Overview

The precise elaboration and specification of neuronal circuits is at the basis of any properly functioning nervous system. For circuits to be established, neurons form remarkably accurate connections with their target cells during development. How are these connections established? Neurons send out cell protrusions called axons, which navigate in a complex environment to reach their exact target, a process known as axon guidance. Understanding the key molecules that induce the formation of such precise circuits is crucial, because any failure in this process, either during development or following injury or disease, impairs the proper function of the nervous system. Axons

Research directions

We investigate the cellular and molecular mechanisms that enable axons to grow and to accurately find their targets during development. We are particularly interested in understanding the role of non-coding RNAs in this process.

Group members

  • Marie-Laure Baudet, PI
  • Giorgia Susin, PhD student
  • Gianluca Leonardi, Research assistant (Predoc)
  • Angelica Palmieri, Master’s Student 
  • Irene Moscato, Undergraduate student 
  • Vanessa Dassi, Undergraduate student 

Post-doctoral and PhD positions are currently available. Please contact marielaure.baudet [at] unitn.it

Ongoing collaborations

  • Vladimir Benes, EMBL Heidelberg, Germany 
  • Tobias Jakobi, University of Arizona, USA 
  • Cei Abreu-Goodger, The University of Edinburgh, UK 
  • Gabriella Viero, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Trento, Italy 
  • Erik Dassi, Department CIBIO, University of Trento, Italy 
  • Toma Tebaldi, Department CIBIO, University of Trento, Italy
  • Pietro Fratta, UCL, UK
  • Nicol Birsa, UCL, UK 

Grants

  • Giovanni Armenise-Harvard Mid-Career Award, 2020-2023
  • Progetti di Relevante Interesse Nazionale (PRIN), 2017-2023
  • Scientific Independence for young Researchers (SIR), 2015-2019
  • Marie Curie Action FP7 Career Integration Grant, 2014-2018
  • Giovanni Armenise-Harvard 2012 Career Development Award, 2012-2017

Selected publications

Research articles

Paramasivam P, Stöter M, Corradi E, Dalla Costa I, Höijer A, Bartesaghi S, Sabirsh A, Lindfors L, Yanez Arteta M, Nordberg P, Andersson S, Baudet ML, Bickle M, Zerial M. (2022) Quantitative intracellular retention of delivered RNAs through optimized cell fixation and immunostaining. RNA. Mar;28(3):433-446. https://doi.org/10.1261/rna.078895.121

Corradi E, Boscheri W and Baudet ML. SHOT-R: a next generation algorithm for particle kinematics analysis (Bioarxiv, doi.org/10.1101/2021.12.21.473703) https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.12.21.473703v1

Corradi E, Dalla Costa E Gavoci A, Iyer A, Roccuzzo M, Otto TA, Oliani E, Bridi S, Strohbuecker S, Santos-Rodriguez G, Valdembri D, Serini G, Abreu-Goodger C, and Baudet ML (2020), Axonal precursor miRNAs hitchhike on endosomes and locally regulate the development of neural circuits. EMBO journal, (2020)39:e102513 https://doi.org/10.15252/embj.2019102513

Toparlak D, Zasso J, Bridi S, Dalla Serra M, Macchi P, Conti L, Baudet ML, Mansy S. Artificial cells drives neural differentiation (2020) Science Advances. 6(38):eabb4920. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abb4920

Bellon A, Iyer A, Bridi S, Lee FC, Ovando-Vázquez C, Corradi E, Longhi S, Roccuzzo M, Strohbuecker S, Naik S, Sarkies P, Miska E, Abreu-Goodger C, Holt CE, Baudet ML (2017) miR-182 Regulates Slit2-Mediated Axon Guidance by Modulating the Local Translation of a Specific mRNA. Cell Reports. 2017 18(5):1171-1186. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2016.12.093 

Leung LC, Urbančič V, Baudet ML, Dwivedy A, Bayley TG, Lee AC, Harris WA, Holt CE (2013) Coupling of NF-protocadherin signaling to axon guidance by cue-induced translation. Nature Neuroscience. 2013 16(2):166-73. https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.3290 

Baudet ML, Zivraj K, Abreu-Goodger C, Muldal A, Armisen J, Blenkiron C, Goldstein LD, Miska E and Holt CE (2012) miR-124 acts through coREST to control onset of Sema3A sensitivity in navigating retinal growth cones. Nature Neuroscience 15, 29-38. https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.2979
 

Reviews

Corradi and Baudet (2020)  In the right place at the right time: miRNAs as key regulators of developing axons. . Special Issue "Molecular Mechanisms of Neural Circuit Development and Regeneration" for the International Journal of Molecular Sciences. Guest editors: Dr. De Groef and Prof. Dr. Moons. Int J Mol Sci. 2020 Nov 18;21(22):8726. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21228726

Iyer A, Bellon A and Baudet ML (2014). microRNAs: roles in axon guidance. Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience Mar 14;8:78. https://doi.org/10.3389/fncel.2014.00078

Baudet ML, Bellon A and Holt CE (2013). Role of microRNAs in Semaphorin function and neural circuit formation. Seminars in cell and developmental biology 24, 146-55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.semcdb.2012.11.004