Mitochondrial inheritance
Mitochondria are mostly known for their role in the energy metabolism of the eukaryotic cell. However, their function is not limited to the production of ATP; they are involved in many processes of eukaryotic life. In metazoans, mitochondria are commonly inherited uniparentally, by Strictly Maternal Inheritance (SMI), but in some bivalve molluscs two mitochondrial lineages are present: one transmitted through eggs (F-type), the other through sperm (M-type). This is the doubly uniparental inheritance of mitochondria (DUI). During development of DUI male embryos, mitochondria coming from the spermatozoon are segregated into the forming germline, while they are dispersed in female embryos. The molecular mechanisms beyond these segregation patterns in DUI species as well as the sex determination system in bivalves are still unknown, but this particular transmission mechanism makes of DUI an excellent model system to understand general features of mitochondrial biology and heredity.
My research on mitochondria concerns: Distribution and quantification of M- and F-mtDNA in gametes, embryos and adults; Ultrastructural analysis of germline at Transmission Electron Microscopy; Mitochondrial inheritance and transmission; Bivalve genomics and transcriptomics; Characterization of novel mitochondrial proteins; Role of mitochondria in germline formation; Mitochondrial activity.
Germline differentiation
To understand how mitochondria that will be transmitted across generations are selected and segregated to the germline, it is fundamental to investigate mitochondrial dynamics and transport during embryo development and germ cell formation. In this concern, I study germline formation and differentiation in bivalve molluscs and vertebrates. In particular, my lab add insights from non-model organisms, being they important in comparative biology and evolutionary developmental biology, to reach a comprehensive overview on biological processes.
