Associate Professor of Genetics
Department of Biotechnology and Molecular Sciences
Via JH Dunant 3 – 21100 Varese
Tel: ++39-0332-421512
Fax:++39-0332-421500
E-mail: francesco.acquati@uninsubria.it

Place and date of birth: Rome - Italy, September 15th, 1963.

Nationality: Italian.

Marital status: Married, two children.

Education: Degree in Biological Sciences, State University of Milan – Italy. Final score 110/110 cum laude

Scholarship, fellowship and appointments held:

• 1988: Degree in Biological Sciences - State University of Milan, Italy . Dissertation Title: “Novel vectors for molecular cloning in Pseudomonas”.
  
• 1990-1993: Research fellow - Laboratory of Human Genetics (head: Professor Sergio Ottolenghi) Department of Genetics and Biology of Microorganisms - State University of Milan – Italy
  
• 1994-1996: Research Fellow - Department of Molecular Pharmacology , Boehringer Mannheim - Mannheim, Germany
  
• 1996-1999: Assistant Researcher – Unit of Human Molecular Genetics . IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan – Italy.
  
• 1999-2003: Assistant Professor - Laboratory of Human Genetics, School of Sciences - University of Insubria – Italy.
  
• 2004-present: Associate Professor of Genetics - School of Sciences - University of Insubria – Italy.

Polissi A, Bertoni G, Acquati F, Deho G. “Cloning and transposon vectors derived from satellite bacteriophage P4 for genetic manipulation of Pseudomonas and other gram-negative bacteria”.Plasmid. 1992 Sep;28(2):101-14.

Malgaretti N., Acquati F., Magnaghi P., Ercoli B., Meroni G., Pontoglio M., Citterio E., Saccone S., Della Valle G., Le Paslier D., Ottolenghi S., Taramelli R.. (1993). "Characterisation by YAC cloning of the linked apolipoprotein(a) and plasminogen genes and identification of the apo(a) 5' flanking region". In Atherosclerosis, Inflammation and Thrombosis. Neri Serneri G., Gensini G.; Abbate R., Prisco D. (eds). Scientific Press Florence, 37-45

Malgaretti N, Acquati F, Magnaghi P, Bruno L, Pontoglio M, Rocchi M, Saccone S, Della Valle G, D'Urso M, LePaslier D, et al. “Characterization by yeast artificial chromosome cloning of the linked apolipoprotein(a) and plasminogen genes and identification of the apolipoprotein(a) 5' flanking region”. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1992 Dec 1;89(23):11584-8.

Kraft HG, Malgaretti N, Kochl S, Acquati F, Utermann G, Taramelli R. “Demonstration of physical linkage between the promoter region and the polymorphic kringle IV domain in the Apo(a) gene by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis”. Genomics. 1993 Jul;17(1):260-2.

Magnaghi P, Citterio E, Malgaretti N, Acquati F, Ottolenghi S, Taramelli R. “Molecular characterisation of the human apo(a)-plasminogen gene family clustered on the telomeric region of chromosome 6 (6q26-27)”. Hum Mol Genet. 1994 Mar;3(3):437-42.

Acquati F, Malgaretti N, Hauptschein R, Rao P, Gaidano G, Taramelli R. “A 2-Mb YAC contig linking the plasminogen-apoprotein(a) gene family to the insulin-like growth factor 2 receptor (IGF2R) gene on the telomeric region of chromosome 6 (6q26-q27)”. Genomics. 1994

Bopp S, Kochl S, Acquati F, Magnaghi P, Petho-Schramm A, Kraft HG, Utermann G, Muller HJ, Taramelli R. “Ten allelic apolipoprotein[a] 5' flanking fragments exhibit comparable promoter activities in HepG2 cells”. J Lipid Res. 1995 Aug;36(8):1721-8.

Mihalich A, Magnaghi P, Sessa L, Trubia M, Acquati F, Taramelli R. “Genomic structure and organization of kringles type 3 to 10 of the apolipoprotein(a) gene in 6q26-27”.Gene. 1997 Sep 1;196(1-2):1-8.

Wade DP, Puckey LH, Knight BL, Acquati F, Mihalich A, Taramelli R. “Characterization of multiple enhancer regions upstream of the apolipoprotein(a) gene”. J Biol Chem. 1997 Nov 28;272(48):30387-99.

Acquati F, Ronicke V, Taramelli R, Muller HJ. “Reporter gene analysis of four DnaseI hypersensitive sites in the plasminogen/apolipoprotein(a) intergenic region.” Clin Genet. 1997 Nov;52(5):303-7.

Tibiletti MG, Trubia M, Ponti E, Sessa L, Acquati F, Furlan D, Bernasconi B, Fichera M, Mihalich A, Ziegler A, Volz A, Facco C, Riva C, Cremonesi L, Ferrari M, Taramelli R. “Physical map of the D6S149-D6S193 region on chromosome 6Q27 and its involvement in benign surface epithelial ovarian tumours”. Oncogene. 1998 Mar 26;16(12):1639-42.

Acquati F, Hammer R, Ercoli B, Mooser V, Tao R, Ronicke V, Michalich A, Chiesa G, Taramelli R, Hobbs HH, Muller HJ. “Transgenic mice expressing a human apolipoprotein[a] allele”. J Lipid Res. 1999 Jun;40(6):994-1006.

Tao R, Acquati F, Marcovina SM, Hobbs HH. “Human growth hormone increases apo(a) expression in transgenic mice”. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 1999 Oct;19(10):2439-47.

Acquati F, Accarino M, Nucci C, Fumagalli P, Jovine L, Ottolenghi S, Taramelli R. “The gene encoding DRAP (BACE2), a glycosylated transmembrane protein of the aspartic protease family, maps to the down critical region”. FEBS Lett. 2000 Feb 18;468(1):59-64.

Tibiletti MG, Sessa F, Bernasconi B, Cerutti R, Broggi B, Furlan D, Acquati F, Bianchi M, Russo A, Capella C, Taramelli R. “A large 6q deletion is a common cytogenetic alteration in fibroadenomas, pre-malignant lesions, and carcinomas of the breast.” Clin Cancer Res. 2000 Apr;6(4):1422-31.

Vigetti D, Monetti C, Acquati F, Taramelli R, Bernardini G. “Human allantoicase gene: cDNA cloning, genomic organization and chromosome localization.” Gene. 2000 Oct 3;256(1-2):253-60.

Acquati F, Russo A, Taramelli R, Tibiletti MG, Taborelli M, Camesasca C, Papa M. “Nonsyndromic total anomalous venous return associated with a de novo translocation involving chromosomes 10 and 21 t(10;21)(q23.1;q11.2)”. Am J Med Genet. 2000 Nov 27;95(3):285-6.

Acquati F, Nucci C, Bianchi MG, Gorletta T, Taramelli R. “Molecular cloning, tissue distribution, and chromosomal localization of the human homolog of the R2/Th/Stylar ribonuclease gene family”. Methods Mol Biol. 2001;160:87-101.

Acquati F, Morelli C, Cinquetti R, Bianchi MG, Porrini D, Varesco L, Gismondi V, Rocchetti R, Talevi S, Possati L, Magnanini C, Tibiletti MG, Bernasconi B, Daidone MG, Shridhar V, Smith DI, Negrini M, Barbanti-Brodano G, Taramelli R. “Cloning and characterization of a senescence inducing and class II tumor suppressor gene in ovarian carcinoma at chromosome region 6q27”. Oncogene. 2001 Feb 22;20(8):980-8.

Tibiletti MG, Bernasconi B, Taborelli M, Facco C, Riva C, Capella C, Franchi M, Binelli G, Acquati F, Taramelli R. “Genetic and cytogenetic comparisons among different types of ovarian tumors are compatible with a progression model underlying ovarian tumorigenesis”. Cancer Genet. Cytogen. 2003 Oct 15;146(2):145-53

Cinquetti R, Mazzotti F, Acquati F , Gornati R, Sabbioni E, Taramelli R, “Influence of metal ions on gene expression of BALB 3T3 fibroblasts”. Gene 2003 Oct 30;318:83-9.

Diodovich C, Malerba I, Bowe G, Acquati F, Bianchi MG, Taramelli R, Parent-Massin D, Gribaldo L. “Naphthalene exposure: effects on apoptosis and gene expression in human cord blood cells”. J. biochem. Molec. Toxicol. 2003;17(5):286-94.

Diodovich C, Bianchi MG, Bowe G, Acquati F, Taramelli R, Parent-Massin D, Gribaldo L. “Response of human cord blood cells to styrene exposure: evaluation of its effects on apoptosis and gene expression by genomic technology”. Toxicology 2004 Aug 5;200(2-3):145-57.

Taramelli R and Acquati F. “The human genome project and the discovery of genetic determinants of cancer susceptibility”. Eur. J. Cancer 2004, 40 (17): 2537-43

Acquati F., Possati L., Ferrante L., Talevi S., Bardelli S., Campomenosi P., Margiotta C., Bortoletto E., Russo A., Rocchetti R., Calza R., Cinquetti R., Castiglioni S., Barbanti-Brodano G. and Taramelli R. “Tumor and metastasis suppression by the RNASET2 gene” Int. J. Oncol. 26(5):1159-68

Diodovich C, Malerba I, Ferrario D, Bowe G, Bianchi MG, Acquati F, Taramelli R, Parent-Massin D, Gribaldo L. Gene and protein expressions in human cord blood cells after exposure to acrylonitrile. J Biochem Mol Toxicol. 2005;19(4):204-12.

FA has an established cooperative network with Clinical Institutions in Northern Italy for the identification of suitable patients to be recruited for molecular genetic investigations.