Staff

Dr. Gustavo A. Folle, Head (Full Time)
Dr. Wilner Martínez-López, Research Associate (G4, Full Time)
Dra. María Vittoria DI Tomaso, Research Assistant (G3, Part Time)
Dra. Valentina Porro, Technician
Bach. María Inés Prosper, Fellow of the Ministry of Education and Culture
Lic. Leticia Méndez, Research Assistant (G2) under contract (CSIC-UDELAR Project)
Ing. Agr. Beatriz López, Research Assistant (G1) under contract (CSIC-UDELAR Project)

Research

The main research area of the Department is the study of the mechanisms involved in the induction of chromosomal aberrations. Our group has analysed the action of different clastogenic agents (radiation, DNase I, AluI, BamHI, anti-Topo II compounds) in the induction and localisation of induced genetic damage. The relationship between chromosome breakpoint clusters and hyperacetylated chromatin was initially described by us.

Publications

Chatterjee S, Martínez-López W, Grigorova M, Darroudi F, Obe G, Natarajan AT Comparison of AluI-induced frequencies of dicentrics and translocations in human lymphocytes by chromosome painting. Mutagenesis 14 (3): 283-286.

Martínez-López W, Porro V, Folle GA, Méndez-Acuña L, Savage JRK, Obe G. Interchromosomal distribution of gamma ray-induced chromatid aberrations in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. Genetics and Molecular Biology 23 (4): 1071-1076.

Martínez-López W, Folle GA, Obe G, Jeppesen P. Chromosome regions enriched in hyperacetylated histone H4 are preferred sites for endonuclease- and radiation-induced breakpoints Chromosome Research 9: 69-75.

Obe G, Pfeiffer P, Savage JRK, Johannes C, Goedecke, Jeppesen P, Natarajan AT, Martínez-López W, Folle GA, Drets ME. Chromosomal Aberrations: formation, identification and distribution. Mutation Research 504: 17-36

García G, Syllos Cólus IM, Martínez-López W, Azpelicueta M. A methodological approach to evaluate genotoxicity in the aquatic environment using micronuclei and RAPD. J. Basic & Applied Research 14 (3): 73-77.

Martínez-López W, Folle GA, Cassina G, Méndez-Acuña L, Di Tomaso MV, Obe G, Palitti F. Distribution of breakpoints induced by etoposide and X-rays along the CHO X chromosome. Cytogenetic and Genome Research

Awards

Martínez-López W, Folle GA, Jeppesen P, Obe G. “Mutagenèse 99” Award of the International Board of the SBMCTA Congress to the poster: “Induced breakpoint clusters and hyperacetylated active chromatin map to the same chromosome regions“ December 5-8, Aguas de San Pedro, SP, Brasil,

Teaching and Training activities

Number of Master students: 3 Number of PhD students: 4

PregraduateTraining of students coming from the Faculties of Sciences and Medicine: 5

Referee of Master Thesis: 6

Referee of PhD Thesis: 3

Referee of Pregraduate works: 2

National Postgraduate Courses organized by the Department: 9

Participation in National Postgraduate Courses: 6

International Postgraduate Courses organized by the Department:

“New Approaches in the study of Radiation-induced and Cancer Associated Chromosomal Aberrations”. Sponsored by IIBCE, ACAL, PEDECIBA, Embassy of France, and Istituto Italiano di Cultura. May 22-31.

“Modern Approaches in the Principles and Applications of Cell sorting and Flow Cytometry” Sponsored by EMBO, ICRO-UNESCO, TWAS, PEDECIBA, and IIBCE. May 14-24.

Services and outreach activities

The Department operates the Cytometry Service of the Institute including a FacsVantage Flow Cytometer and Cell Sorter as well as a FacsCount for HIV studies. The Service develops at the moment six different research or applied projects with the Departments of Neurochemistry (IIBCE), Biochemistry (Faculty of Medicine), Genetics (Faculty of Agronomy), Pereira Rossell Hospital (Ministry of Health), Genetic Toxicology (IIBCE) and Quiniman Corporation.