The recent advances in the ion-channel field have revolutionized the perception of the biological membrane dynamic properties. Ion-coupled processes occurring in the phospholipid bilayer play a crucial role in energy transduction, movement, antibiosis, and sensing processes. The selective control of ion gradients can, therefore, constitute a privileged entry portal for the development of new pharmaceuticals, a valuable tool for the design of nanoscale transducers, and a favored starting point to better understand the chemistry and physiology of fundamental cell processes.

We are interested in the understanding of the correlation between molecular structure and self-organization properties of ionophores and their activity. During the years we have investigated a variety of structurally different molecules ranging from simple peptide or steroid based molecules to more complex calixarene architectures with interesting results in terms of activity, ion selectivity and, in some cases, biological activity (1)

More recently we are focused on two different approaches. On one side the obtainment of large and stable ion channels, which may find applications in the development of sensing devices, by exploiting the metal mediated self-assembling of functionalized porphyrins. This process leads to large and stable empty cubic structures (Figure a) which form stable pores in the membrane. On the other side we are exploring the anion transporting properties of small metal complexes (Figure b) on the search of efficient chloride transporters which are proposed as new leads for the treatment of genetic diseases, such as cystic fibrosis, deriving from the impairment of chloride transport through the CFTR anion channel in epithelial cell membranes.

 

In the presentation we will discuss our results focusing on the structure/activity relationship and on the more recent systems investigated.

 

(1) De Riccardis, F.; Izzo, I.; Montesarchio, D. Tecilla, P. Acc. Chem. Res. 2013, 46, 2781–2790.

 

Paolo Tecilla is Full Professor of Organic Chemistry at the Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Science of the University of Trieste.

He received the degree in Chemistry at the University of Padova in 1984 and the PhD degree in Chemistry at the University of Padova in 1988 working in the group of Prof. U. Tonellato. He was research associate from 1989 to 1990 at the University of Pittsburgh (PA, USA) with Prof. A. D. Hamilton. From 1990 to 1998 he joined the Organic Chemistry Department of the University of Padova as University Research Chemist. In November 1998 he moved to the Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Trieste, first as Associated Professor and since 2001 as Full Professor of Organic Chemistry.

The research activity is concentrated in the Supramolecular Chemistry field and in particular in the study of systems with properties of recognition (selectivity), catalysis, transport and sensing. More in detail: reactivity in organized systems (surfactant aggregates, macro- or pseudomacrocyclic compounds) and in particular metal ion catalyzed hydrolysis of esters of carboxylic and phosphoric acids including DNA; enantioselective hydrolysis of alpha-amino esters; extraction of metal ions from bulk water using metalloaggregates; transport of metal ion and organic molecules across bulk and phospholipidic membranes; use of surfactant aggregates, peptide-structures and silica nanoparticles as platform for the realization of supramolecular sensors. More recently the research has been focussed on the development of synthetic ionophores obtained by metal-mediated self-assembling of porphyrins and on the study of the ionophoric activity of metal ion complexes.

He is co-author of more than 110 publications in international journals (included some chapter on books) and he has been invited to give several lectures on Italian and foreign research institutions. In 2016 he was awarded by the Organic Chemistry Division of the Italian Chemical Society for the methodological aspects of his research. He is member of the Italian Chemical Society and of the American Chemical Society and peer-reviewer of several international journals. 

He has been in charge of several academic positions and in the period 2011-2013 he was head of the Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Science.