Claudia Bagni, PhD—University of Rome
Molecular Interactions between FMRP, the Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein, and Protein Translation Apparatus.

Claudia Bagni, PhD, Principal Investigator

FRAXA Awards:

$28,000 in 2001
$37,000 in 2000


The primary role of the fragile X protein (FMRP) in normal cells appears to be the regulation of protein synthesis in response to activity in a number of signaling pathways. This research groups focuses on understanding the specific molecular interactions which regulate protein synthesis, and how they are altered in fragile X.
Synaptic Function of FMRP

Dr. Bagni published an article entitled Signals, synapses, and synthesis: how new proteins control plasticity on this topic in 2009: visit http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19838324

by Michael Tranfaglia, MD, 8/2000, 4/1/2011

Research has shown that the fragile X protein, FMRP, has several possible functions within neurons. It appears to shuttle between the nucleus and the cytoplasm of cells, and it is present in dendrites and at synapses. Moreover, FMR1 mRNA is translated at synapses in response to synaptic activity. Dr. Bagni's FRAXA grant enabled her to further define these processes: how the FMR1 mRNA gets to the dendrites, how the protein FMRP is made there and how it then influence synthesis of other proteins at the synapses. It also enabled her to identify and characterize some messenger RNAs that interact with FMRP at synapses.