I 'Remarks on the Life and Writings of Ugo Foscolo'

Il contributo propone una rilettura dei Remarks on the Life and Writings of Ugo Foscolo, di cui si offre una ristampa, corredata dalla traduzione italiana: si tratta di un articolo pubblicato nel 1821 sul "New Monthly Magazine and Literary Journal" di Henry Colburn, che traccia una prima biografia di Ugo Foscolo, allora esule in Inghilterra. I Remarks, che escono anonimi, secondo una prassi diffusa al tempo, si rivelano interessanti sotto diversi aspetti: il taglio drammaturgico che li caratterizza richiama il dibattito critico intorno al teatro tragico italiano, all’epoca particolarmente acceso. La forte presenza del tema permette di cogliere i rapporti tra questo e altri articoli stampati sullo stesso numero del "New Monthly Magazine", fra i quali On Hamlet, che la critica attribuisce a Foscolo. Non si esclude allora che il poeta stesso, a quel tempo collaboratore della rivista, abbia avuto un ruolo nella stesura dei Remarks: l'articolo risponde al meccanismo di autopromozione messo in atto da Foscolo in altre occasioni di scrittura e corrobora il prestigio di cui dovette godere nei primi anni dell'esilio inglese, durante i quali fondamentali furono i rapporti allacciati con intellettuali come Cyrus Redding e William Stewart Rose, con tutta probabilità coinvolti nella elaborazione dei Remarks

The miR-223 host non-coding transcript linc-223 induces IRF4 expression in acute myeloid leukemia by acting as a competing endogenous RNA

Alterations in genetic programs required for terminal myeloid differentiation and aberrant proliferation characterize acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells. Here, we identify the host transcript of miR-223, linc-223, as a novel functional long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) in AML. We show that from the primary nuclear transcript, the alternative production of miR-223 and linc-223 is finely regulated during monocytic differentiation. Moreover, linc-223 expression inhibits cell cycle progression and promotes monocytic differentiation of AML cells. We also demonstrate that endogenous linc-223 localizes in the cytoplasm and acts as a competing endogenous RNA for miR-125-5p, an oncogenic microRNA in leukemia. In particular, we show that linc-223 directly binds to miR-125-5p and that its knockdown increases the repressing activity of miR-125-5p resulting in the downregulation of its target interferon regulatory factor 4 (IRF4), which it was previously shown to inhibit the oncogenic activity of miR-125-5p in vivo. Furthermore, data from primary AML samples show significant downregulation of linc-223 in different AML subtypes. Therein, these findings indicate that the newly identified lncRNA linc-223 may have an important role in myeloid differentiation and leukemogenesis, at least in part, by cross-talking with IRF4 mRNA

Foscolo critico

Il volume, primo della collana open access dei "Quaderni di Gargnano", ospita i contributi presentati al XV Convegno internazionale di Letteratura italiana "Gennaro Barbarisi", tenutosi a Gargnano del Garda dal 24 al 26 settembre 2012. Il "Quaderno", dedicato al Foscolo critico, accoglie contributi di Giovanni Biancardi, Arnaldo Bruni, Andrea Campana, Massimo Castellozzi, Gustavo Costa, Alfredo Cottignoli, Christian Del Vento, Sandro Gentili, Franco Longoni, Ilaria Mangiavacchi, Donatella Martinelli, Giuseppe Natale, Enzo Neppi, Matteo Palumbo, Elena Parrini Cantini, Chiara Piola Caselli. \uc8 aperto da una Prefazione di Claudia Berra, Paolo Borsa e Giulia Ravera.This volume on "Foscolo critico" is the first volume of the "Quaderni di Gargnano", an open access book series which publishes the Proceedings of the "Gennaro Barbarisi" International Conferences on Italian Literature, held in Gargnano del Garda. It contains contributions by Giovanni Biancardi, Arnaldo Bruni, Andrea Campana, Massimo Castellozzi, Gustavo Costa, Alfredo Cottignoli, Christian Del Vento, Sandro Gentili, Franco Longoni, Ilaria Mangiavacchi, Donatella Martinelli, Giuseppe Natale, Enzo Neppi, Matteo Palumbo, Elena Parrini Cantini, Chiara Piola Caselli, preceded by a Preface by the Editor: Claudia Berra, Paolo Borsa, Giulia Ravera

Foscolo's notes in Gambarin edition of "La chioma di Berenice"

Le postille foscoliane della Chioma di Berenice nell'edizione GambarinIl contributo ricostruisce i criteri ecdotici cui si attenne Giovanni Gambarin nella sua edizione della traduzione foscoliana della Chioma di Berenice di Catullo, e delle relative postille d'autore (1972). Dalla collazione fra l'edizione e il postillato originale conservato alla Biblioteca Marucelliana di Firenze (R. E. 151), emerge la figura di uno studioso pronto a rinnovare le prassi filologiche del tempo, introducendo  l'apparato critico e reintegrando nell'opera la traduzione dell’epistola  a Ortalo, scorrettamente espunta dall'editore precedente. Foscolo's notes in Gambarin edition of the Chioma di Berenice The paper aims at reconstructing the ecdotic criteria used by Giovanni Gambarin in his edition of Foscolo's translation of the Chioma di Berenice by Catullo, and of the related author's annotations (1972). The collation between the edition and the original printing with handwritten notes, preserved in Florence at the Biblioteca Marucelliana (R. E. 151) allows to recognize the figure of a scholar ready to renew the philological practices of his time, introducing the critical apparatus and reintegrating into the work the translation of  the letter to Ortalo, incorrectly expunged by the previous editor

The microRNA-26a target E2F7 sustains cell proliferation and inhibits monocytic differentiation of acute myeloid leukemia cells

Blocks in genetic programs required for terminal myeloid differentiation and aberrant proliferation characterize acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells. 1,25-Dihydroxy-vitamin D3 (VitD3) arrests proliferation of AML cells and induces their differentiation into mature monocytes. In a previous study, we showed that miR-26a was induced upon VitD3-mediated monocytic differentiation. Here, we identify E2F7 as a novel target of miR-26a. We show that E2F7 significantly promotes cell cycle progression and inhibits monocytic differentiation of AML cells. We also demonstrate that E2F7 binds the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21(CIP1/WAF1) (cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A) promoter repressing its expression. Moreover, interfering with E2F7 expression results in inhibition of c-Myc (v-myc myelocytomatosis viral oncogene homolog) transcriptional activity. This leads to the downregulation of c-Myc transcriptional target miR-17-92 cluster, whose expression has a well-defined role in contributing to block monocytic differentiation and sustain AML cell proliferation. Finally, we show that the expression of E2F7 is upregulated in primary blasts from AML patients. Thus, these findings indicate that the newly identified miR-26a target E2F7 might have an important role in monocytic differentiation and leukemogenesis. Cell Death and Disease (2012) 3, e413; doi:10.1038/cddis.2012.151; published online 25 October 201

Critical role of c-Myc in acute myeloid leukemia involving direct regulation of miR-26a and histone methyltransferase EZH2

Increased expression or aberrant activation of c-Myc plays an important role in leukemogenesis. Here, we show that in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), c-Myc directly controls the expression of EZH2, a component of the Polycomb repressive complex 2, and miR-26a. miR-26a is downregulated in primary blasts from AML patients and, during myeloid differentiation of AML cells, is induced together with a decrease in c-Myc and Ezh2 levels. Previously, EZH2 was shown to be regulated by miR-26a at the translational levels in lymphomas. However, we demonstrate that in AML, the variation of EZH2 mainly depends on c-Myc transcriptional control. We also show that enforced expression of miR-26a in AML cells is able to inhibit cell cycle progression by downregulating cyclin E2 expression. In addition, increased levels of miR-26a potentiate the antiproliferative effects of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (VitD) and stimulate myeloid differentiation. Our results identify new molecular targets of c-Myc in AML and highlight miR-26a attractiveness as a therapeutic target in leukemia. © The Author(s) 2011