Agnetti Giulio

Agnetti Giulio Country: United States
Laboratory webpage
E-mail: gagnett1@jhmi.edu

Participation in Working Groups

  • WG1 - Biophysics of cell and tissue structure
  • WG3 - New methodologies to study mechanobiology of cells and tissues

Research Interests

The Center for Research on Cardiac Intermediate Filaments was funded within the division of Cardiology at Johns Hopkins to foster collaboration projects aimed at elucidating the pathophysiological role of this understudied component of the cytoskeleton in cardiovascular disease. Desmin is the main protein component of the cardiac intermediate filaments. The induction of desmin at the translational and post-translational level (e.g. cleavage) as well as its misfolding are hallmarks of cardiac dysfunction. The ultrastructural implications of a cytoskeletal alteration in the heart are straightforward. In addition, protein misfolding is emerging as a major contributor to the development of cardiovascular disease. Our research interests revolve around the role of desmin post-translational modifications, determining the relative contribution of desmin loss of and gain of toxic function and how to target those pharmacologically to prevent cardiac dysfunction.

Technologies offered to other EuroCellNet participants

We use a combination of cell biology (confocal microscopy, single-site mutagenesis, etc. ), advanced biochemistry (mass spectrometry) and experimental and clinical models of cardiovascular disease spanning from isolated cells, invertebrates, vertebrates and human tissue.

Technologies sought from other EuroCellNet participants

Intermediate filaments biology, live cell imaging, super-resolution microscopy

Publications

1: Rainer PP, Dong P, Sorge M, Fert-Bober J, Holewinski RJ, Wang Y, Foss CA, An
SS, Baracca A, Solaini G, Glabe CG, Pomper MG, Van Eyk JE, Tomaselli GF, Paolocci
N, Agnetti G. Desmin Phosphorylation Triggers Preamyloid Oligomers Formation and
Myocyte Dysfunction in Acquired Heart Failure. Circ Res. 2018 May
11;122(10):e75-e83. doi: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.117.312082. Epub 2018 Feb 26. PubMed
PMID: 29483093; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5948147.

2: Guichard JL, Rogowski M, Agnetti G, Fu L, Powell P, Wei CC, Collawn J,
Dell'Italia LJ. Desmin loss and mitochondrial damage precede left ventricular
systolic failure in volume overload heart failure. Am J Physiol Heart Circ
Physiol. 2017 Jul 1;313(1):H32-H45. doi: 10.1152/ajpheart.00027.2017. Epub 2017
Apr 28. PubMed PMID: 28455287; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5538858.

3: Mercurio V, Pirozzi F, Lazzarini E, Marone G, Rizzo P, Agnetti G, Tocchetti
CG, Ghigo A, Ameri P. Models of Heart Failure Based on the Cardiotoxicity of
Anticancer Drugs. J Card Fail. 2016 Jun;22(6):449-58. doi:
10.1016/j.cardfail.2016.04.008. Epub 2016 Apr 18. Review. PubMed PMID: 27103426.

4: Del Monte F, Agnetti G. Protein post-translational modifications and
misfolding: new concepts in heart failure. Proteomics Clin Appl. 2014
Aug;8(7-8):534-42. doi: 10.1002/prca.201400037. Review. PubMed PMID: 24946239;
PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4560347.

5: Agnetti G, Halperin VL, Kirk JA, Chakir K, Guo Y, Lund L, Nicolini F, Gherli
T, Guarnieri C, Caldarera CM, Tomaselli GF, Kass DA, Van Eyk JE. Desmin
modifications associate with amyloid-like oligomers deposition in heart failure.
Cardiovasc Res. 2014 Apr 1;102(1):24-34. doi: 10.1093/cvr/cvu003. Epub 2014 Jan
9. PubMed PMID: 24413773; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3958618.

6: Kirk JA, Holewinski RJ, Kooij V, Agnetti G, Tunin RS, Witayavanitkul N, de
Tombe PP, Gao WD, Van Eyk J, Kass DA. Cardiac resynchronization sensitizes the
sarcomere to calcium by reactivating GSK-3β. J Clin Invest. 2014
Jan;124(1):129-38. PubMed PMID: 24292707; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3871225.

7: Agnetti G, Husberg C, Van Eyk JE. Divide and conquer: the application of
organelle proteomics to heart failure. Circ Res. 2011 Feb 18;108(4):512-26. doi:
10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.110.226910. Review. PubMed PMID: 21335433; PubMed Central
PMCID: PMC3936251.

8: Agnetti G, Kaludercic N, Kane LA, Elliott ST, Guo Y, Chakir K, Samantapudi D,
Paolocci N, Tomaselli GF, Kass DA, Van Eyk JE. Modulation of mitochondrial
proteome and improved mitochondrial function by biventricular pacing of
dyssynchronous failing hearts. Circ Cardiovasc Genet. 2010 Feb;3(1):78-87. doi:
10.1161/CIRCGENETICS.109.871236. Epub 2009 Nov 17. PubMed PMID: 20160199; PubMed
Central PMCID: PMC2921909.

9: Ablasser K, Verheyen N, Glantschnig T, Agnetti G, Rainer PP. Unfolding Cardiac
Amyloidosis - From Pathophysiology to Cure. Curr Med Chem. 2018 Jan 4. doi:
10.2174/0929867325666180104153338. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 29303069.

10: Agnetti G, Piepoli MF, Siniscalchi G, Nicolini F. New Insights in the
Diagnosis and Treatment of Heart Failure. Biomed Res Int. 2015;2015:265260. doi:
10.1155/2015/265260. Epub 2015 Oct 26. Review. PubMed PMID: 26634204; PubMed
Central PMCID: PMC4637457.

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