Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membrane-bound cell-derived nano-shuttles encompassing a wide variety of particles with different size, biogenesis, and content. They are a preserved evolutionary mechanism of intercellular and inter-individual communication mediating several physiological and pathological events also related to external/environmental modifiers such as pollutants, temperature, infectious agents. EVs deliver their cargo composed of proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids from a donor to a recipient organism including humans and any animal cells, plants, bacteria, and virus. Based on the acquired experience of the research group, this project will study EV features in both free-ranging and under-human care (UHC) cetaceans, analyzing blow samples and - from UHC animals - also blood and urine.

Cetaceans, as other aquatic animals, are important environmental bioindicators playing a key role in global ecosystems. A comparison between wild and UHC subjects will preliminarily explore the role of EVs as novel biomarkers of animal and environmental health status. Additionally, in this project, in-vitro 3D models of dolphin immortalized fibroblasts and blood-derived cells lines - also inducing pluripotent stem cells - will be used to better test changes in EV-profile under pathological stimuli such as pollutants and infectious agents. Finally, studies on other aquatic species, such as clams, and on 3D in vitro models from other terrestrial animal species - which are already ongoing within the research group - will intersect this project being implemented with the study of EVs.

Five publications related to the Research Topic for the candidate interview:

1. Magnadóttir B, Uysal-Onganer P, Kraev I, Svansson V, Hayes P, Lange S. Deiminated proteins and extracellular vesicles - Novel serum biomarkers in whales and orca. Comp Biochem Physiol Part D Genomics Proteomics. 2020 Jun;34:100676. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbd.2020.100676. Epub 2020 Feb 20. PMID: 32114311.
2. Liu L, Gao L, Zhou K, Li Q, Xu H, Feng X, Wang L, Song L. The expression patterns of exosomal miRNAs in the Pacific oyster after high-temperature stress or Vibrio stimulation. Dev Comp Immunol. 2024 Jul;156:105174. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dci.2024.105174. Epub 2024 Mar 26. PMID: 38548001.
3. Wang Y, Zhao D, Hu J, Bao Z, Wang M. Proteomic analysis of exosomes in pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas during bacterial stimulation. Fish Shellfish Immunol. 2022 Aug;127:1024-1032. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fsi.2022.07.049. Epub 2022 Jul 20. PMID: 35870748.
4. Biller SJ, Coe A, Arellano AA, Dooley K, Silvestri SM, Gong JS, Yeager EA, Becker JW, Chisholm SW. Environmental and Taxonomic Drivers of Bacterial Extracellular Vesicle Production in Marine Ecosystems. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2023 Jun 28;89(6):e0059423. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1128/aem.00594-23. Epub 2023 May 18. PMID: 37199672; PMCID: PMC10304870.
5. Landrau-Giovannetti N, Rogers J, Murray R, Reichley SR, Moore DP, Madrigal T, Brown A, Meredith A, Childers C, Sparks D, Solangi M, Peterman B, Lawrence M, Kaplan BLF. Determination of PCB and PAH tissue levels in bottlenose dolphins that stranded in the Mississippi sound before and after the unusual mortality event in 2019. Sci Total Environ. 2024 Dec 1;954:176747. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.176747. Epub 2024 Oct 6. PMID: 39378936.

Tutor: Prof. Valentina Zappulli
mail: valentina.zappulli@unipd.it