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Dive into the research topics where Nicoletta Potenza is active.

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Featured researches published by Nicoletta Potenza.


Nucleic Acids Research | 2011

Human microRNA hsa-miR-125a-5p interferes with expression of hepatitis B virus surface antigen

Nicoletta Potenza; Umberto Papa; Nicola Mosca; Francesca Zerbini; Valentina Nobile; Aniello Russo

MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNAs that modulate gene expression at post-transcriptional level, playing a crucial role in cell differentiation and development. Recently, some reports have shown that a limited number of mammalian microRNAs are also involved in anti-viral defense. In this study, the analysis of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) genome by the computer program MiRanda led to the identification of seven sites that are potential targets for human liver microRNAs. These sites were found to be clustered in a 995-bp segment within the viral polymerase ORF and the overlapping surface antigen ORF, and conserved among the most common HBV subtypes. The HBV genomic targets were then subjected to a validation test based on cultured hepatic cells (HepG2, HuH-7 and PLC/PRF/5) and luciferase reporter genes. In this test, one of the selected microRNAs, hsa-miR-125a-5p, was found to interact with the viral sequence and to suppress the reporter activity markedly. The microRNA was then shown to interfere with the viral translation, down-regulating the expression of the surface antigen. Overall, these results support the emerging concept that some mammalian microRNAs play a role in virus-host interaction. Furthermore, they provide the basis for the development of new strategies for anti-HBV intervention.


European Journal of Heart Failure | 2013

Circulating microRNA changes in heart failure patients treated with cardiac resynchronization therapy: responders vs. non-responders

Raffaele Marfella; Clara Di Filippo; Nicoletta Potenza; Celestino Sardu; Maria Rosaria Rizzo; Mario Siniscalchi; Emilio Musacchio; Michelangela Barbieri; Ciro Mauro; Nicola Mosca; Francesco Solimene; Maria Teresa Mottola; Aniello Russo; Francesco Rossi; Giuseppe Paolisso; Michele D'Amico

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in the pathogenesis of structural alterations of the failing heart through their ability to regulate negatively the expression levels of genes that govern the process of adaptive and maladaptive cardiac remodelling. We studied whether LV reverse remodelling after CRT was associated with changes of circulating miRNAs in patients with heart failure (HF) and dyssynchrony.


Molecular therapy. Nucleic acids | 2015

MicroRNA-423-5p Promotes Autophagy in Cancer Cells and Is Increased in Serum From Hepatocarcinoma Patients Treated With Sorafenib

Paola Stiuso; Nicoletta Potenza; Angela Lombardi; Ida Ferrandino; Antonio Monaco; Silvia Zappavigna; Daniela Vanacore; Nicola Mosca; Filomena Castiello; Stefania Porto; R. Addeo; Salvatore Del Prete; Ferdinando De Vita; Aniello Russo; Michele Caraglia

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Sorafenib is the only approved drug for patients with advanced HCC but has shown limited activity. microRNAs (miRs) have been involved in several neoplasms including HCC suggesting their use or targeting as good tools for HCC treatment. The purpose of this study was to identify novel approaches to sensitize HCC cells to sorafenib through miRs. miR-423-5p was validated as positive regulator of autophagy in HCC cell lines by transient transfection of miR and anti-miR molecules. miR-423-5p expression level was evaluated by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in sera collected from 39 HCC patients before and after treatment with sorafenib. HCC cells were cotreated with sorafenib and miR-423-5p and the effects on cell cycle, apoptosis, and autophagy were evaluated. Secretory miR-423-5p was upregulated both in vitro and in vivo by sorafenib treatment and its increase was correlated with response to therapy since 75% of patients in which an increase of secretory miR423-5p was found were in partial remission or stable disease after 6 moths from the beginning of therapy. HCC cells transfected with miR-423-5p showed an increase of cell percentage in S-phase of cell cycle paralleled by a similar increase of autophagic cells evaluated at both fluorescence activated cell sorter (FACS) and transmission electron microscopy. Our results suggest the miR423-5p can be used as a useful tool to predict response to sorafenib in HCC patients and is involved in autophagy regulation in HCC cells.


FEBS Letters | 2011

Antiviral effects of human microRNAs and conservation of their target sites

Aniello Russo; Nicoletta Potenza

MicroRNAs are small non‐coding RNAs that modulate gene expression at post‐transcriptional level, playing a crucial role in cell differentiation and development. Recently, some reports have shown that a limited number of mammalian microRNAs also display antiviral effects. This article summarizes the data in the field paying a special attention to the conservation of the microRNA target sequences in the viral populations. This issue is relevant both for the evaluation of the biological significance of the antiviral effects and for the development of microRNA‐based strategies for antiviral intervention.


PLOS ONE | 2013

Liver microRNA hsa-miR-125a-5p in HBV Chronic Infection: Correlation with HBV Replication and Disease Progression

Nicola Coppola; Nicoletta Potenza; Mariantonietta Pisaturo; Nicola Mosca; Gilda Tonziello; Giuseppe Signoriello; V. Messina; Caterina Sagnelli; Aniello Russo; Evangelista Sagnelli

To study in HBsAg chronic carriers the expression of liver hsa-miR-125a-5p and its correlation with liver HBV-DNA values and clinical presentation, 27 consecutive Caucasian, HBsAg/anti-HBe/HBV-DNA-positive patients who were naive to nucleos(t)ide analogues and interferon therapy and had no marker of HCV, HDV or HIV infection and no history of alcohol intake were enrolled. For each patient, liver HBV DNA and liver hsa-miR-125a-5p were quantified by real-time PCR in relation to β-globin DNA or RNU6B, respectively. Liver fibrosis and necroinflammation were graded by applying Ishaks scoring system. Liver hsa-miR-125a-5p was detected in all patients enrolled and a correlation between its concentration and liver HBV DNA was demonstrated (p<0.0001). Higher liver hsa-miR-125a-5p concentrations were observed in patients with HBV-DNA plasma level >103 IU/ml (p<0.02), in those with HAI >6 (p = 0.02) and those with fibrosis score >2 (p<0.02) than in patients with lower scores. Higher HBV-DNA liver concentrations were found in patients with abnormal AST (p = 0.005) and ALT serum levels (p = 0.05), in those with serum HBV DNA higher than 10E3 IU/mL (p = 0.001) and those with fibrosis score >2 (p = 0.02) than in patients with a lower load. By multivariate logistic regression analysis, liver hsa-miR-125a-5p was identified as an independent predictor of disease progression: O.R. = 4.21, C.I. 95%  = 1.08–16.43, p<0.05, for HAI >6; O.R. = 3.12, C.I. 95%  = 1.17–8.27, p<0.05, for fibrosis score >2. In conclusion, in HBsAg/anti-HBe-positive patients, the liver hsa-miR-125a-5p level correlated with liver and plasma HBV-DNA values and was associated to a more severe disease progression.


Food and Chemical Toxicology | 2013

Apolar Laurus nobilis leaf extracts induce cytotoxicity and apoptosis towards three nervous system cell lines.

Severina Pacifico; Marialuisa Gallicchio; Peter Lorenz; Nicoletta Potenza; Silvia Galasso; Sabina Marciano; Antonio Fiorentino; Florian C. Stintzing; Pietro Monaco

In the course of a bioactivity screening of Mediterranean plants, the assessment of neuroprotective properties of Laurus nobilis L. was of interest. Dried leaves were extracted by sonication using CHCl3 as solvent. The CHCl3 parental extract (CHCl3-pe) was fractionated to yield CHCl3 (LnC-1), EtOAc (LnC-2), MeOH (LnC-3) fractions. Each fraction underwent an extensive screening towards human neuroblastoma (SK-N-BE(2)-C, and SH-SY5Y) and rat glioma (C6) cell lines. MTT and SRB cytotoxicity tests were performed. The effect on the plasma membrane integrity was evaluated by assessment of LDH release. The caspase-3 activation enzyme and DNA fragmentation were also evaluated. The oxidant/antioxidant ability of all the extracts were evaluated using different methods. Furthermore, a metabolite profiling of the investigated extracts was carried out by GC-EI-MS. CHCl3-pe contained terpenes, allylphenols, and α-tocopherol. Dehydrocostus lactone was the main constituent. As result of the fractionation technique, the LnC-1 extract was mainly composed of α-tocopherol, whereas the LnC-2 fraction was enriched in guaiane and eudesmane terpenes. The most cytotoxic LnC-2 fraction induced apoptosis; it was ineffective in preventing in vitro free radicals production. Overall, the experimental results support a possible role of LnC-2 preparation as a chemopreventive agent for neuronal cells or other cells of the CNS.


Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications | 2014

Functional interplay between hepatitis B virus X protein and human miR-125a in HBV infection.

Nicola Mosca; Filomena Castiello; Nicola Coppola; Maria Consiglia Trotta; Caterina Sagnelli; Mariantonietta Pisaturo; Evangelista Sagnelli; Aniello Russo; Nicoletta Potenza

The hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a widespread human pathogen and chronic HBV infection is a major risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Some cellular microRNAs are emerging as important regulators of virus-host interaction, indirectly or directly modulating HBV replication and pathogenesis. miR-125a binds the viral transcript encoding the surface antigen and interferes with its expression, thus inhibiting viral replication. Intriguingly, liver miR-125a expression has been found increased in patients with high levels of hepatic HBV-DNA. The present study investigates the mechanism by which liver exposure to HBV induces the expression of miR-125a. The analyses were first performed on liver biopsies from HBV patients, showing that the expression of the viral transactivator X protein (HBx) paralleled the increase of miR-125a expression. Then, transfection of HCC cell lines with an HBx-expressing vector showed a substantial increase of miR-125a expression. Overall, the available data depict a self-inhibitory feedback loop in which HBV, through HBx, increases the expression of miR-125a, that in turn interferes with expression of HBV surface antigen, thus repressing viral replication.


FEBS Letters | 2010

A novel splice variant of the human dicer gene is expressed in neuroblastoma cells

Nicoletta Potenza; Umberto Papa; Paola Scaruffi; Nicola Mosca; Gian Paolo Tonini; Aniello Russo

Dicer is a ribonuclease playing a key role in the biogenesis of microRNAs and small interfering RNAs. Here we report the identification of a novel splice variant of human dicer gene, the first one bearing a modified coding sequence. It encodes a truncated protein, t‐Dicer that lacks the dsRNA‐binding domain and is defective in one of the two RNase III catalytic centers. The splice variant was found in neuroblastoma cells and in cells induced to neuronal differentiation, whereas it was not detectable in other cell lines or in normal tissues. Interestingly, it occurred in primary neuroblastic tumors, mainly in stroma poor neuroblastomas.


Nucleic Acids Research | 2006

Hybridase activity of human ribonuclease-1 revealed by a real-time fluorometric assay

Nicoletta Potenza; Vincenzo Salvatore; Annalucia Migliozzi; Valentina Martone; Valentina Nobile; Aniello Russo

Human ribonuclease-1 (hRNase-1) is an extracellular enzyme found in exocrine pancreas, blood, milk, saliva, urine and seminal plasma, which has been implicated in digestion of dietary RNA and in antiviral host defense. The enzyme is characterized by a high catalytic activity toward both single-stranded and double-stranded RNA. In this study, we explored the possibility that hRNase-1 may also be provided with a ribonuclease H activity, i.e. be able to digest the RNA component of RNA:DNA hybrids. For this purpose, we developed an accurate and sensitive real-time RNase H assay based on a fluorogenic substrate made of a 12 nt 5′-fluorescein-labeled RNA hybridized to a complementary 3′-quencher-modified DNA. Under physiological-like conditions, hRNase-1 was found to cleave the RNA:DNA hybrid very efficiently, as expressed by a kcat/Km of 330 000 M−1 s−1, a value that is over 180-fold higher than that obtained with the homologous bovine RNase A and only 8-fold lower than that measured with Escherichia coli RNase H. The kinetic characterization of hRNase-1 showed that its hybridase activity is maximal at neutral pH, increases with lowering ionic strength and is fully inhibited by the cytosolic RNase inhibitor. Overall, the reported data widen our knowledge of the enzymatic properties of hRNase-1 and provide new elements for the comprehension of its biological function.


Cell Biology International | 2009

Differential expression of Dicer and Argonaute genes duringthe differentiation of human neuroblastoma cells

Nicoletta Potenza; Umberto Papa; Aniello Russo

Dicer and Argonaute 1–4 proteins are key components of the cytoplasmic enzyme machinery responsible for biogenesis and performance of microRNAs. To gain insight into the roles of these proteins in cell differentiation, we investigated possible changes in the expression levels of Dicer and Argonaute 1–4 genes during the differentiation of cultured neural and glial cells. The results show that the 5 genes are differentially expressed along the 2 differentiation pathways and suggest a prevalent role of Dicer and Argonaute 4 in neural cell differentiation.

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Aniello Russo

Seconda Università degli Studi di Napoli

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Nicola Mosca

Seconda Università degli Studi di Napoli

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Marta Panella

Seconda Università degli Studi di Napoli

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Evangelista Sagnelli

Seconda Università degli Studi di Napoli

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Nicola Coppola

Seconda Università degli Studi di Napoli

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Filomena Castiello

Seconda Università degli Studi di Napoli

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Anna Messere

Seconda Università degli Studi di Napoli

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Antonio Fiorentino

Seconda Università degli Studi di Napoli

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Caterina Sagnelli

Seconda Università degli Studi di Napoli

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Lorenzo Onorato

Seconda Università degli Studi di Napoli

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