I received my Master’s of Science degree, summa cum laude, in Cell Biology from the University of Roma “La Sapienza” in 2012. I then joined the working group of Prof. Cesare Montecucco at the University of Padova, Department of Biomedical Sciences. My PhD work focussed on the discovery of new small-molecules inhibitors able to prevent the neuroparalytic action of botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs). I established an innovative strategy based on the possibility to hamper different and essential intracellular steps of BoNTs mechanism of intoxication shared among the different serotypes of toxins, thus independently from their antigenicity. Moreover, I provided further details about BoNTs cellular uptake into nerve terminals that led us to identify new important process of neuronal physiology. In July 2016, I joined the lab of Prof. Volker Haucke in Berlin. My current research, as postdoctoral researcher, focuses on the molecular mechanisms and pathways involved in the endocytosis at central nerve terminals.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=domenico+azarnia+tehran&sort=dateKuijpers M.*, Azarnia Tehran D.*, Haucke V. and Soykan T. The axonal endolysosomal and autophagic systems. Journal of Neurochemistry 2020 Dec 28 doi: 10.1111/jnc.15287
*co-first authorship
Azarnia Tehran D.*, Lopez-Hernandez T.* and Maritzen T. Endocytic Adaptor Proteins in Health and Disease: Lessons from Model Organisms and Human Mutations. Cells 2019 Oct 29;8(11)
*co-first authorship
Azarnia Tehran D.* and Pirazzini M.*. Preparation of Cerebellum Granule Neurons from mouse or rat pups and evaluation of clostridial neurotoxin activity and their inhibitors by Western blot and immunohistochemistry. Bio-protocol 2018 8(13):e2981
*co-senior authorship
Azarnia Tehran D.* and Pirazzini M.*. Novel botulinum neurotoxins: exploring below the iceberg tip. Toxins. 2018 May 10(5), 190
*co-senior authorship
Pirazzini M, Azarnia Tehran D., Zanetti G., Rossetto O., Montecucco C. Hsp90 and Thioredoxin-Thioredoxin Reductase enable the catalytic activity of Clostridial neurotoxins inside nerve terminals. Toxicon. 2018 Jun 1;147:32-37. Epub 2017 Oct 28
Azarnia Tehran D.*, Kuijpers M.* and Haucke V. Presynaptic endocytic factors in autophagy and neurodegeneration. Curr Opin Neurobiol. 2018 Feb;48:153-159. Epub 2018 Jan 6
*co-first authorship
Azarnia Tehran D.*, Pirazzini M.*, Leka O., Mattarei A., Lista F., Binz T., Rossetto O., Montecucco C. Hsp90 facilitates the folding of clostridial neurotoxins enzymatic domain into host cell cytosol. Cell Microbiol. 2017 Feb 19(2)
*co-senior authorship
Anniballi F., Fillo S., Giordani F., Auricchio B., Azarnia Tehran D., Di Stefano E., Mandarino G., De Medici D., Lista F. Multiple-locus variable number of tandem repeat analysis as a tool for molecular epidemiology of botulism: The Italian experience. Infect Genet Evol. 2016 Dec;46:28-32. Epub 2016 Oct 19
Zornetta I.*, Azarnia Tehran D.*, Arrigoni G.*, Anniballi F., Bano L., Leka O., Zanotti G., Binz T., Montecucco C. The first non Clostridial botulinum-like toxin cleaves VAMP within the juxtamembrane domain. Sci. Rep. 2016 July 22; 6:30257
*co-first authorship
Schnell L., Mittler A.K., Mattarei A., Azarnia Tehran D., Montecucco C., Barth H. Semicarbazone EGA inhibits uptake of diphtheria toxin into human cells and protects cells from intoxication. Toxin (Basel). 2016 Jul 15; 8(221)
Schnell L., Mittler A.K., Sadi M., Popoff M.R., Schwan C., Aktories K., Mattarei A., Azarnia Tehran D., Montecucco C., Barth H. EGA protects mammalian cells from Clostridium difficile CDT, Clostridium perfrigens iota toxin and Clostridium botulinum C2 toxin. Toxins (Basel). 2016 Apr 1;8(4)
Pirazzini M., Azarnia Tehran D., Leka O., Zanetti G., Rossetto O., Montecucco C. On the translocation of botulinum and tetanus neurotoxins across the membrane of acidic intracellular compartments. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2016 Mar; 1853(3):467-74
Azarnia Tehran D.*, Zanetti G.*, Oneda L., Florigio L., Fillo S., Binz T.,
Clifford C.C., Rossetto O., Montecucco
C., Paradisi C., Mattarei A., Pirazzini M. A novel inhibitor prevents the peripheral neuroparalysis of botulinum neurotoxins. Sci Rep. 2015 Dec 16; 5:17513
*co-first authorship
Zanetti G.*, Azarnia Tehran D.*, Pirazzini M., Binz T., Shone C.C., Fillo S., Lista F., Rossetto O., Montecucco C. Inhibition of botulinum neurotoxins interchain disulfide bond reduction prevents the peripheral neuroparalysis of botulism. Biochem. Pharmacol. 2015 Dec 1; 98(3):522-30
*co-first authorship
Giordani F., Fillo S., Anselmo A., Palozzi A.M., Fortunato A., Gentile B., Azarnia Tehran D., Ciammaruconi A., Spagnolo F., Pittiglio V., Anniballi F., Auricchio B., De Medici D., Lista F. Genomic characterization of italian Clostridium botulinum group I strains. Infect Genet Evol. 2015 Dec; 36:62-71
Pirazzini M., Azarnia Tehran D., Zanetti G., Lista F., Binz T., Shone CC., Rossetto O., Montecucco C. The thioredoxin reductase-thioredoxin redox system cleaves the interchain disulphide bond of botulinum neurotoxins on the cytosolic surface of synaptic vesicles. Toxicon. 2015 Dec; 107(Pt A):32-36
Pirazzini M.*, Azarnia Tehran D.*, Zanetti G., Megighian A., Scorzeto M., Fillo S., Shone C.C., Binz T., Rossetto O., Lista F., Montecucco C. Thioredoxin and its reductase are present on synaptic vesicles, and their inhibition prevents the paralysis induced by botulinum neurotoxins. Cell Rep. 2014 Sep 25;8(6):1870-8
*co-first authorship.