
Sawada H., Pinto M.R. & De Santis R. 1998. Participation of sperm proteasome in fertilization of the phlebobranch ascidian Ciona intestinalis. Molecular Reproduction and Development 50: 493-498.
Zucchetti I., Marino R., Pinto M.R., Lambris J.D., Du Pasquier L. & De Santis R. 2007. ciCD94-1, an ascidian multipurpose C-type lectin-like receptor expressed in Ciona intestinalis hemocytes and larval neural structures. Differentiation.