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Paolo Casali

Donald L Bren Professor of Medicine, Molecular Biology & Biochemistry
School of Medicine

Director, Institute for Immunology

M.D., University of Milan, School of Medicine & Surgery, 1974


Specialty in Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of Milan, School of Medicine & Surgery, 1976, Immunology


Specialty in Medical Microbiology, University of Milan, School of Medicine & Surgery, 1984, Microbiology


Doctorat in Immunologie, University of Geneva, Switzerland, 1979, Immunology

Phone: (949) 824-9648
Fax: (949) 824-2305
Email: pcasali@uci.edu

University of California
3208 Hewitt Hall
Mail Code: 4120
Irvine, CA 92697

 picture of Paolo Casali
Research
Interests 		Molecular and Cellular Immunology, Molecular Genetics, Autoimmunity
   
URL Laboratory Site
   
Academic
Distinctions 		Young Turk, The American Society for Clinical Investigation
Elected Member, The Henry Kunkel Society
Elected Fellow, The American Association for Advancement of Science
Editor-in-Chief, AUTOIMMUNITY
   
Appointments Postdoctoral Fellow, The Scripps Research Institute, 1980-81
   
Publications SELECTED PUBLICATIONS (2000-2009)

Park, S.-R., T. Mai, Z. Pal, J. Zhang, A. Al-Qahtani, E.J. Pone, Z. Xu, H. Zan and P. Casali. 2009. The HoxC4 homeodomain transcription factor binds to the AICDA/Aicda promoter to induce AID expression, immunoglobulin class switch DNA recombination and somatic hypermutation. Nature Immunol., in press.

Zan, H., J. Zhang, S. Ardeshna, M. Greenberg, Z. Xu, S.-R. Park and P. Casali. 2009. Lupus-prone MRLfaslpr/lpr mice display increased AID expression and extensive DNA lesions, comprising deletions and insertions, in the immunoglobulin heavy chain locus: Concurrent upregulation of somatic hypermutation and class switch DNA recombination. Autoimmunity 42:89-103.

Zan, H. and P. Casali. 2008. AID- and Ung-dependent generation of resected double-strand DNA breaks in immunoglobulin class switch DNA recombination: a postcleavage role for AID. Mol. Immunol. 46:45-61.

Elkon, K. and P. Casali. 2008. Structure and function of autoantibodies: nature and significance. Nature Clin. Pract. Rheum.4:491-498.

Atassi, M.Z. and P. Casali. 2008. Molecular mechanisms of autoimmunity. Autoimmunity 41:122-132.

Al-Qhatani, A., Z. Xu, H. Zan, C. Walsh and P. Casali. 2008. A role for Drak2 in the germinal center reaction and the antibody response. Autoimmunity 41:341-352.

Xu, Z., E. J. Pone, A. Al-Qahtani, S.-R. Park, H. Zan, and P. Casali 2007. Regulation of aicda expression and AID activity. Crit. Rev. Immunol. 27: 367-397.

Xu, Z., H. Zan, Z. Pal and P. Casali. 2007. DNA replication to aid somatic hypermutation. Adv. Exp. Med. Biol. 596: 111-128.

Duquerroy, S., E.A. Stura, S. Bressanelli, S.M. Fabiane, M.C. Vaney, D. Beale, M. Hamon, P. Casali, F.A. Rey, B.J. Sutton and M.J. Taussig. 2007. Crystal structure of a human autoimmune complex between IgM rheumatoid factor RF61 and IgG1 Fc reveals a novel epitope and evidence for affinity maturation. J. Mol. Biol. 368: 1321-1331.

Casali, P., Z. Pal, Z. Xu and H. Zan. 2006. DNA repair in antibody somatic hypermutation. Trends Immunol. 27:313-321.

Wu, X., C.Y. Tsai, M. Patam, H. Zan, S.M. Lipkin and P. Casali. 2006. A role for the MutL mismatch repair Mlh3 protein in immunoglobulin class switch DNA recombination and somatic hypermutation. J. Immunol. 176: 5426-5437.

Komori, A., Z. Xu, X. Wu, H. Zan and P. Casali. 2006. Biased dA/dT somatic hypermutation as regulated by the heavy chain intronic iEm enhancer and 3'Ea enhancers in human lymphoblastoid B cells. Mol. Immunol. 43: 1817-1826.

Zan, H., N. Shima, Z. Xu, A. Al-Qahtani, A.J. Evinger, III, Y. Zhong, J.C. Schimenti and P. Casali. 2005. The translesion DNA polymerase q plays a dominant role in immunoglobulin gene somatic hypermutation. EMBO J. 24:3757-3769.

Xu, Z., Z. Fulop, Y. Zhong, A.J. Evinger, III, H. Zan, and P. Casali. 2005. DNA lesions and repair in Immunoglobulin class switch DNA recombination and somatic hypermutation. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 1050: 146-162.

Casali, P. and H. Zan. 2004. Class switching and myc translocation: how does DNA break? Nature Immunol. 5: 1101-1103.

Kim, E., C.R. Edmonston, X. Wu, A. Schaffer and P. Casali. 2004. The HoxC4 homeodomain protein mediates activation of the immunoglobulin heavy chain 3' hs1,2 enhancer in human B cells: relevance to class switch DNA recombination. J. Biol. Chem. 279: 42258-42269.

Liu, S., A. Cerutti, P. Casali* and M.K. Crow*. 2004. Ongoing immunoglobulin class switch DNA recombi-nation in lupus B cells: analysis of switch regulatory regions. Autoimmunity 37: 431-443. [*equal contrib.]

Wu, X., H. Zan, A. Komori, J. Feng, E.C. Kim and P. Casali. 2003. Immunoglobulin somatic hypermutation: double-strand DNA breaks, AID and error-prone DNA repair. J. Clin. Immunol. 23: 235-246.

Schaffer, A, E. Kim, H. Zan, L. Testoni, S. Salamon, A. Cerutti and P. Casali. 2003. Selective inhibition of class switching to IgG and IgE by recruitment of the HoxC4 and Oct-1 homeodomain proteins and Ku70/Ku86 to newly identified and conserved ATTT cis-elements. J. Biol. Chem. 278: 23141-23150.

He, B., N. Raab-Traub, A. Chadburn, E.J. Schattner, D.K. Knowles, P. Casali and A. Cerutti. 2003. The EBV oncoprotein LMP1 cooperates with BAFF and APRIL to induce IgH class switch DNA recombination and enhance lymphoma B cell survival. J. Immunol. 171: 5215-5224.

Riboldi, P., W. Ikematsu, B. Brambilla, C. Caprani, M . Gerosa and P. Casali. 2003. Diversity and somatic hypermutation of the Ig VHDJH, Vk-Jk and Vl-Jl gene segments in lymphoma B cells. Relevance to the origin of the neoplastic B cell clone. Human Immunol. 64: 69-81.

Diaz, M. and P. Casali. 2002. Somatic immunoglobulin hypermutation. Curr. Opin. Immunol. 14: 235–240.

Cerutti, A., H. Zan, E. Kim, S. Shah, E.J. Schattner, A. Schaffer and P. Casali. 2002. Ongoing in vivo immunoglobulin class switch DNA recombination in chronic lymphocytic leukemia B cells. J. Immunol. 169: 6594-603.

Litinskiy, M.B., B. Nardelli, D.M. Hilbert, A Schaffer, P. Casali and A. Cerutti. 2002. Dendritic cells induce CD40-independent immunoglobulin class switching by stimulating B cells through BlyS and APRIL. Nat. Immunol. 3: 822-829.

Gurrieri, C., P. McGuire, H. Zan, X.-J. Yan, A. Cerutti, E. Albesiano, S. Allan, V. Vinciguerra, K. Rai, M. Ferrarini, N. Chiorazzi* and P. Casali*. 2002. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia B cells undergo somatic hypermutation and intraclonal Ig VHDJH gene diversification J. Exp. Med. 196: 629-639. [*equal contrib.]

Zan, H., A. Komori, Z. Li, A. Cerutti, M. Flajinik, M. Diaz and P. Casali. 2001. The translesion DNA polymerase z plays a major role in Ig and bcl-6 somatic hypermutation. Immunity 14: 643-653.

Cerutti, A., E. C. Kim, S. Shah, E. J. Schattner, H. Zan, A. Schaffer and P. Casali. 2001. Dysregulation of CD30+ T cells by leukemia impairs isotype switching in normal B cells. Nat. Immunol. 2: 150-156.

Zan, H., Z. Li, K. Yamaji, P. Dramitinos, A. Cerutti and P. Casali. 2000. BCR engagement and T cell contact induce bcl-6 hypermutation in human B cells: identity with Ig hypermutation. J. Immunol. 165: 830-839.

Li, Z., E.W. Schettino, E. Padlan, H. Ikematsu and P. Casali. 2000. Structure-function analysis of a lupus anti-DNA autoantibody: central role of the heavy chain complementarity-determining region 3 Arg in binding double- and single-stranded DNA. Eur. J. Immunol. 30: 2015-2026.

Cerutti, A., A. Schaffer, S. Shah, R. Goodwin, H. Zan and P. Casali. 2000. Engagement by CD153 (CD30L) by CD30+ T cells inhibits class switch DNA recombination and antibody production in human IgM+ IgD+ B cells. J. Immunol. 165: 786-794.
   
Professional
Society 		AAI, AAAS, ASCI
   
Other Experience Editor-in-Chief, AUTOIMMUNITY
Graduate Programs Immunology and Pathogenesis
   
Research Center Director, UCI Institute for Immunology
   
Link to this profile http://www.faculty.uci.edu/profile.cfm?faculty_id=4943
   
Last updated 06/05/2009