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GUIDO, Mario

Principal Researcher CONICET / Full Professor UNC
Phone: 54 351 5353855 ext 3429/3430
E-mail: mguido@fcq.unc.edu.ar

Research Topic

Neuroscience, Chronobiology and Cell and Molecular Biology of Lipids

In the vertebrate retina, retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) send visual information to the brain regarding the environmental lighting conditions to regulate nonvisual tasks (Valdez et al., 2009, 2013, reviewed in Guido et al 2010, Guido 2016). Our results are the first report that RGCs are autonomous circadian oscillators displaying daily changes in the biosynthesis of phospholipids (Guido et al., 2001) and in the circadian marker melatonin that exhibits a diurnal peak (Garbarino et al., 2004). These and other studies reporting the presence of the novel photopigment melanopsin (Opn4) postulate RGCs and horizontal cells (HCs) as essential components of the visual/nonvisual system. Biological clocks distributed all through the body are present even in immortalized cell lines. Moreover, cultured fibroblasts display a circadian oscillation in gene expression (Balsalobre et al., 1998) and in the phospholipid synthesis (Mark et al., 2004, Acosta et al 2013). Further investigations will allow understanding how these cells function, the physiological activities that control and the clock mechanisms operating on them. The goals of this project are: a) to fully characterize RGCs as autonomous oscillators and potential circadian photoreceptors in wild type and GUCY1* chicks carrying a retinal degeneration causing blindness at hatch but shown to detect light (Valdez et al 209, 2013, 2015); b) to further investigate the photoreceptive capacity of RGCs and HCs, among other retinal cells, expressing Opn4 (Contin et al., 2006, 2010, Verra et al 2011; Diaz et al., 2014; Morera et al 2016) and the photocascade taking place in these cells; d) the visual cycle operating in the non-canonical photoreceptors as previously observed (Diaz et al 2016); e) to characterize the metabolic clock of tumoral cells in culture such as T98G o HepG2, and f) to elucidate the molecular mechanisms involved in such metabolic oscillations.

Selected Publications

  • “The metabolism of phospholipids oscillates rhythmically in cultures of fibroblasts and is regulated by the clock protein PERIOD 1”. S. Marquez, P. Crespo, In. Carlini, E. Garbarino-Pico, R. Baler, B.L. Caputto and M.E. Guido. The FASEB Journal, Mar;18 (3):519-21, Express article 10.1096/fj.03-0417fje Published online, January 6, 2004.
  • “Retinal ganglion cells are autonomous circadian oscillators synthesizing N-acetylserotonin during the day”. Garbarino Pico E, Carpentieiri AR, Continue M, Keller MI, Brocco M, Panzetta P, Rosenstein R, Caputto BL and Guido M.E. The Journal of Biological Chemistry 279(49):51172-81, 2004.
  • “An Invertebrate-like Phototransduction Cascade Mediates Light Detection in the Chicken Retinal Ganglion Cells”, M. A. Contin, D. M. Verra and M.E. Guido, The FASEB Journal, 20: 2648-2650, 2006.
  • “A Non-Mammalian Vertebrate Model of Blindness Reveals Functional Photoreceptors in the Inner Retina”. D. J. Valdez, P. S. Grandson, E. Garbarino-Pico, L. B. Ava, H. Diaz-Fajreldines, C. Schrurer, K. Cheng, and M. E. Guido, The FASEB Journal, 23 (4), 1186-1195, April 2009, Dec 12., [Epub ahead of print] 2008.
  • “Expression of novel opsins and intrinsic light responses in the mammalian retinal ganglion cell line RGC-5. Presence of Opn5 in the rat retina”. P.S. Grandson, D.J. Valdez, V.A. Acosta-Rodriguez and M. E. Guido. PLoS One, 2011, 6(10):e26417. ISSN 1932-6203
  • “Daily rhythms of glycerophospholipid synthesis in fibroblast cultures involve differential enzyme contributions”. In. Acosta-Rodriguez, S. Marquez, G. Salvador, S. Pasquare, L Gorne, E. Garbarino-Pico, N.M. Right, M.E. Guido. The Journal of Lipid Research, 54(7):1798-811, 2013.

(More publications-CONICET)

Researchers members of the group

Fellows

Current Grants

  • 2014-Grant from National Agency for Scientific and Technological Promotion of Argentina (FONCyT), PICT 2013 No. 021. Tema “Nonvisual Photoperception: Biochemical and molecular mechanisms. Role of the inner retina. PI
  • 2014-Grant from CONICET PIP 2014-2016 “Biological rhythms and phototransduction “”.
  • 2016-2017-Program of bilateral Cooperation (PCB I) CONICET-NIH USA Drs. Guido ME (UNC) and Russell Van Gelder (University of Washington, USA).
  • 2016-2017- Grant SECyT-UNC, “Biological rhythms and phototransduction “”. PI
  • 2016-2017- Biannual Program in Neuroscience SECyT-UNC, Director: Dr. Guido ME

Brief CV

Academic Formation

Position Title

  • Full Professor, Biological Chemistry, National University of Córdoba (UNC)
  • Principal Research Investigator at the National Research Council of Argentina (CONICET).

Education/Training

(Institution and location – Degree – year(s) – field of study)

  • Córdoba National University (UNC) – Chemist – 1985 – Biological Chemistry
  • Córdoba National University (UNC) – Ph. D. – 1991 – Retinal Neurochemistry
  • Dalhousie University, Canada – Postdoc – 1994-97 – Neuroscience

Research Background

  • 2002-2005-Adjunct Researcher, Career of Scientific investigator, National Research Council of Argentina (CONICET), Dept. of Biological Chemistry, School of Chemistry, National University of Cordoba, Argentina.
  • 2005-2012-Independent Researcher, Career of Scientific investigator, National Research Council of Argentina (CONICET), Dept. of Biological Chemistry, School of Chemistry, National University of Cordoba, Argentina.
  • 2013-Principal Research Investigator at the National Research Council of Argentina (CONICET)

Teaching Background

  • 1999- 2005-Adjunct Professor, Dept. of Biological Chemistry, School of Chemistry, National University of Cordoba, Argentina.
  • 2002-2005-Adjunct Researcher, Career of Scientific investigator, National Research Council of Argentina (CONICET), Dept. of Biological Chemistry, School of Chemistry, National University of Cordoba, Argentina.
  • 2005-2012-Associate Professor, Dept. of Biological Chemistry, School of Chemistry, National University of Cordoba, Argentina.
  • PRESENT-Full Professor, Biological Chemistry, National University of Córdoba (UNC)

Institutional Management Background

  • 2012-2014-Secretary of Sciences and Technology. School of Chemistry, National University of Cordoba, march 2012-june 2914.
  • 2013-2016-Member IBRO LARC
  • 2016-2018-Councillor for the School of Chemistry at the Honorable Superior Council National University of Cordoba.

Background on Science outreach and extension

  • "Evolution Eye and Photoreceptors". Mario E. Guido & Pedro Panzetta. Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology. (Ed. Dr. Oscar Croxatto, Buenos Aires), 2008
  • “Circadian Post-transcriptional Regulation: not only transcription and protein modifications are required for an accurate biological clockwork”. E. Garbarino-Pico, P.S. Nieto and M. E. Guido. Nova Publisher 2011. (cap. book).
  • “Retinal Photoreceptor Cells: Phototransduction Mechanisms in Health and Disease.” M.A. Contin, M.M. Arietti and M. E. Guido. In Photoreceptors: Physiology, Types and Abnormalities, Series: Physiology Laboratory and Clinical Research Cell Biology Research Progress Nova Science Publishers, Inc. Hauppauge, NY, USA, 2011, (cap. book).
  • "Watches and Biological Rhythms", Mario E. Guido, electronic magazine KGF UNC Digital Logbook, ISSN 2344-9144, 1 (2) 1-6, August 2013.
  • "Perceiving vision light provides more than animals", Mario E. Guido, science Today, sept.-octubre 2016, 26. 151, 43-46.

Directed Ph.D. Theses

  • 1998-2003-Supervision of the Ph D work of the Biologist Eduardo Garbarino Pico, Dept. of Biological Chemistry, School of Chemistry, National University of Cordoba, Argentina. Circadian regulation of phospholipid and melatonin metabolisms in the vertebrate retina
  • 2002-2006-Supervision of Ph. D work of the Biologist Sebastián Marquez, Dept. ofBiological Chemistry, School of Chemistry, National University of Cordoba, Argentina. Regulation of lipid metabolism in culture cells by a circadian clock.
  • 2004-2009-Supervision of the Ph. D work of the Biologist Diego Valdez, Dept. of Biological Chemistry, School of Chemistry, National University of Cordoba, Argentina. Circadian control and phototransduction mechanisms in the retina of GUCY1* chickens. CONICET Fellowship.
  • 2004-2010-Supervision of the Ph. D work of the Chemist Paula Nieto, Dept. of Biological Chemistry, School of Chemistry, National University of Cordoba, Argentina. Photpigments and clocks mechanisms in a mammalian line of immortalized retinal ganglion cells. CONICET Fellowship.
  • 2006-2011-Supervision of the Ph. D work of the Chemist Daniela M Verra, Dept. of Biological Chemistry, School of Chemistry, National University of Cordoba, Argentina. Mechanisms of phototransduction and melanopsin expression in the inner retina and in cultures of retinal ganglion cells. CONICET Fellowship.
  • 2008-2013-Supervision of the Ph. D work of the Chemist Victoria Acosta, Temporal regulation of phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis in cultures of fibroblasts. FONCYT and CONICET fellowship.
  • 2010-2016-Supervision of the Ph. D work of the Biochemist Nicolas M. Diaz. CONICET Fellowship. Photopigments, chromophores and phototransduction mechanisms in the chicken inner retina. PhD Defense October 31, 2016
  • 2011-2016-Supervision of the Ph. D work of the Molecular Biologist Luis P. Morera. CONICET Fellowship. Non-visual photoreceptors in horizontal cells of chicken retina. PhD Defense November 21, 2016