Education

Ph.D. in Cellular Biology and Physiology, Bologna University, Italy, 1994

Current Position

Professor and Chair in Botany, Department of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy

Publications (since 2003)

1. Del Duca, S., Verderio, E., Serafini-Fracassini, D., Iorio, R. and Cai, G. (2013). The plant extracellular transglutaminase: what mammal analogues tell. Amino Acids.
2. Del Duca, S., Serafini-Fracassini, D. and Cai, G. (2013). An unconventional road for the secretion of transglutaminase in pollen tubes? Plant Signal Behav 8(6).
3. Del Duca, S., Faleri, C., Iorio, R. A., Cresti, M., Serafini-Fracassini, D. and Cai, G. (2013). Distribution of transglutaminase in pear pollen tubes in relation to cytoskeleton and membrane dynamics. Plant Physiol 161(4): 1706-1721.
4. Iorio, R. A., Del Duca, S., Calamelli, E., Pula, C., Lodolini, M., Scamardella, F., Pession, A. and Ricci, G. (2013). Citrus allergy from pollen to clinical symptoms. PLoS One 8(1): e53680.
5. Beninati, S., Iorio, R. A., Tasco, G., Serafini-Fracassini, D., Casadio, R. and Del Duca, S. (2013). Expression of different forms of transglutaminases by immature cells of Helianthus tuberosus sprout apices. Amino Acids 44(1): 271-283.
6. Pagliarani, G., Paris, R., Iorio, A. R., Tartarini, S., Del Duca, S., Arens, P., Peters, S. and van de Weg, E. (2012). Genomic organisation of the Mal d 1 gene cluster on linkage group 16 in apple. Mol Breed 29(3): 759-778.
7. Cai, G., Serafini-Fracassini, D. and Del Duca, S. (2013). Regulation of Pollen Tube Growth by Transglutaminase. Plants 2(1): 87-106.
8. Cai, G., Faleri, C., Cresti, M., Di Sandro, A., Serafini-Fracassini, D. and Del Duca, S. (2011). Pollen Tube Cytoskeleton, Transglutaminases and Self-Incompatibility. Acta Horticulturae 967:149-156.
9. Aloisi, I., Del Duca, S., De Franceschi, P., Dondini, L., Iorio, R., Serafini-Fracassini, D., Sansavini, S., Cai, G. and Faleri, C. (2011). Post-Translational Modification by Transglutaminase of Proteins Involved in Pear Self-Incompatibility. Acta Horticulturae 967:141-148.
10. Gentile, A., Antognoni, F., Iorio, R. A., Distefano, G., Las Casas, G., La Malfa, S., Serafini-Fracassini, D. and Del Duca, S. (2012). Polyamines and transglutaminase activity are involved in compatible and self-incompatible pollination of Citrus grandis. Amino Acids 42(2-3): 1025-1035.
11. Iorio, R. A., Di Sandro, A., Paris, R., Pagliarani, G., Tartarini, S., Ricci, G., Serafini-Fracassini, D., Verderio, E. and Del Duca, S. (2012). Simulated environmental criticalities affect transglutaminase of Malus and Corylus pollens having different allergenic potential. Amino Acids 42(2-3): 1007-1024.
12. Di Sandro, A., Del Duca, S., Verderio, E., Hargreaves, A. J., Scarpellini, A., Cai, G., Cresti, M., Faleri, C., Iorio, R. A., Hirose, S., Furutani, Y., Coutts, I. G., Griffin, M., Bonner, P. L. and Serafini-Fracassini, D. (2010). An extracellular transglutaminase is required for apple pollen tube growth. Biochem J 429(2): 261-271.
13. Serafini-Fracassini, D., Di Sandro, A. and Del Duca, S. (2010). Spermine delays leaf senescence in Lactuca sativa and prevents the decay of chloroplast photosystems. Plant Physiol Biochem 48(7): 602-611.
14. Del Duca, S., Cai, G., Di Sandro, A. and Serafini-Fracassini, D. (2010). Compatible and self-incompatible pollination in Pyrus communis displays different polyamine levels and transglutaminase activity. Amino Acids 38(2): 659-667.
15. Della, Mea. M., Serafini-Fracassini, D., Iorio, R. and Del, Duca. S. (2009). Interpreting the action of polyamines: the role of transglutaminase. In: Biologically active amines and related enzymes: biochemical, physiological and clinical aspects. Toninello, A. (eds). Published by Transworld Research Network, Trivandrum, India.
16. Del Duca, S., Serafini-Fracassini, D., Bonner, P., Cresti, M. and Cai, G. (2009). Effects of post-translational modifications catalysed by pollen transglutaminase on the functional properties of microtubules and actin filaments. Biochem J 418(3): 651-664.
17. Serafini-Fracassini, D., Della Mea, M., Tasco, G., Casadio, R. and Del Duca, S. (2009). Plant and animal transglutaminases: do similar functions imply similar structures? Amino Acids 36(4): 643-657.
18. Serafini-Fracassini, D. and Del Duca, S. (2008). Transglutaminases: widespread cross-linking enzymes in plants. Ann Bot 102(2): 145-152.
19. Iorio, R. A., Di Sandro, A., Scarpellini, A., Del Duca, S., Serafini-Fracassini, D. and Verderio, E. A. (2008). Visualisation of transglutaminase-mediated cross-linking activity in germinating pollen by laser confocal microscopy. Plant Biosyst 142(2): 360-365.
20. Della Mea, M., Serafini-Fracassini, D. and Del Duca, S. (2007). Programmed cell death: similarities and differences in animals and plants. A flower paradigm. Amino Acids 33(2): 395-404.
21. Della Mea M, Serafini Fracassini D, Del Duca S (2007). Transglutaminase, an enzyme involved in flower senescence and developmental cell death. Caryologia  60,  188-191. I.F. 0.231
22. Del Duca, S., Betti, L., Trebbi, G., Serafini-Fracassini, D. and Torrigiani, P. (2007). Transglutaminase activity changes during the hypersensitive reaction, a typical defense response of tobacco NN plants to TMV. Physiol Plant 131(2): 241-250.
23. Sobieszczuk‐Nowicka, E., Di Sandro, A., Del Duca, S., Serafini‐Fracassini, D. and Legocka, J. (2007). Plastid‐membrane‐associated polyamines and thylakoid transglutaminases during etioplast‐to‐chloroplast transformation stimulated by kinetin. Physiol Plant 130(4): 590-600.
24. Della Mea, M., De Filippis, F., Genovesi, V., Serafini Fracassini, D. and Del Duca, S. (2007). The acropetal wave of developmental cell death of tobacco corolla is preceded by activation of transglutaminase in different cell compartments. Plant Physiol 144(2): 1211-1222.
25. Di Sandro, A., Serafini-Fracassini, D., Del Duca, S., Della Mea, M., Faleri, C., Cai, G., De Franceschi, P., Dondini, L. and Sansavini, S. (2007). Pollen Transglutaminase in Pear Self Incompatibility and Relationships with S-RNases and S-Allele Variability. Acta Horticulturae, 800(1): 423-429.
26. Del Duca, S. and Serafini-Fracassini, D. (2005). Transglutaminases of higher, lower plants and fungi. Prog Exp Tumor Res 38: 223-247.
27. Capell, T., Claparols, I., Del Duca, S., Bassie, L., Miro, B., Rodriguez-Montesinos, J., Christou, P. and Serafini-Fracassini, D. (2004). Producing transglutaminases by molecular farming in plants: minireview article. Amino Acids 26(4): 419-423.
28. Claparols, M. I., Bassie, L., Miro, B., Del Duca, S., Rodriguez-Montesinos, J., Christou, P., Serafini-Fracassini, D. and Capell, T. (2004). Transgenic rice as a vehicle for the production of the industrial enzyme transglutaminase. Transgenic Res 13(2): 195-199.
29. Della Mea, M., Di Sandro, A., Dondini, L., Del Duca, S., Vantini, F., Bergamini, C., Bassi, R. and Serafini-Fracassini, D. (2004). A Zea mays 39-kDa thylakoid transglutaminase catalyses the modification by polyamines of light-harvesting complex II in a light-dependent way. Planta 219(5): 754-764.
30. Dondini, L., Del Duca, S., Dall'Agata, L., Bassi, R., Gastaldelli, M., Della Mea, M., Di Sandro, A., Claparols, I. and Serafini-Fracassini, D. (2003). Suborganellar localisation and effect of light on Helianthus tuberosus chloroplast transglutaminases and their substrates. Planta 217(1): 84-95.