FIAMMETTA VERNI'

 
Corso di GENETICA canale I 
Le lezioni inizieranno lunedì 2 marzo  2026ce proseguiranno col seguente orario:

Lunedì ore 14-16 in aula III Caglioti
Giovedì ore 16-18 in aula III Caglioti
Venerdì ore 9-11 in aula III Caglioti

codice  iscrizione a classroom Genetica 2026:
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per studenti Medicina: codice iscrizione a classroom Genetica Medicina: tq5n7ays

Corso di CITOGENETICA E MUTAGENESI (Scienze biologiche 3 anno)
Le lezioni inizieranno martedì 2 Marzo 2026 e proseguiranno col seguente orario:
Martedì ore 11-13 aula Serra I (istituto genetica)
Giovedì ore 11-13 aula Serra I (Istituto genetica) 
per iscrizione a classroom la psw è: 
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Name: Fiammetta VERNI'
Date and place of birth:10th April 1965 in Rome, Italy
Citizenship: Italian
Present address: Sapienza University of Rome
Department of Biology and Biotechnology “Charles Darwin”
Piazzale Aldo Moro, 5 - 00185 Rome – Italy
e-mail fiammetta.verni@uniroma1.it

Academic Training and Work Positions
1988 Laurea cum laude in Biological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome
1989 Research Fellowship at Cornell University (Ithaca N.Y.)
1994 Ph.D. in Evolutionary biology "Sapienza" University of Rome
1994 Annual research fellowship of Istituto Pasteur Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti Sapienza University of Rome,
1995 Annual research fellowship of Telethon, Sapienza,
1997 Assistant Professor of Genetics, Sapienza University of Rome.
2020 Associate Professor qualification
2022 Associate professor

Research experience: My research activity in the past has mainly concerned the characterization of genes that control different aspects of cell cycle. More recently, I focused my attention on genes which play a role in chromosome integrity maintenance. During these studies, I found that two essential genes involved in vitamin B6 metabolism play a role in maintaining genome integrity and glucose homeostasis. So, I am currently exploring the relationship between vitamin B6, diabetes, DNA damage and cancer -by exploiting Drosophila models for both diseases- with the aim of revealing the mechanisms behind this relationship.

Teaching assignments
2001-2002 Course of Principles and Methods of Formal Genetic Analysis
Applied Genetics Specialization School, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
2001-2006 Course of Genetics, degree in Biotechnology Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
2004-2006 Course of Methods and Systems in Genetics, master degree in Genetics and Molecular Biology Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
2006-to date Course of Genetics (9CFU), Biological Sciences degree Sapienza University of Rome
2016 to date Board member of Science Journalism Master (SGP) Sapienza University of Rome
2017 to date Board member of on Stem cells and genome editing Master Sapienza University of Rome
2015 to date Teaching board member, PhD School in Genetics and Molecular Biology. Sapienza University of Rome
2020 abilitazione professore associato
2022 professore associato
2026 Teaching board member of Biologia della nutrizione per la riproduzione umana Master M2

Additional information

Editor Board member of Scientific Reports
Guest Editor of Frontiers in Genetics
Review Editor for Frontiers in Genetics and for Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology (Epigenomics and Epigenetics section)
Reviewer for the following international journals: Scientific Reports, Mutation Research, International Journal of molecular Science, Cell stress, Journal of cellular physiology, Journal of Pediatric Genetics,Tissue and cell, Nutrients
Member of Italian Society of Genetics (AGI)
Member of Genetics Society of America (GSA)
Spoken languages: Italian, native language; English

PUBLICATIONS:
1. Angioli C, Ferriero A, Eleonora P, Tesoriere G, Agostini B, Tramonti A, Contestabile R, Vernì F. Tumor suppressor function of SHMT in a Drosophila RasV12DlgRNAi model: DNA damage and synergistic gene-nutrient interaction with PLP. Cell Death Dis. 2026 Mar 26. doi: 10.1038/s41419-026-08602-7
2. Vernì F, Angioli C, Ferriero A, Agostini B. From Fly to Human: Translational Relevance of Drosophila Models in the Study of Vitamin B6 and Cancer Relationship. Int J Mol Sci. 2026 Mar 22;27(6):2877. doi: 10.3390/ijms27062877.
3. Liguori F, Amadio S, Angioli C, Ferriero A, Passaro I, Alberti F, Vernì F, Volontè C. (2025). Validation in Drosophila of the in silico predicted clomipramine as repurposable for SOD1-ALS. Journal of the American Society for Experimental NeuroTherapeutics.
4. Tesoriere G, Pilesi E, De Rosa M, ... Sciubba F, Vernì F. (2025). Vitamin B6 deficiency produces metabolic alterations in Drosophila. Metabolomics 21(2): 42. doi: 10.1007/s11306-025-02236-0.
5. Pilesi E, Tesoriere G, Ferriero A, Mascolo E, Liguori F, Argirò L, Angioli C, Tramonti A, Contestabile R, Volontè C, Vernì F. (2024). Vitamin B6 deficiency cooperates with oncogenic Ras to induce malignant tumors in Drosophila. Cell Death Dis 15(6): 388. doi: 10.1038/s41419-024-06787-3.
6. Vernì F. (2024). Vitamin B6 and diabetes, and its role in counteracting advanced glycation end products. Vitamins and Hormones vol 125, Ed. Elsevier. 401-438 10.1016/bs.vh.2024.02.005
7. Liguori F, Alberti F, Amadio S, Angelini DF, Pilesi E, Vitale G, Tesoriere G, Borsellino G, Vernì F., Volontè C. (2024). Pan-neuronal expression of human mutant SOD1 in Drosophila impairs survival and motor performance, induces early neuroinflammation and chromosome aberrations. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis. doi: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2024.167192.
8. Pilesi E, Angioli C, Graziani C, Parroni A, Contestabile R, Tramonti A, Vernì F. (2023). A gene-nutrient interaction between vitamin B6 and serine hydroxymethyltransferase (SHMT) affects genome integrity in Drosophila. Journal of Cellular Physiology 239(3): 1–9. doi: 10.1002/jcp.31033.
9. La Torre M, Merigliano C, Maccaroni K, Chojnowski A, Goh WI, Giubettini M, Vernì F., Capanni C, Rhodes D, Wright G, Burke B, Soddu S, Burla R, Saggio I. (2022). Combined alteration of lamin and nuclear morphology influences the localization of the tumor-associated factor AKTIP. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 41: 273. doi: 10.1186/s13046-022-02480-5.
10. Mascolo E, Liguori F, Merigliano C, Schiano L, Gnocchini E, Pilesi E, Volonté C, Di Salvo ML, Contestabile R, Tramonti A, Vernì F. (2022). Vitamin B6 rescues insulin resistance and glucose-induced DNA damage caused by reduced activity of Drosophila PI3K. J Cell Physiol 237(7): 3578–3586. doi: 10.1002/jcp.30812.
11. Vernì F. (2022). DNA Damage Response (DDR) and DNA Repair. Int J Mol Sci 23(13): 7204. doi: 10.3390/ijms23137204.
12. Gnocchini E, Pilesi E, Schiano L, Vernì F. (2022). Vitamin B6 deficiency promotes loss of heterozygosity (LOH) at the Drosophila warts (wts) locus. Int J Mol Sci 23(11): 6089. doi: 10.3390/ijms23116087.
13. Liguori F, Mascolo E, Vernì F. (2021). The genetics of diabetes: what we can learn from Drosophila. Int J Mol Sci 22(20): 11295. doi: 10.3390/ijms222011295.
14. Merigliano C, Burla R, La Torre M, Del Giudice S, Teo H, Liew CW, Chojnowski A, Goh WI, Olmos Y, Maccaroni K, Giubettini M, Chiolo I, Carlton JG, Raimondo D, Vernì F, Stewart CL, Rhodes D, Wright GD, Burke BE, Saggio I. (2021). AKTIP interacts with ESCRT I and is needed for the recruitment of ESCRT III subunits to the midbody. PLOS GENETICS 17(8): e1009757. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009757.
15. Mascolo E, Liguori F, Stufera Mecarelli L, Amoroso N, Merigliano C, Amadio S, Volonté C, Contestabile R, Tramonti A, Vernì F. (2021). Functional Inactivation of Drosophila GCK Orthologs Causes Genomic Instability and Oxidative Stress in a Fly Model of MODY-2. Int J Mol Sci 22(2): 918. doi: 10.3390/ijms22020918.
16. Burla R, La Torre M, Maccaroni K, Verni F, Giunta S, Saggio I. (2020). Interplay of the nuclear envelope with chromatin in physiology and pathology. Nucleus 11(1): 205–218. doi: 10.1080/19491034.2020.1806661.
17. Mascolo E, Vernì F. (2020). Vitamin B6 and Diabetes: Relationship and Molecular Mechanisms. Int J Mol Sci 21(10): 3669. doi: 10.3390/ijms21103669.
18. Licursi V, Anzellotti S, Favaro J, Sineri S, Carucci N, Cundari E, Fiore M, Guarguaglini G, Pippa S, Nisi P S, Vernì F., Biagioni S, Cacci E, Amendola R, Lupo G, Negri R. (2020). X-ray irradiated cultures of mouse cortical neural stem/progenitor cells recover cell viability and proliferation with dose-dependent kinetics. Sci Rep 10: 6562. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-63348-2.
19. Contestabile R, di Salvo ML, Bunik V, Tramonti A, Vernì F. (2020). The multifaceted role of vitamin B(6) in cancer: Drosophila as a model system to investigate DNA damage. Open Biol 10(7): 200034. doi: 10.1098/rsob.200034.
20. Raimondo D, Remoli C, Astrologo L, Burla R, La Torre M, Vernì F., Tagliafico E, Corsi A, Del Giudice S, Persichetti A, Giannicola G, Robey PG, Riminucci M, Saggio I. (2020). Changes in gene expression in human skeletal stem cells transduced with constitutively active Gs correlates with hallmark histopathological changes seen in fibrous dysplastic bone. PLoS One 15(1): e0227279. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0227279.
21. Mascolo E, Amoroso N, Saggio I, Merigliano C, Vernì F. (2020). Pyridoxine/pyridoxamine 5’-phosphate oxidase (Sgll/PNPO) is important for DNA integrity and glucose homeostasis maintenance in Drosophila. J Cell Physiol 235(1): 504–512. doi: 10.1002/jcp.28990.
22. Mascolo E, Barile A, Mecarelli LS, Amoroso N, Merigliano C, Massimi A, Saggio I, Hansen T, Tramonti A, Di Salvo M., Barbetti F, Contestabile R, Vernì F. (2019). The expression of four pyridoxal kinase (PDXK) human variants in Drosophila impacts on genome integrity. Sci Rep 9: 14188. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-50673-4.
23. Merigliano C, Mascolo E, Cesta A, Saggio I, Vernì F. (2019). A new role for Drosophila Aurora-A in maintaining chromosome integrity. Chromosoma 128(1): 41–52. doi: 10.1007/s00412-018-00687-0.
24. Burla R, La Torre M, Zanetti G, Bastianelli A, Merigliano C, Del Giudice S, Vercelli A, Di Cunto F, Boldo M, Vernì F., Saggio I. (2018). p53-Sensitive Epileptic Behavior and Inflammation in Ft1 Hypomorphic Mice. Front Genet 9: 581. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2018.00581.
25. Merigliano C, Mascolo E, Burla R, Saggio I, Vernì F. (2018). The Relationship Between Vitamin B6, Diabetes and Cancer. Front Genet 9: 388. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2018.00388.
26. Merigliano C, Mascolo E, La Torre M, Saggio I, Vernì F. (2018). Protective role of vitamin B6 (PLP) against DNA damage in Drosophila models of type 2 diabetes. Sci Rep 8: 11432. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-29801-z.
27. Burla R, La Torre M, Merigliano C, Vernì F., Saggio I. (2018). Genomic instability and DNA replication defects in progeroid syndromes. Nucleus 9(1): 368–379. doi: 10.1080/19491034.2018.1476793.
28. La Torre M, Merigliano C, Burla R, Mottini C, Zanetti G, Del Giudice S, Carcuro M, Virdia I, Bucciarelli E, Manni I, Rampioni Vinciguerra G, Piaggio G, Riminucci M, Cumano A, Bartolazzi A, Vernì F., Soddu S, Gatti M, Saggio I. (2018). Mice with reduced expression of the telomere associated protein Ft1 develop p53-sensitive progeroid traits. Aging Cell 17(2): e12730. doi: 10.1111/acel.12730.
29. Di Giorgio ML, Esposito A, Maccallini P, Micheli E, Bavasso F, Gallotta I, Vernì F., Feiguin F, Cacchione S, McCabe BD, Di Schiavi E, Raffa GD. (2017). WDR79/TCAB1 plays a conserved role in the control of locomotion and ameliorates phenotypic defects in SMA models. Neurobiol Dis 105: 42–50. doi: 10.1016/j.nbd.2017.05.005.
30. Bianchi FT, Tocco C, Pallavicini G, Liu Y, Vernì F., Merigliano C, Bonaccorsi S, El-Assawy N, Priano L, Gai M, Berto GE, Chiotto AA, Sgrò F, Caramello A, Tasca L, Ala U, Neri F, Oliviero S, Mauro A, Geley S, Gatti M, Di Cunto F. (2017). Citron Kinase Deficiency Leads to Chromosomal Instability and TP53-Sensitive Microcephaly. Cell Rep 18(7): 1674–1686. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.01.054.
31. Merigliano C, Marzio A, Renda F, Somma MP, Gatti M, Vernì F. (2017). A Role for the Twins Protein Phosphatase (PP2A-B55) in the Maintenance of Drosophila Genome Integrity. Genetics 205(3): 1151–1167. doi: 10.1534/genetics.116.192781.
32. Cicconi A, Micheli E, Vernì F., Jackson A, Gradilla AC, Cipressa F, Raimondo D, Bosso G, Wakefield JG, Ciapponi L, Cenci G, Gatti M, Cacchione S, Raffa GD. (2017). The Drosophila telomere capping protein Verrocchio binds single-stranded DNA and protects telomeres from DNA damage response. Nucleic Acids Res 45(6): 3068–3085. doi: 10.1093/nar/gkw1244.
33. Gai M, Bianchi FT, Vagnoni C, Vernì F., Bonaccorsi S, Pasquero S, Berto GE, Sgrò F, Chiotto AA, Annaratone L, Sapino A, Bergo A, Landsberger N, Jacqueline Bond J, Huttner WB, Di Cunto F. (2017). ASPM and CITK regulate spindle orientation by affecting the dynamics of astral microtubules. EMBO Rep 18(10): 1870. doi: 10.15252/embr.201745023.
34. Vernì F., Cenci G. (2015). The Drosophila histone variant H2A.V works in concert with HP1 to promote kinetochore-driven microtubule formation. Cell Cycle 14(4): 577–588. doi: 10.4161/15384101.2014.991176.
35. Messina G, Damia E, Fanti L, Atterrato MT, Celauro E, Mariotti FR, Accardo MC, Walther M, Vernì F., Picchioni D, Moschetti M, Caizzi R, Piacentini L, Cenci G, Giordano E, Dimitri P. (2014). Yeti, an essential Drosophila melanogaster gene, encodes a protein required for chromatin organization. J Cell Sci 127(11): 2577–2588. doi: 10.1242/jcs.150243.
36. Marzio A, Merigliano C, Gatti M, Vernì F. (2014). Sugar and chromosome stability: clastogenic effects of sugars in vitamin B6-deficient cells. PLoS Genet 10(3): e1004199. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1004199.
37. Cipressa F, Romano S, Centonze S, zur Lage PI, Vernì F., Dimitri P, Gatti M, Cenci G. (2013). Effete, a Drosophila chromatin-associated ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme that affects telomeric and heterochromatic position effect variegation. Genetics 195(1): 147–158. doi: 10.1534/genetics.113.153320.
38. Mottier-Pavie V, Cenci G, Vernì F., Gatti M, Bonaccorsi S. (2011). Phenotypic analysis of misato function reveals roles of noncentrosomal microtubules in Drosophila spindle formation. J. Cell Sci. 124(4): 706–717.
39. Somma MP, Ceprani F, Bucciarelli E, Naim V, De Arcangelis V, Piergentili R, Palena A, Ciapponi L, Giansanti MG, Pellacani C, Petrucci R, Cenci G, Vernì F., Fasulo B, Goldberg M L, Di Cunto F, Gatti M. (2008). Identification of Drosophila mitotic genes by combining co-expression analysis and RNA interference. PLoS Genet 4(7): e1000126.
40. Corradini N, Rossi F. Giordano E, Caizzi R., Vernì F., Dimitri P. (2007). Drosophila melanogaster as a model for studying protein-encoding genes that are resident in constitutive heterochromatin. Heredity 98(1): 3–12.
41. Dimitri P, Corradini N, Mei E, Rossi F, Zhimulev I, Vernì F. (2005). Transposable elements as artisans of the heterochromatic genome in Drosophila melanogaster. Cytogenetics and Genome Research 110(1-4): 165–172.
42. Dimitri P, Corradini N, Rossi F, Vernì F. (2005). The paradox of functional heterochromatin. Bioessays 27(1): 29–41.
43. Vernì F., Somma MP, Gunsalus KC Bonaccorsi S, Belloni G, Goldberg ML, Gatti M. (2004). Feo, the Drosophila homolog of PRC1, is required for central-spindle formation and cytokinesis. Curr Biol 14(18): 1569–1575.
44. Corradini N, Rossi F, Vernì F., Dimitri P. (2003). FISH analysis of Drosophila melanogaster heterochromatin using BACs and P-elements. Chromosoma 112(1): 26–37.
45. Dimitri P, Corradini N, Rossi F, Vernì F., Cenci G, Belloni G, Zhimulev IF, Koryakov D. (2003). Vital genes in the heterochromatin of chromosomes 2 and 3 of Drosophila melanogaster. Genetica 117(2-3): 209–215.
46. Perotti ME, Cattaneo F, Pasini ME, Vernì F., Hackstein JH. (2001). Male sterile mutant casanova gives clues to mechanisms of sperm-egg interactions in Drosophila melanogaster. Mol Reprod Dev 60(2): 248–259.
47. Vernì F., Gandhi R, Goldberg ML, Gatti M. (2000). Genetic and molecular analysis of wing apart-like (wapl), a gene controlling heterochromatin organization in Drosophila melanogaster. Genetics 154(4): 1693–1710.
48. Pasini ME, Cattaneo F, Vernì F., Perotti ME. (1999). beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase of sperm plasma membrane is crucial for egg fertilization in Drosophila melanogaster. Molecular Biology of the Cell 10(Suppl): 360A–360A.
49. Vernì F., Somma MP, Gandhi R, Goldberg ML, Gatti M. (1997). Genes controlling chromosome structure in Drosophila melanogaster. Chromosomes Today 12: 88–103. Chapman and Hall, London.
50. Gunsalus K, Bonaccorsi S. Williams E, Vernì F., Gatti M, Goldberg M. (1995). Mutations in twinstar, a Drosophila gene encoding a cofilin/ADF homologue, result in defects in centrosome migration and cytokinesis. J. Cell Biol. 131(5): 1243–1259.
51. Cenci G, Bonaccorsi S, Pisano C, Vernì F., Gatti M. (1994). Chromatin and microtubule organisation during premeiotic, meiotic and early postmeiotic stages of Drosophila melanogaster spermatogenesis. J. Cell Science 107(12): 3521–3534.