LUCA FERRETTI " Curriculum Vitae
Born in Bergamo, Italy, on november 22nd 1957.

DEGREES
Graduated in Biological Sciences in 1980 at the University of Pavia.
PhD in Genetic Sciences in 1987 at the University of Pavia.

ACADEMIC POSITION AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
1983 " 1984. Post Doctoral Associate in the laboratory of H.G. Khorana at MIT, Cambridge, USA.
1985 " 1998. Research Scientist of the Italian National Council of Research (CNR) at the Institute for the Defense and Management of Animal Germplasm (IDVGA), Milano, Italy.
1998 " 2010. Associate Professor of Genetics at the Faculty of Sciences, University of Pavia.
December 2010 " current. Full Professor of Genetics at the Faculty of Sciences, University of Pavia

RESEARCH MANAGEMENT, APPOINTMENTS, REFERRALS
Reviewer of papers for: Gene, Mammalian Genome, Genetics Selection and Evolution, Animal Genetics, Journal of Virology, LiveStock Science, Cytogenetic and Genome Research, BMC Genetics, BMC Genomics, PLOS One.
1991 - 1998. Member of the Scientific Board of the CNR IDVGA, Milano, Italy
1998 " 2004. Referee of project proposals on behalf of the Israel Science Foundation (N.153/98-17.2) and DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs) UK (N. ZK0409)
1998 " current. Staff member of the PhD Programme in Genetic and Biomolecular Sciences of the University of Pavia
since 2003. He is in the board of experts of the Italian Ministry for Research and University for PRIN and FIRB grants reviewing
2004 " current. Member and Director (2008) of the Board of the Laboratory of Experimental Biology, University of Pavia

GRANTS HISTORY
Coordinator of research units in the following projects:
CNR Finalized Project R.A.I.S.A. between 1990 - 1995.
UE Bovine Genome Mapping Project, BOVMAP (BI02 CT92 0359).
UE biodiversity project "Analysis of genetic diversity in cattle to preserve future breeding options" (AIR3 CT94-2066).
"Study on marker genes affecting growth traits of beef cattle" in collaboration with the Institute of Animal Sciences (CAAS), Beijng, under a cooperation treaty betwen the Italian Committee for Agricultural Sciences and the Chinese CAAS.
UE programme MASSES, FAIR5 CT97-3311
UE project COMRAD, BIO4-98-0277
CNR Strategic Project "Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy" (grant N. 00.00252.ST74).
PRIN 2000 project (national coordinator) contract MM07225558.
PRIN 2001 (national coordinator), contract 2001077349.
"Genetic, pathogenetic and biochemical factors affecting EST resistance and suscepibility", TSE special project of the Italian Ministry of Health, 2001.
"Genome sequencing of Wolbachia, symbiont of the parasite nematode Dirofilaria immitis", MIUR 2002, RBAU01TA3W.
PRIN 2003 (national coordinator), contract 2003052953.
PRIN 2005 (national coordinator), contract 2005075801.
PRIN 2007, contract 2007XRBAEN.
"Reproduction and mitochondrial DNA", MIPAAF) project SELMOL (2008 " 2010).
"Genetic history (and prehistory) of Italy and its regions: a reconstruction based on DNA data form modern human and cattle populations", Alma Mater Ticininensis Foundation, Pavia (2009 " 2011).

TEACHING CAREER
As Associate Professor in Genetics appointed by the University of Pavia, Faculty of Science he has been teaching in the following courses:
1998-1999
Cytogenetics, module of the Genetics course for first year graduates of the Biological Sciences Programme.
1999-2003
Genetig Engineering, for the graduate students of the Biological Science Programme, Biomolecular and Genetic curriculum.
Genetic Engineering, module of Structural Biology, for graduate students of the Biotechnology Programme.
2001 - 2009
Genetics I, for graduate students of the Biotechnology Programme.
2002 - 2009
Biomolecular and Genetic Technologies, for the graduate students of the Biological Science Programme, Biomolecular and Genetic curriculum
2003 - 2009
Genetic Technologies and Molecular Biotechnology, for the graduate students of the Biotechnology programme.
Genetic Engineering, for students of the Master in Experimental and Applied Biology.
2009 - 2010
Genetics, for graduate students of the Biotechnology Programme.

SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES MEMBERSHIPS
Italian Genetics Society
Italian Society of Agricultural Genetics
International Society of Animal Genetics (ISAG)

Study of cattle phylogeny by means of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and Y-chromosome variability
Bovine mtDNA variability
The domestication of Bos primigenius " happened ~10,000 years ago " was one of the major innovations in the Neolithic "revolution" and had significant effects on the cultural and socio-economical life of Old World populations that adopted farming. We have been studying the process of domestication since few years by analysing a large dataset (~2,000) of bovines belonging to European, Near-East and African breeds for variability at the mtDNA control region and extending the analysis to >100 complete mtDNA genome sequences of particular interest. In doing so we found modern cattle harboring mitochondrial genomes that derive from the extanct European Bos primigenius, and belongi to distinct haplogroups (P and Q) that show a somewhat different geographical distribution. In addition we later identified in modern Italian cattle a rare haplogroup (R) that was previously unknown and predates both P and Q haplogroups. This led us to hypothesise that in historical times an additional and independent domestication event might have occured in Italy.
In summary our research is aimed at enriching the phylogeny of bovine populations by using the most detailed information available, i.e. the complete sequence of mtDNA, and unveil haplogroups that represent the legacy of the extanct Bos primigenius in modern populations, with special care to authochtonous breeds that might have maintained a higher level of genetic diversity.

Isolation of novel biallelic markers for the analysis of bovine Y-chromosome variation
The goal of the project is to enrich the number of available biallelic markers employed to study the variation of bovine Y-chromosome. Our approach is straightforward: using the available collection of bovine Y-specific BAC clones, and starting with currently used Y markers we built a contig of clones that we analysed looking for additional STS. The potential STS are selected based on the absence of repetitive DNA, appropriate size for an easy PCR, Y-specificity and are eventually scored for the presence of single nucleotide polymorphisms in a panel of bovines representing a range of Italian and European breeds. DHPLC is used for the initial scoring of polymorphisms that are later confirmed by sequencing. Our preliminary results showed several new SNPs some of which allow the separation of haplogroup Y2 in two sub-haplogroups, Y2A and Y2B. We also identified a novel STS that can be used to quickly assign Y chromosomes to the Y1, Y2 and Y3 haplogroups with a simple PCR in place of sequencing for several STS as in the current typing protocol. The goal of the project is to reconstruct a detailed phylogenetic tree of the bovine Y chromosome variation.

Luca Ferretti authored 79 papers on ISI journals; his H index is currently 18.

Iannuzzi L, Di Meo GP, Perucatti A, Schibler L, Incarnato D, Gallagher D, Eggen A, Ferretti L, Cribiu EP, Womack J (2003). The river buffalo (Bubalus bubalis, 2n = 50) cytogenetic map: assignment of 64 loci by fluorescence in situ hybridization and R-banding. Cytogenet Genome Res 102, 65-75.

Di Meo GP, Perucatti A, Floriot S, Incarnato D, Rullo R, Caputi-Jambrenghi A, Ferretti L, Vonghia G, Cribiu E, Eggen A, Iannuzzi L (2005). Chromosome evolution and improved cytogenetic maps of the Y chromosome in cattle, zebu, river buffalo, sheep and goat. Chromosome Research 13, 349-355.

Del Vecchio I, Azzalin A, Guidi E, Amati G, Caramori T, Uboldi C, Comincini S, Ferretti L (2005). Functional mapping of the bovine Doppel gene promoter region. Gene 356, 101-108.

Di Meo GP, Perucatti A, Uboldi C, Roperto S, Incarnato D, Roperto F, Williams JL, Eggen A, Ferretti L, Iannuzzi L (2005). Comparative mapping of the fragile histidine triad (FHIT) gene in cattle, river buffalo, sheep and goat by FISH and assignment to BTA22 by RH-mapping: a comparison with HSA3. Animal Genetics 36, 363-364.

Uboldi C, Del Vecchio I, Foti MG, Azzalin A, Paulis M, Raimondi E, Vaccari G, Agrimi U, Di Guardo G, Comincini S, Ferretti L (2005). The prion-like Doppel gene (PRND) in the goat: genomic structure, cDNA and polymorphisms. Mamm. Genome 16, 963-971.

Uboldi C, Guidi E, Roperto S, Russo V, Roperto F, Di Meo GP, Iannuzzi I, Floriot S, Boussaha M, Eggen A, Ferretti L (2006). Comparative genomic mapping of the bovine Fragile Histidine Triad (FHIT) tumour suppressor gene: characterization of a 2 Mb BAC contig covering the locus, complete annotation of the gene, analysis of cDNA and of physiological expression profiles. BMC Genomics 7, 123.

Uboldi C, Paulis M, Guidi E, Bertoni A, Di Meo GP, Perucatti A, Iannuzzi L, Raimondi E, Brunner RM, Eggen A, Ferretti L (2006). Cloning of the bovine prion-like Shadoo (SPRN) gene by comparative analysis of the predicted genomic locus. Mamm. Genome vol. 17(11), 1130-1139.

Azzalin A, Del Vecchio I, Ferretti L, Comincini S (2006). The Prion-Like Protein Doppel (Dpl) Interacts with the Human Receptor for Activated C-Kinase 1 (RACK1) Protein. Anticancer Research 26, 4539-4548.

Di Meo GP, Perucatti A, Floriot S, Hayes H, Schibler L, Rullo R, Incarnato D, Ferretti L, Cockett N, Cribiu E, Williams JL, Eggen A, Iannuzzi L (2007). An advanced sheep (Ovis aries, 2n=54) cytogenetic map and assignment of 88 new autosomal loci by fluorescence in situ hybridization and R-banding. Animal Genetics 38, 233-240.

Achilli A, Olivieri A, Pellecchia M, Uboldi C, Colli L, Al-Zahery N, Accetturo M, Pala M, Hooshiar Kashani B, A Perego UA, Battaglia V, Fornarino S, Kalamati J, Houshmand M, Negrini R, Semino O, Richards M, Macaulay V, Ferretti, Bandelt H-J, Ajmone Marsan P, Torroni A (2008). Mitochondrial Genomes of Extinct Aurochs Survive in Domestic Cattle. Curr Biol 18, R157-8.

Guidi E, Uboldi C, Ferretti L (2008). Molecular Analysis of the Fragile Histidine TRiad (FHIT) tumor suppressor gene in vesical tumors of cattle with Chronic Enzootic Hematuria (CEH). Cytogenetic and Genome Research 120, 173-177.

Peretti V, Ciotola F, Albarella S, Restucci B, Meomartino L, Ferretti L, Barbieri V, Iannuzzi l (2008). Increased levels of SCEs in Mediterranean Italian buffaloes affected by limb malformation (transversal hemimelia). Cytogenetic and Genome Research 120, 183-187.


Achilli A, Bonfiglio S, Olivieri A, Malusà A, Pala M, Kashani BH, Perego UA, Ajmone-Marsan P, Liotta L, Semino O, Bandelt HJ, Ferretti L, Torroni A (2009). The multifaceted origin of taurine cattle reflected by the mitochondrial genome. PLoS ONE Jun 1;4(6):e5753.

Manera S, Bonfiglio S, Malusà A, Denis C, Boussaha M, Russo V, Roperto F, Perucatti A, Di Meo GP, Eggen A, L. Ferretti L (2009). Comparative mapping and genomic annotation of the bovine oncosuppressor WWOX gene. Cytogenetic and Genome Research 126, 186-193.

Bonfiglio S, Achilli A, Olivieri A, Negrini R, Colli L, Liotta L, Ajmone-Marsan P, Torroni A, Ferretti L (2010) The Enigmatic Origin of Bovine mtDNA Haplogroup R: Sporadic Interbreeding or an Independent Event of Bos primigenius Domestication in Italy? Plos ONE 5:e15760.

Bonfiglio S, De Gaetano A, Tesfaye K, Grugni V, Semino O, Ferretti L (2012). A novel USP9Y polymorphism allowing a rapid and unambiguous classification of Bos taurus Y chromosomes into haplogroups. Anim Genet. 2012 Feb 9. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2052.2012.02328.x. [Epub ahead of print]

Bonfiglio S, Ginja C, De Gaetano A, Achilli A, Olivieri A, Colli L, Tesfaye K, Agha SH, Gama LT, Cattonaro F, M. Penedo CT, Ajmone-Marsan P, Torroni A and Ferretti L (2012). Origin and spread of Bos taurus: new clues from mitochondrial genomes belonging to haplogroup T1. PLoS One. 7(6):e38601. Epub 2012 Jun 7.

No projects are available to students for the current accademic year.