In 2010,Antonella graduated from the Federico II University, Naples (Italy) with the M.Sc. in Biological Sciences. 

Since October 2010,she's been a member of the IGSDHD. During the rotation period she worked at the laboratory of:

  • Prof. Dr. Elena Rugarli, project: "AFG3L2 in neurodegeneration"

  • Prof. Dr. Brunhilde Wirth, project: "Plastin 3: a protective modifier of spinal muscular atrophy"

  • Dr. Tina Wenz, project: "Role of Sirt3 in mitochondrial starvation response"

Since April 2011, she's been working on her PhD project in the group of Dr. Tina Wenz.

Project description

Regulation of the mammalian mitochondrial ribosome by Sirt3-mediated deacetylation

Mammalian mitochondria houses a protein synthesis machinery specialised for the production of the mtDNA encoded proteins. Very little is known how the mammalian mitochondrial translation and hence supply of mtDNA-encoded OXPHOS subunits can be modulated. Recent findings indicate that mitochondrial protein synthesis can be regulated by posttranslational modifications of its individual components. A main component of the mitochondrial protein synthesis machinery, the mitochondrial ribosome (mitoribosome), is a target for the mito­chondrial NAD+-dependent deacetylase Sirt3. Deacetylation of acetylated lysine residues results in decreased mitochondrial translation. Posttranslational modifications of the mitoribosome could play an important role in the regulation of the mitoribosomal interactome. Interaction of the mitoribosome with mitochondrial import, protease, chaperone and translocase systems were suggested to facilitate controlled OXPHOS assembly. I will analyze how deacetylation of the mitoribosome mediated by Sirt3 regulates mitoribosomal interactome and OXPHOS biosynthesis and how these modifications could mediate the adaptation of the mitochondrial protein synthesis to different stress conditions.

Meetings

2012 Keystone Symposium scholarship award for attending conference

02/2012  Poster presentation and attendance at the Keystone Symposium “Sirtuins in Metabolism, Aging and Disease”, Tahoe City, California
Antonella Di Domenico, Federica Tundo, Veronika Lellek, Lydia Finley, Marcia Haigis, Tina Wenz “Sirt3- A stress regulator of OXPHOS function and mitochondrial translation”

07/2011  Short talk “Sirt3-mediated deacetylation in the regulation of the mammalian mitochondrial ribosome”, poster presentation and attendance at the FASEB Summer Research Conference “ Mitochondrial Assembly & Dynamics in Health, Disease & Aging”, Steamboat Springs, Colorado
Antonella Di Domenico, Veronika Lellek, Lydia Finley, Marcia Haigis, Tina Wenz “Sirt3- A stress regulator of OXPHOS function and mitochondrial translation”