Lucia Manni

Associate Professor of Comparative Anatomy and Cytology

Ascidian Biology Lab

Dipartimento di Biologia - Università di Padova

About me

Degree with full marks in Biological Sciences in 1988.

Experience and knowledge: more than 20 years of uninterrupted activity of teaching and research at the Faculty of Sciences, University of Padova.

Since 1998, Researcher at the same Faculty.

Teacher of Comparative Anatomy of Vertebrates (first level degree in Natural Science) and Embryology (first level degree in Molecular Biology).

Member of the research group of Developmental Biology and Morphogenesis of the Department of Biology, University of Padova.

National Scientific Qualification as Full Professor of "Comparative Anatomy and Cytology" in 2014.

Scientific activity

Author of more than 60 papers published in international and national peer reviewed journals

• • Chair and Organizer of the Meeting “Fifty years of Botryllus schlosseri as a model organism in biology: results and perspectives” Dip. Biologia, University of Padova, 29 June 2007

  • Invited speaker in many international and national conferences, workshops and seminars;

  • Associate Editor of the international journal Italian Journal of Zoology

  • Partner in the international joint project Italy/U.K. (2009)

  • Member of the European Network of Excellence "Marine genomics"

  • Reviewer of scientific papers for a number of peer reviewed international journals (Zoomorphology; Zoological Science; Journal of Experimental Zoology part B - Molecular and Developmental Biology; Invertebrate Biology; Italian Journal of Zoology; Biological Bullettin)

  • Reviewer (“rapporteur”) for the “Thèse de doctorat de l’Université Paris XI – Orsay (FR) - Ecole Doctorale: Gènes, Génomes et Cellules”

  • Reviewer of projects for national and international agencies (Israel Science Foundation; Progetti di Ateneo; Progetti FIRB)

  • Co-translator of the book "Evolution" by Douglas J. Futuyma, SinauerAss Inc., 2005 (Italian edition, "L’evoluzione", Zanichelli, Bologna, 2008)

Scientific activity mainly focalized on morpho-functional aspects of developmental mechanisms, differentiation and evolution in urochordates, in particular ascidians. In last 10 years, her research has been focalized on evolution and development (in sexual and asexual reproduction) of ascidian nervous system.

 Besides the over-reported topics of scientific interest, in last years, she has contributed in particular to the characterisation of sensory systems in the ascidian larva and adult, studied also comparatively. Her researches on a novel ascidian mechanoreceptor, the coronal organ, composed of hair cells, supported a revision of theories on hair cell evolution. Moreover, they revealed the presence in ascidians of structures sharing similarities with vertebrate neural placodes (from which also vertebrate hair cells derive), shedding new light on the main theory on vertebrate evolution, which hypothesizes that neural placodes, together with neural crest, are responsible of main novelties of this group.

Past and active scientific collaborations

 - J.S. Joly (CNRS Gif-sur-Yvette, France),

- G.O. Mackie (Univ. of Victoria, Canada);

- S. Shimeld (Univ. of Oxford, UK).

- T. Stach (Univ. Of Berlin, G)

- K. Hotta (Keio Univ., Japan)

- A. Voskoboynik (Stanford Univ., USA)

- P. Lemaire (CNRS, France)

- D. Dauga (CNRS, France) 

Publications

(Click here to download as PDF or click here to contact me for reprints)

Papers

 1989

1) Zaniolo G., Manni L., Burighel P., 1989. Test cell differentiation during oogenesis and early embryogenesis of Botryllus schlosseri (Ascidiacea). Acta Embryol. Morphol. Exp., 10:229-236.

1993

 2) Manni L., Zaniolo G., Burighel P., 1993. Egg envelopes cytodifferentiation in the colonial ascidian Botryllus schlosseri (Tunicata). Acta Zool. (Stockh.), 74:103-113.

1994

3) Manni L., Zaniolo G., Burighel P., 1994. Ultrastructural study of oogenesis in the compound ascidian Botryllus schlosseri (Tunicata). Acta Zool. (Stockh.), 75:101-113.

4) Manni L., Zaniolo G., Burighel P., 1994. An unusual membrane system in the oocyte of the ascidian  Botryllus schlosseri. Tissue Cell, 26:403-412.

5) Zaniolo G., Manni L., Burighel P., 1994. Ovulation and embryo-parent relationship in the ovoviviparous  ascidian Botrylloides leachi (Tunicata). Invert. Repr. Develop., 25:215-226.

6) Zaniolo G., Manni L., Martinucci G.B., Burighel P., 1994. Sexual reproduction in ascidians: comparative aspects of oviduct, ovulation and spawning. Anim. Biol., 3:67-74.

1995

7) Manni L., Zaniolo G., Burighel P., 1995. Oogenesis and oocyte envelope differentiation in the viviparous  ascidian Botrylloides violaceus. Invertebr. Repr. Dev., 27:167-180.

8) Rasotto M.B., Manni L., 1995. The juxtatexticular body of jawfishes (Teleostei, Opistognathidae): comparative morphology and fine structure. J. Morphol., 226:237-246.

1997

9) Manni L., Rasotto M.B., 1997. Ultrastructure and histochemistry of the testicular efferent duct system and spermiogenesis in Opistognathus whitehurstii (Teleostei, Trachinoidei). Zoomorphology, 117:93-102.

1998

10) Zaniolo G., Manni L., Brunetti R., Burighel P., 1998. Brood pouch differentiation in Botrylloides violaceus, a viviparous ascidian (Tunicata). Invertebr. Repr. Dev., 33: 11-23.

11) Burighel P., Lane N.J., Zaniolo G., Manni L., 1998. Neurogenic role of the neural gland in the development of the ascidian, Botryllus schlosseri (Tunicata, Urochordata). J. Comp. Neurol., 394: 230-241.

1999

12) Sabbadin A., Zaniolo G., Ballarin L., Manni L., Martinucci G.B., Burighel P., 1999. Differentiation of blood and germ cell lines in ascidians. In: Incontro di studio n. 13 “Embriologia sperimentale, biologia dello sviluppo ed evoluzione.” Ist. Lomb. Sci. Lett., Milano: 39-60.

13) Manni L., Lane N.J., Sorrentino M., Zaniolo G., Burighel P., 1999. Mechanism of neurogenesis during the embryonic development of a tunicate. J. Comp. Neurol., 412:527-541.

2000

14) Sorrentino M., Manni L., Lane N.J., Burighel P., 2000. Evolution of cerebral vesicles and their sensory organs in an ascidian larva. Acta Zool. (Stockh.), 81:243-258.

2001

 15) Burighel P., Sorrentino M., Zaniolo G., Thorndyke M.C., Manni L., 2001. The peripheral nervous system of an ascidian, Botryllus schlosseri, as revealed by cholinesterase activity. Invertebr. Biol., 120:185-198.

16) Manni L., Lane N.J., Burighel P., Zaniolo G., 2001. Are neural crest and placodes exclusive to  vertebrates? Evol. Dev., 3:1-2.

2002

17) Zaniolo G., Lane N.J., Burighel P., Manni L., 2002. Development of the motor nervous system in ascidians. J. Comp. Neurol., 443:124-135.

18) Manni L., Lane N.J., Zaniolo G., Burighel P., 2002. Cell reorganisation during epithelial fusion and perforation: the case of ascidian branchial fissures. Dev. Dyn., 224:303-313.

2003

19) Burighel P., Lane N.J., Gasparini F., Tiozzo S., Zaniolo G., Candia Carnevali M.D., Manni L., 2003. A novel, secondary sensory cell organ in ascidians: in search of the ancestor of the vertebrate lateral line. J. Comp. Neurol., 461:236-249.

2004

20) Manni L., Lane N. J., Gasparini F., Tiozzo S., Caicci F., Zaniolo G., Burighel P., 2004. Neurogenic and non neurogenic placodes in ascidians. J. Exp. Zool. (Mol. Dev. Evol.), 392B:483-504.

21) Manni L., Caicci F., Gasparini F., Zaniolo G., Burighel P., 2004. Hair cells in ascidians and the evolution of lateral line placodes. Evol. Dev., 6:379-381.

2005

22) Tiozzo S., Christiaen L., Deyts C., Manni L., Joly J.S., Burighel P., 2005. Embryonic vs. blastogenetic  development in the compound ascidian Botryllus schlosseri: insights from Pitx expression pattern. Dev. Dyn.,  232:469-479.

23) Manni L., Agnoletto A., Zaniolo G., Burighel P., 2005. Stomodeal and neurohypophysial placodes in Ciona intestinalis: insights into the origin of the pituitary gland. J. Exp. Zool. (Mol. Dev. Evol.), 304B:324-339.

24) Burighel P., Manni L., 2005. Rapporti fra tunicati e vertebrate:origine delle creste neurali e dei placodi neurali. Atti Mem. Accad. Galileiana SSLLAA., 117:113-128.

2006

25) Manni L., Mackie G., Caicci F., Zaniolo G., Burighel P., 2006. Coronal organ of ascidians and the evolutionary significance of secondary sensory cells in Chordates. J. Comp. Neurol., 495:363-373. 

26) Mackie G.O., Burighel P., Caicci F., Manni L., 2006. Innervation of ascidian siphons and responses to stimulation. Can. J. Zool., 84:1146-1162.

27) Manni L., Burighel P., 2006. Common and divergent pathways in alternative developmental processes of ascidians. BioEssays, 28 902-912.

28) Zaniolo G., Manni L., Ballarin L. 2006. Colony specificity in Botrylloides leachi. I. Morphological aspects. Invertebr. Surv. J., 3:125-136.

29) Burighel P., Manni L., 2006. Epigenetics in tunicates. Mem. Accad. Naz. Sci dei XL, (Mem. Sci. Fis. Nat.), 30, Part II:315-326.

2007

30) Manni L., Zaniolo G., Cima F., Burighel P., Ballarin L., 2007. Botryllus schlosseri: a model ascidian for the study of asexual reproduction. Dev Dyn., 236:335-352.

31) Gasparini F., Longo F., Manni L., Burighel P., Zaniolo G., 2007. Tubular sprouting as a mode of vascular formation in a colonial ascidian (Tunicata). Dev. Dyn., 236:335-352.

32) Caicci F., Burighel P., Manni L., 2007. Hair cells in an ascidian (Tunicata) and their evolution in chordates. Hear. Res., 231: 63-72.

2008

33) Burighel P., Caicci F., Zaniolo G., Gasparini F., Degasperi V., Manni L., 2008. Does hair cell differentiation predate the vertebrate appearance? Brain Res. Bull., 75:331-334.

34) Gasparini F., Burighel P., Manni L., Zaniolo G., 2008. Vascular regeneration and angiogenic-like sprouting mechanisms in a compound ascidian is similar to vertebrates. Evol. Dev., 10: 591-605.

2009

35) Degasperi V., Gasparini F., Shimeld S.M., Sinigaglia C., Burighel P., Manni L., 2009. Muscle differentiation  in a colonial ascidian: organisation, gene expression and evolutionary considerations. BMC Dev. Biol., 9:48-            57.

2010

36) Cima F., Manni L., Basso G., Fortunato E., Schiavon F., Ballarin L., 2010. Hovering between death and  life: natural apoptosis and phagocytes in the blastogenetic cycle of the colonial ascidian Botryllus schlosseri.         Dev. Comp. Immunol., 34:272-285.

37) Caicci F., Zaniolo G., Burighel P., Degasperi V., Gasparini F., Manni L., 2010. Differentiation of papillae and rostral sensory neurons in the larva of the ascidian Botryllus schlosseri (Tunicata). J. Comp. Neurol., 518:547-566.

38) Ballarin L., Schiavon F., Manni L., 2010. Natural apoptosis during the blastogenetic cycle of the colonial ascidian Botryllus schlosseri: a morphological analysis. Zool. Sci., 27:96-102.

39) Caicci F., Degasperi V., Gasparini F., Zaniolo G., Del Favero M., Burighel P., Manni L., 2010. Variability of hair cells in the coronal organ of ascidians (Chordata, Tunicata). Can. J. Zool., 88:567-578.

2011

40) Burighel P., Caicci F., Manni L., 2011. Hair cells in non-vertebrate models: lower chordates and molluscs. In: Special Issue of Hearing Research featuring comparative hearing. (on invitation by Geoffrey Manley). Hear. Res., 273: 14-24.

41) Kawamura K., Tiozzo S., Manni L., Sunanaga T., Burighel P., De Tomaso A.W., 2011. Germline cell formation and gonad regeneration in solitary and colonial ascidians. Dev. Dyn., 240: 299-308.

42) Gasparini F., Shimeld S.M., Ruffoni E., Burighel P., Manni L., 2011. Expression of a Musashi-like gene in sexual and asexual development of the colonial chordate Botryllus schlosseri and phylogenetic analysis of the  protein group. J. Exp. Zool. Part B: Mol. Dev. Evol., 316: 562-573.

43) Ballarin L., Del Favero M., Manni L., 2011. Relationships among hemocytes, tunic cells, germ cells and accessory cells of the colonial ascidian Botryllus schlosseri. J. Exp. Zool., 316B: 284-295.

2013

44) Rigon F., Stach T., Caicci F., Gasparini F., Burighel P., Manni L., 2013. Evolutionary diversification of  secondary mechanoreceptor cells in Tunicata. BMC Evol. Biol., 13: 112.

45) Gasparini F., Degasperi V., Shimeld S.M., Burighel P., Manni L., 2013. Evolutionary conservation of the placodal transcriptional network during sexual and asexual development in chordates. Dev. Dyn., 242:  752-766.

46) Caicci F., Gasparini F., Rigon F., Burighel P., Manni L., 2013. The oral sensory structures of Thaliacea  (Tunicata) and consideration of the evolution of hair cells in Chordata. J. Comp. Neurol., 521:2756-2771.

47) Calzia D., Candiani S., Garbarino G., Caicci F., Ravera S., Bruschi M., Manni L., Morelli A., Traverso C.E., Candiano G., Tacchetti C., Panfoli I., 2013. Are rod outer segment ATP-ase and ATP-synthase activity expression of the same protein? Cell. Mol. Neurol., 33:637-649

48) Calzia D., Barabino S., Bianchini P., Garbarino G., Oneto M., Caicci F., Diaspro A., Tacchetti C., Manni L., Candiani S., Ravera S., Morelli A., Traverso C.E., Panfoli I., 2013. New findings in ATP supply in rod outer segments: insights for retinopathies. Biol. Cell, 105: 345-358.

49) Gasparini F., Caicci F., Rigon F., Zaniolo G., Burighel P., Manni L., 2013. Cytodifferentiation of hair cells during the development of a basal chordate. Hear. Res., 304:188-199.

2014

50) Gasparini F., Caicci F., Rigon F., Zaniolo G., Manni L., 2014. Testing an unusual in vivo vessel network model: a method to study angiogenesis in the colonial tunicate Botryllus schlosseri. Sci. Rep., 4: 6460.

51) Manni L., Gasparini F., Hotta K., Ishizuka K.J., Ricci L., Tiozzo S., Voskoboynik A., Dauga D., 2014. Ontology for the asexual development and anatomy of the colonial chordate Botryllus schlosseri. PLoSONE, 9(5):e96434.

52) Calzia D., Garbarino G., Caicci F., Manni L., Candiani S., Ravera S., Morelli A., Traverso C.E., Panfoli I., 2014. Functional expression of electron transport chain complexes in mouse rod outer segment. Biochimie, 102:78-82.

2015

53) Gasparini F., Manni L., Cima F., Zaniolo G., Burighel P., Caicci F., Franchi N., Schiavon F., Rigon F., Campagna D., Ballarin L., 2015. Sexual and asexual reproduction in the colonial ascidian Botryllus schlosseri. Genesis, 53:105-120.

54) Pennati R., Ficetola G.F., Brunetti R., Caicci F., Gasparini F., Griggio F., Sato A., Stach T., Kaul-Strehlow  S., Gissi C., Manni L., 2015. Morphological differences between larvae of the Ciona intestinalis species complex: Hints for a valid taxonomic definition of distinc species. Plos One, 10(5):e0122879.

55) Cima F., Ballarin L., Caicci F., Franchi N., Gasparini F., Rigon F., Schiavon F., Manni L., 2015. Life history and ecological genetics of the colonial ascidian Botryllus schlosseri. Zool. Anz., 257:54-70.

56) Brunetti R., Gissi C., Pennati R., Caicci F., Gasparini F., Manni L., 2015. Morphological evidence that the molecularly determined Ciona intestinalis type A and type B are different species: Ciona robusta and Ciona intestinalis. J. Zool. Syst. Evol. Res., 53(3):186-193.

57) Campagna D., Gasparini F., Franchi F., Manni L., Telatin A., Vitulo N., Ballarin L., Valle G., 2015. SATRAP:SOLiD Assembler TRAnslation Program. PLoS One, 10(9):e0137436.

58) Calzia D., Oneto M., Caicci F., Bianchini P., Ravera S., Bartolucci M., Diaspro A., Manni L., Traverso C.E., Panfoli I., 2015. Effects of polyphenolic phytochemicals on ectopic oxidative phosphorylation in rod outer segments. British J. Pharmacol.,172:3890-3903.

  2016

59) Gasparini F., Skobo T., Benato F., Gioacchini G., Voskoboynikc A., Carnevali O., Manni L., Dalla Valle L., 2016. Characterization of Ambra1 in asexual cycle of a non-vertebrate chordate, the colonial tunicate Botryllus schlosseri, and phylogenetic analysis of the protein group in Bilateria. Mol. Phyl. Evol., 95:46-57.

60) Campagna D., Gasparini F., Franchi N., Vitulo N., Ballin F., Manni L., Valle G., Ballarin L., 2016. Transcriptome dynamics in the asexual cycle of the basal chordate Botryllus schlosseri. BMC Genomics, 17:         275.

61) Franchi N., Ballin F., Manni L., Schiavon F., Basso G., Ballarin L. 2016. Recurrent phagocytosis-induced apoptosis in the cyclical generation change of the compound ascidian Botryllus schlosseri. Dev. Comp. Immunol., 62:8-16.

62) Franchi N., Ballin F., Manni L., Schiavon F., Ballarin L. 2016. Data on four apoptosis-related genes in the colonial tunicate Botryllus schlosseri. Data in Brief, 8:142-152.

2017

63) Gissi C., Hastings K.E.M., Gasparini F., Stach T., Pennati R., Manni L., 2017. An unprecedented taxonomic revision of a model organism: the paradigmatic case of Ciona robusta and Ciona intestinalis. Zool. Scripta, 46:521-522.

64) Brunetti R., Manni L., Mastrototaro F., Gissi C., Gasparini F. 2017. Fixation, description and DNA barcode of a neotype for Botryllus schlosseri (Pallas, 1766) (Tunicata, Ascidiacea). Zootaxa, 4353:29-50.

65) Rigon F., Gasparini F., Shimeld S., Candiani S., Manni L. 2017. Developmental signature, synaptic connectivity and neurotransmission are conserved between vertebrate hair cells and tunicate coronal cells. J. Comp. Neurol., 526:957-971.

66) Bruschi M., Petretto A., Caicci F., Calzia D., Bartolucci M., Santucci L., Manni L., Ramenghi L.A., Ghiggeri G.M., Traverso C.E., Candiano G., Panfoli I., 2017. Mitochondria and rod outer segment disk proteome: commonalities and differences. J. Proteome Res., 17:918-925.

Books

1. Manni L., Sorrentino M., Zaniolo G., Burighel P., 2000. The peripheral nervous system of an ascidian revealed by AChE activity. In: M. Sawada, H. Yokosawa, Lambert C.C. (Eds) “The Biology of Ascidians”, Vol. 23, Springer-Verlag Tokio, pp. 142-146.

2. Lane N.J., Manni L., Burighel P., Zaniolo G., 2001. Ascidian brain originates from the neural gland primordium. In: H.J.T. Goos, R.K. Rastogi, H. Vaudry, R. Pierantoni (Eds) “Perspective in Comparative Endocrinology: Unity and Diversity”, Monduzzi Editore Bologna, pp. 239-244.

3. Ballarin L., Manni L., 2009. Stem cells in sexual and asexual reproduction of Botryllus schlosseri (Ascidiacea, Tunicata): an overview. In: B. Rinkevich B., V. Matranga (Eds) “Stem cells in Marine Organisms”, Springer-Verlag, Heidelberg, pp. 267-280.

4. Burighel P., Manni L., Zaniolo G., 2009. L'organo coronale delle ascidie e l'evoluzione della cellula sensoriale secondaria nei Cordati. In: S. Casellato, P. Burighel, S. Minelli (Eds) “Life and Time: the Evolution of Time and its History”, Cleup, Padova, pp. 45-58.

5. Manni L., Pennati R. 2016. Tunicata. In: A. Schmidt-Rhaesa, S. Harzsch, and G. Purschke (Eds) “Structure and Evolution of Invertebrate Nervous Systems”. Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp. 699-718.