Geppo Sartori, born on May 16, 1966, is Research Associate in Molecular Biology at the Department of Biomedical Sciences (DSB) of the University of Padova since february 2001. In the 1992 he obtained his degree in Biological Sciences at the University of Padova by discussing a thesis concerning his contribute to the sequencing of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae genome. In the year 1994 he started a PhD course in Biochemistry and Biophisics, which was devoted to the functional analysis of a yeast gene, named YNL234w, coding for a protein belonging to the hemoglobins family but characterized by an unusual structure. His work has clarified some aspects of the YNL234w transcription regulation and of some biochemical characteristics of the corresponding protein. After the PhD degree he continued his work (partly in the J. Verdière laboratory at C.G.M. of C.N.R.S., Gif sur Yvette, France) to study in detail some aspects of gene transcription regulation by oxygen in yeast. At the same time, his research work has been devoted to a large scale functional analysis of unknown yeast genes and, in particular, to the in-depth study of Bud32, an unusual protein kinase that is part of KEOPS, a multiprotein complex involved in transcription regulation and telomere homeostasis. More recently he started a new research project, in collaboration with Dr. Leonardo Salviati (Department of Pediatrics, University of Padova), focused on the use of yeast as a model to characterize several mutations responsible for human mitochondrial encephalomyopathies.
Teaching
2005 – 2012: “Tecnologia del DNA ricombinante” course in the first level degree in “Biotecnologie Sanitarie”
Since 2013: “Biologia Molecolare” course, degree in “Farmacia”

The yeast S. cerevisiae has been historically considered as a model organism for the study of some basal processes in the eukaryotic cells, since a number of factors are conserved throughout evolution until humans. Moreover, the capacity of yeast to grow anaerobically, together with the ease to manipulate its genome, has made this organism one of the best systems to study mitochondrial dysfunctions. My research interests are focused on three main points:

1. In collaboration with Dr. L. Salviati (Clinical Genetics Unit, Padova), we study mutations involved in some neonatal severe pathologies, like deficiency of argininosuccinate lyase (ASL) and childhood-onset encephalopathies. The modeling of these mutations in yeast genes, or the expression of human mutated genes in yeast cells lacking the corresponding hortologues, has proved a useful tool to characterize the mitochondrial phenotype in these diseases.
2. In collaboration with Prof. P. Bernardi (DSB), we started to study the correlation between F-ATP synthase dimerization and the mitochondrial permeability transition. Also in this case, we plan to harness the big potential of yeast to characterize the molecular mechanisms underlying this process.
3. The use of the yeast 2-Hybrid system to identify proteins interacting with the VHL (von Hippel-Lindau) tumor suppressor, whose alteration is linked to the development of several tumor types in human.

1. Carraro M, Giorgio V, Sileikyte J, Sartori G, Forte M, Lippe G, Zoratti M, Szabò I, Bernardi P (2014). Channel Formation by Yeast F-ATP Synthase and the Role of Dimerization in the Mitochondrial Permeability Transition. J. Biol. Chem. pii: jbc.C114.559633. [Epub ahead of print]
2. Doimo M, Trevisson E, Desbats MA, Baldoin MC, Lenzini E, Basso G , Murphy E, Graziano C, Seri M, Burlina A, Sartori G, Salviati L (2013) Functional analysis of missense mutations of OAT, causing gyrate atrophy of choroid and retina. Hum. Mutat. 34:229-36;
3. Cassandrini D, Cilio MR, Bianchi M, Doimo M, Balestri M, Tessa A, Rizza T, Sartori G, Meschini MC, Nesti C, Tozzi G, Petruzzella V, Piemonte F, Bisceglia L, Bruno C, Dionisi-Vici C, D'Amico A, Fattori F, Carrozzo R, Salviati L, Santorelli F, Bertini E (2013) Pontocerebellar hypoplasia type 6 caused by mutations in RARS2: definition of the clinical spectrum and molecular findings in five patients. J Inherit Metab Dis. 36: 43-53;
4. Sartori G, Mazzotta G, Stocchetto S, Pavanello A and Carignani G (2000). Inactivation of six genes from chromosome VII and XIV of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and basic phenotypic analysis of the mutant strains. Yeast 16: 255-65
5. Sartori G, Aldegheri L, Mazzotta G, Lanfranchi G, Tournu H, Brown AJ and Carignani G (1999). Characterization of a new hemoprotein in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. J. Biol. Chem. 274: 5032-7

“Progetto di Ateneo” of the University of Padova, 50.000 euro. Title of the project: Characterization of new mutations in human mitochondrial arginyl-tRNA synthetase by functional complementation in yeast

Undergraduate student positions available in the Yeast Lab.