SHORT CURRICULUM VITAE
Name :
Pasquale Mosesso
Academic address :
Department of Agrobiology and Agrochemistry
University of Tuscia, I-01100 Viterbo, Italy
Telephone :
Fax :
E-mail :
++39 0761 357205
++39 0761 357242
mosesso@unitus.it
Citizenship :
Italian
Date of birth :
10th November 1954
Actual position :
Scientist (Genetic Toxicologist) and Associate Professor (chair of
Genetics and Environmental Mutagenesis), University of Tuscia,
Faculty of Biological Sciences, I-01100 Viterbo, Italy.
His areas of interests are cytogenetics, molecular toxicology,
molecular mechanisms of mutagenesis and chromosomal damage,
biological dosimetry for ionising radiations using molecular
cytogenetic techniques (FISH), human biomonitoring, apoptosis.
TRAINING

1978 Graduate Degree in Biological Sciences, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, Rome,
Italy.

1978 Visitor in the Department of Radiobiology and Radiogenetics, University of Zurich,
(Switzerland). Detection of chromosomal aberrations induced by ionising radiations in the
G2 phase of cell-cycle using auto radiographic methods.

1979 Visitor in the Department of Radiation Genetics and Chemical Mutagenesis,
University of Rome “La Sapienza”. Mechanisms of formation of chromosomal
aberrations using cytogenetic methods. Development of short-term mutagenicity assays to
detect chemical carcinogens.
1980 Group-Leader of the Cytogenetic Section, Department of Mutagenesis, Life Science
Research Roma Toxicology Centre Pomezia (Rome), Italy a Contract Research
Laboratory for non-clinical studies working in “Good Laboratory Practices” (GLP’s) at
international level.


1990 Permanent position as Scientist, Department of Agrobiology and Agrochemistry,
University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy, working mainly in cytogenetics, molecular
toxicology, molecular mechanisms of mutagenesis and chromosomal damage, biological
dosimetry for ionising radiations using molecular cytogenetic techniques (FISH),
influence of microgravity on the induction of chromosomal aberrations induced by
ionising radiations in the space, human biomonitoring and food safety..

1994 Appointed Lecturer of Environmental Mutagenesis and Genetics in the Faculties of
Biological Sciences and Environmental Sciences, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy.

2001 - Present Permanent position as Associate Professor in Genetics (chairs of Genetics
and Environmental Mutagenesis), Faculties of Biological Sciences and Environmental
Sciences, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy.
He is actively participating at national and international meetings for Genetics and
Environmental Mutagenesis and directly involved in numerous EU funded projects.
He is Referee’s of the International Jounrnals “Mutation Research” and “Toxicology
Letters”.
RESEARCH ACCOMPLISHMENTS
 Studies on mechanisms of formation of chromosomal aberrations using inhibitors of DNA
topoisomerase I and II, inhibitors of DNA synthesis, and mammalian cells coming from
genetic syndromes which affect the efficiency and reliability of DNA repair systems.
 Development and validation of short-term mutagenicity assays for detection of chemical
carcinogens such as in vivo and in vitro cytogenetic assays. Attention is also devoted to the
identification of established cell lines with endogenous metabolic capability. He is also
directly involved in the standardisation of genotoxicity test procedures and harmonisation
of guidelines.
 Biological dosimetry in radiological protection using conventional cytogenetic methods
(dicentrics) and molecular cytogenetic methods (FISH techniques and chromosome
painting).
 Radiation biology in space: Evaluation of the effect of microgravity under simulated or in
the space, on the induction of chromosomal aberrations in human lymphocytes.
 Possible role of genotoxicity in the programmed cell death (apoptosis).
 Cytogenetic biomonitoring of human populations exposed to chemical and physical
pollutants.
 International collaboration on genotoxicity of food contaminants (e.g. mycotoxins,
acrylammide, furan etc.)
Significant Scientific Publications (1983-2006)
1. Barale R., Rusciano D., Stretti G., Zucconi D., Monaco M., Mosesso P., Principe
P.(1983) The induction of forward gene mutation and gene conversion in yeasts by
treatment with cyclophosphamide in vitro and in vivo. Mutation Research 111, 295312.
2. Cozzi R., Palitti F., Fiore M., Mosesso P., Ricordy R. and Tanzarella C., (1983)
Induction of chromosomal damage both in vivo and in vitro by 6-mercaptopurine.
Colloque INSERM/EEMS, Mutagenese et Toxicologie Genetique 119, 229-232.
3. Palitti F., Fiore M., De Salvia R., Tanzarella C., Ricordy R., Forster R., Mosesso P.,
Astolfi S. and Loprieno N. (1985) Tests for the induction of chromosomal aberrations
in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells in culture. Progress in Mutation Research 5,
edited by Asby J. and De Serres F.J., 145-150.
4. Davis A., Barale R., Brun G., Forster R., Guenther T., Hautefeuille H., Van der
Heijden C.A., Knaap A.G.A.C., Krowke R., Kuroki T., Loprieno N., Malaveille C.,
Merker H.J., Monaco M., Mosesso P., Neubert D., Norppa H., Sorsa M., Vogel E.,
Voogd C.E. Umeda M. and Bartsch H. (1987) Evaluation of the genetic and
embriotoxic effects of bis(tri-n-butyltin) oxide (TBTO), a broad-spectrum pesticide, in
multiple in vivo and in vitro short-term tests. Mutation Research 188, 65-95.
5. Palitti F., Fiore M., Cozzi R., Ricordy R., Tanzarella C., Mosesso P. and Loprieno N.
(1988) Tests with Swiss albino mice to detect the induction of sister chromatid
exchanges in bone marrow cells. In I.P.C.S. Collaborative Study on in vivo short term
tests. Editors Ashby J. and De Serres F.J., 15-19.
6. Seeberg A.H., Mosesso P., Forster R. (1988) High-dose-level effects in mutagenicity
assays utilising mammalian cells in culture. Mutagenesis 3, 213-218.
7. Forster, R., Campana, A., D’Onofrio, E., Henderson, L., Mosesso, P. and ScorzaBarcellona (1990) Lonidamine: a non-mutagenic antitumor agent, Carcinogenesis 11,
1509-1515.
8. Romero A., Palacin C., Mosesso P., Hodson-Walker G., Marcos R., Batiste-Alentorn
M., (1992) Genotoxicity studies on sertaconazole. Arzneimittelforschung. 42, 743-745.
9. Mosesso P. and Palitti F. (1993) The genetic toxicology of 6-Mercaptopurine,
Mutation Research 296, 279-294.
10. Mosesso P. (1994) Comments on short-term cytogenetic assays for screening of
environmental chemical carcinogens, in Chromosomal Aberrations: Origin and
Significance, edited by G. Obe and A.T. Natarajan, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 343-347.
11. Palitti F., Mosesso P., Di Chiara D., Schinoppi A., Fiore M. and Bassi L. (1994) Use
of antitopoisomerase drugs to study the mechanisms of induction of chromosomal
damage, in Chromosomal Aberrations: Origin and Significance, edited by G. Obe and
A.T. Natarajan, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 103-115.
12. Galloway, S.M., Aardema, M.J., Ishidate, M.Jr., Ivett, J.L., Kirkland, D.J., Morita, T.,
Mosesso, P. and Sofuni, T. (1994) International Workshop on Standardisation of
Genotoxicity Test Procedures. Report from Working Group on in vitro Tests for
Chromosomal Aberrations, Mutation Research 312, 241-261.
13. Mosesso P., Turchi, G., Cinelli, S., Di Chiara, D., Fiore, M. and Palitti, F. (1994)
Clastogenic effects of the dithiocarbamate fungicides thiram and ziram in Chinese
hamster cell lines cultured in vitro, Teratogenesis, Carcinogenesis and Mutagenesis
14, 145-155.
14. Caruso, P., Andreozzi L., Motta, S. and Mosesso P. (1995) Cytogenetic effects of a
naturally occurring ice-nucleation-inactive (non-ina) Pseudomonas fluorescence
bacteria strain in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, Teratogenesis, Carcinogenesis
and Mutagenesis 15, 103-108.
15. Bueren, J., Deldar, A., Gribaldo, L., Hokland, P., Meredith C., Moneta, D., Mosesso,
P., Parchment, R., Parent-Massin, D., Pessina, A., San Roman, J. and Schoeters G.
(1995) Evaluation of Haematotoxic effects using in vitro systems, in Fund for the
Replacement of Animals in Medical Experiments (FRAME), Russel & Burch house,
96-98 North Sherwood Street, Nottingham NG14EE, UK.
16. Mosesso P., Schuber M., Seibt D., Fiore M., Fonti E., Gigliozzi S. and Palitti F.(1996)
Effect of simulated microgravity conditions on radiation-induced chromosome
aberrations and DNA-repair in normal human lymphocytes Proceedings of sixth
European Symposium (European Space Agency ESA SP -390).
17. Chiapella, C., Chipman, J.K., Darroudi, F., Duarte Silva, I., Duverger-van Bogaert,
M., Fonti, E., Glatt, H.R., Isern, P., Laires, A., Llagostera, M., Mosesso, P., Natarajan,
A.T., Palitti, F., Rodriguez, A.S., Schinoppi, A., Turchi, G., Werle-Schneider, G., and
Rueff, J. (1996) Development and validation of alternative metabolic systems for
mutagenicity testing in short-term assays, Mutation Research 353, 151-176.
18. Mosesso P., Darroudi F., Van der Berg M., Vermeulen S., Palitti F. and Natarajan
A.T. (1998) Induction of chromosomal aberrations (unstable and stable) by inhibitors of
topoisomerase II, m-AMSA and VP16, using conventional Giemsa staining and
chromosome painting techniques. Mutagenesis 13, 39-43.
19. Bassi L, Palitti F., Mosesso P. and Natarajan A.T (1998) Distribution of camptothecininduced breakpoints in Chinese hamster cells treated in late S and G2 phases of the cell
cycle. Mutagenesis 13, 257-261.
20. Franchitto P., Pichierri P., Mosesso P. and Palitti F (1998) Evaluation of caffeine
effect on the mitotic delay induced by G2-treatments with UVC or mitomycin-C.
Mutagenesis 13, 499-505.
21. Mosesso P., Schuber M., Seibt D., Schatz A., Fosci A., Fonti E. and Palitti F. (1998)
Evaluation of bleomycin-induced chromosome aberrations under simulated
microgravity conditions in human lymphocytes, using “FISH” techniques. Acta
Astronautica 42, Nos.1-8, 473-488.
22. Mosesso P, Fonti E., Bassi L., Lorenti-Garcia C. and Palitti F. (1999) The conversion
of camptothecin-induced DNA single strand breaks into chromosome aberrations in
G0 human lymphocytes as detected by premature chromosome condensation (PCC)
technique, is possibly associated with chromatin condensation. Mutagenesis 14, no.1,
103-105.
23. Palitti F., Pichierri P., Franchitto A., Proietti-de Santis L. and Mosesso P. (1999)
Chromosome radiosensitivity in human G2 lymphocytes and cell cycle progression.
Int. J. Radiation Biology 75, no.5, 621-627.
24. Franchitto A., Proietti de Santis L., Pichierri P., Mosesso P. and Palitti F., (1999) Lack
of effect of caffeine post-treatment on X-rays chromosomal aberrations in Werner's
syndrome lymphoblastoid cell lines: A preliminary report. International Journal of
Radiation Biology 75, 1349-1355.
25. Pichierri P., Franchitto A., Mosesso P., Proietti de Santis, Balajee A.S., Palitti F.
(2000) Werner’s sindrome lymphoblastoid cells are hypersensitive to topoisomerase II
inhibitors in the G2 phase of the cell cycle. Mutation Res. 459, 123-133.
26. Mosesso P., Pichierri P., Franchitto A. and Palitti F., (2000) Evidence that
camptothecin-induced aberrations in the G2 phase of cell cycle of Chinese hamster
ovary (CHO) cell lines is associated with transcription. Mutation Res. 452, 189-195
27. Franchitto A., Pichierri P., Mosesso P. and Palitti F., (2000) Catalytic inhibition of
topoisomerase II in Werner’s syndrome cell lines enhances chromosomal damage
induced by X-rays in the G2 phase of cell cycle. International Journal of Radiation
Biology 76, 913-922.
28. Pichierri P., Franchitto A., Mosesso P., Palitti F. (2000) Werner’s sindrome cell lines
are hypersensitive to camptothecin-induced chromosomal damage. Mutatation Res.
456, 45-57.
29. Bonassi S., Fenech M., Lando C., Lin Y.P., Ceppi M., Chang WP., Holland N., Kirshvolders M., Zeiger Ban S., Barale R., Bigatti MP., Bolognesi C., Jia C., Di Giorgio
M., Ferguson LR., Fucic A., Lima OG., Hrelia P., Krishnaja AP., Lee TK., Migliore
L., Mikhalevich L., Mirkova E., Mosesso P., Muller WU., Odagiri Y., Scarffì MR.,
Szabova E., Vorobtsova I., Vral A., Zijno A., (2001) HUman MicroNucleus project:
international database comparison for results with the cytokinesis-block micronucleus
assay in human lymphocytes: I. Effect of laboratory protocol, scoring criteria, and host
factors on the frequency of micronuclei. Environ Mol Mutagen. 37, 31-45.
30. Gualandi G., Giselico L., Carboni M., Palitti F., Mosesso P., Alfonsi AM. (2001)
Enhancement of genetic instability in human B cells by Epstein-Barr virus latent
infection. Mutagenesis 16, 203-208.
31. Pichierri Pietro, Franchitto Annapaola, Mosesso Pasquale and Palitti Fabrizio (2001)
Werner’s syndrome protein is required for correct recovery after replication arrest and
DNA damage induced in S-phase of cell cycle. Molecular Biology of the Cell 12, 110.
32. Biondi O., Motta S., Mosesso P. (2002) Low molecular weight polyethylene glycol
induces chromosome aberrations in Chinese hamster cells cultured in vitro.
Mutagenesis 17, 261-264.
33. Mosesso P., Penna S., Pepe G., Lorenti-Garcia C., Palitti F. (2004) Potassium bromate
but not X-rays cause unexpectedly elevated levels of DNA breakage similar to those
induced by ultraviolet light in Cockayne syndrome (CS-B) fibroblasts. Cytogenet
Genome Res. 104, 178-181.
34. Salvatore Motta, Concetta Federico, Salvatore Saccone, Vito Librando and Pasquale
Mosesso (2004) Cytogenetic evaluation of extractable agents from airborne particulate
matter generated in the city of Catania (Italy). Mutation Res. 561, 45-52
35. Mosesso P., Piane M., Palitti F., Pepe G., Penna S., Chessa L., (2005) The novel
human gene aprataxin is directly involved in DNA single-strand-break repair. Cell
Mol. Life Sci. 62, 485-491.
36. Mally A., Pepe G., Ravoori S., Fiore M., Gupta R.C., Dekant W., Mosesso P. (2005)
Ochratoxin A causes DNA damage and cytogenetic effects but no DNA adducts in
rats. Chem. Res. Toxicol. 18, 1253-61.
37. Saladino R., Fiani C., Belfiore M.C., Gualandi G., Penna S., Mosesso P. (2005)
Methyltrioxorhenium catalysed synthesis of highly oxidised aryltetralin lignans with
anti-topoisomerase II and apoptogenic activities. Bioorg. Med. Chem. 13, 5949-60.
38. Claudia Lorenti Garcia, Silvia Filippi, Pasquale Mosesso, Menotti Calvani, Raffaella
Nicolai, Luigi Mosconi and Fabrizio Palitti (2006) The protective effect of L-Carnitine
in peripheral blood human lymphocytes exposed to oxidative agents. Mutagenesis 20,
12-19.