Camille DiLullo, PhD
Dr. Camille DiLullo, Professor, has been a member of the department of Anatomy since 1994. Dr. DiLullo received her doctorate in Anatomy and Structural Biology from the University of Pennsylvania. She also holds an adjunct position of Associate Professor at Widener University, Delaware.
Current research in the laboratory involves the study of the specific integrin heterodimer alpha 1 integrin and its role in the development of skeletal and cardiac muscle. Integrins are cell adhesion molecules involved in cell/cell and cell/matrix interactions. Alpha 1 integrin has been shown to reorganize periodically along the sarcomere subsequent to the assembly of myofibers. More recent evidence indicates that laminin, one of its ligands, also aligns periodically along the sarcomere. The spatial localization of the periodic alpha 1 integrin and laminin appear to be coincident. The data suggests that alpha 1 integrin may be part of a signaling pathway involving the extracellular matrix molecule laminin, a protein that has been suggested to be affected in Muscular Dystrophy.
Dr. DiLullo is also heading a project whose objective is to create a clinical experience in parallel with that of the classroom experience in the first term anatomical sciences course. The focus is to instill in the future physician the mindset that the integration of basic science knowledge with acquired patient data is critical in the construction of an assessment, diagnosis and plan for the best patient outcome. On-line accessible clinical case based tutorials are created that seamlessly integrate basic science and clinical skills information. Included as part of the tutorials are videos created of patient/physician interactions during the history and physical examination aspects of a visit. The videos are designed to provide visualization of clinical skills and professional physician behavior during patient/physician interactions.
In addition, Dr. DiLullo is involved in producing human gross anatomy dissection video sequences. These digital video sequences are designed to facilitate student laboratory dissections and prosections in a variety of courses in which either dissection or prosection is an integral part of the course. The video clips communicate instructions tailored to correspond to the specific approaches used for dissection in the PCOM gross anatomy course. The videos have been designed to focus on the more challenging aspects of the dissection process, the primary objectives being to improve dissection efficiency and avoid irreversible structural damage.
Dr. DiLullo is a member of The American Association of Anatomists, The American Society for Cell Biology, The American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, The Pennsylvania Muscle Institute, The Center for Chronic Disorders of Aging and The American Heart Association.
Email: camilled@pcom.edu
Publications:
Journal Articles and Book Chapters
Anatomy in a New Curriculum: Facilitating the Learning of Gross Anatomy Using Web Access Streaming Dissection Videos. DiLullo, C., P. Coughlin, M. D'Angelo, M. McGuinness, J. Bandle, E.M. Slotkin, S.A. Shainker, C. Wenger, S.J. Berray. 2006. J. of Vis. Com. in Med. 29(3):99-108.
A Novel Way to Engage Medical Students in Learning Gross Anatomy at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. DiLullo, C. 2006. Med. Teach. 28(7):665-666.
Cytoskeletal Components of an Invasion Machine - the Apical Complex of Toxoplasma gondii. Hu, K., J. Johnson, L. Florens , M. Fraunholz, S. Suravajjala, C. DiLullo, J. Yates, D. S. Roos, and J. M. Murray. 2006. PloS Pathogens. PLoS Pathog 2(2):e13.
Preparation of Chick Striated Muscle Cultures. DiLullo, C., J. Gerhart and M. George-Weinstein. 1999. Methods in Molecular Biology 137, Developmental Biology Protocols Vol. 3, 337-349.
A Novel Periodic Localization for α1 Integrin in Skeletal Muscle. DiLullo, C., A.S. Menko, N.J. Philp, P. Mattioli, P. Gilhool, C. McGinley and D. Boettiger. 1998. Basic Appl. Myol. 8 (4): 325-340.
Myogenic and Chondrogenic Cells. Boettiger, D. and C. DiLullo. 1995. Methods in Enzymology. 254, 98-113.
Expression of a Developmentally Conserved Myogenic Differentiation Program: Emergence of Striated Myofibrils in 24 Hour Old Postmitotic, Mononucleated Myoblasts. Lin, Z., M.-H. Lu, T. Schultheiss, J. Choi, S. Holtzer, C. DiLullo, D. A. Fischman and H. Holtzer. 1993. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton. 29, 1-19.
The Vinculin/Sarcomeric-α-Actinin/α-Actin Nexus in Cultured Cardiac Myocytes. Lu, M., C. DiLullo, T. Schultheiss, S. Holtzer, J. M. Murray, J. Choi, D. A. Fischman, and H. Holtzer. 1992. J. Cell Biol. 117: 1007-1022.
A Sarcomeric α-Actinin Truncated at the Carboxyl End Induces the Breakdown of Stress Fibers in PTK2 Cells and the Formation of Nemaline Bodies and Breakdown of Myofibrils in Myotubes. Schultheiss, T., J. Choi, Z. X. Lin, C. DiLullo, L. Cohen-Gould, D. Fischman, and H. Holtzer. 1992. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 89:9282-9286.
Rapid Degradation of Newly Synthesized Tubulin in Lithium Treated Sensory Neurons. Bennett, G.S., B. A. Hollander, D. Laskowska, and C. DiLullo. 1991. J. Neurochem. 57:130-139.
Lithium Chloride Inhibits the Phosphorylation of Newly Synthesized Neurofilament Protein, NF-M, in Cultured Chick Sensory Neurons. Bennett, G.S., D. Laskowska and C. DiLullo. 1991. J. Neurochem. 57:120-129.
Striated Myoblasts and Multinucleated Myotubes Induced in Non-Muscle Cells by Myo D are Similar to Normal In Vivo Counterparts. Holtzer, H., C. DiLullo, M. L. Costa, M. Lu, J. Choi, C.M. Mermelstein, T. Schultheiss, and S. Holtzer. 1990. In Frontiers in Muscle Research. E. Ozawa, T. Masaki and Y. Nabeshima, eds. Elsevier Science Publishers B.V.
Autonomous expression of the Differentiation Programs of Cells in the Cardiac and Skeletal Myogenic Lineages. Holtzer, H., T. Schultheiss, C. DiLullo, J. Choi, M. Costa, M. Lu, and S. Holtzer. 1990. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci., Cell Lineages in Development 599:158-168.
Confocal Microscopy: An Overview. Shuman, H., J. Murray, and C. DiLullo. 1989. Biotechniques Vol.7, No. 2:154-163.
Expression of a Neurofilament Protein by the Precursors of a Subpopulation of Ventral Spinal Cord Neurons. Bennett, G.S. and C. DiLullo. 1985. Dev. Biol. 107:94-106.
Transient Expression of a Neurofilament Protein by Replicating Neuroepithelial Cells of the Embryonic Chick Brain. Bennett, G.S. and C. DiLullo. 1985. Dev. Biol. 107:107-127.
Slow Posttranslational Modification of a Neurofilament Protein. Bennett, G.S. and C. DiLullo. 1985. J. Cell Biol. 100:1799-1804.
Differential Binding of Antibodies Against the Neurofilament Triplet Proteins in Avian Neurons. Bennett, G.S., S. J. Tapscott, C. DiLullo and Holtzer, H. 1984. Brain Res. 304:291-302.
Video and Multimedia
Human Gross Anatomy Dissection Video Clips. Copyright, 2004. 37 Video Clips.
DiLullo, C. - Producer, Director, Writer, Editor, Graphic Artist
Coughlin, P. - Writer, Editor
D'Angelo, M. - Writer, Editor
McGuinness, M. - Writer, Editor
Micromodern Exhibition: Limn Gallery- San Francisco, 2003
Sponsored by Chroma Technology
Tryptych I:
The repeating motif is a group of myofibrils from chick embryonic skeletal muscle that were immunofluorescently labeled with an antibody against alpha actinin. The original micrograph was digitally acquired using a fluorescence microscope. The motif was cut from the micrograph and manipulated in Adobe Photoshop to create the final image.
Efflorescence:
The repeating motif is a single cell of the human parasite Toxoplasma gondii. The parasite was immunogold labeled with an antibody against tubulin. The motif is from an electron micrograph that was digitally scanned and subsequently manipulated in Adobe Photoshop to create the final image.
Whorl:
The repeating motif is a single cell from the human parasite Toxoplasma gondii. The parasite was immunogold labeled with an antibody against tubulin. The motif is from an electron micrograph that was digitally scanned and subsequently manipulated in Adobe Photoshop to create the final image.