Paolo Moretti, M.D.
Assistant Professor
of Neurology and Molecular & Human Genetics
Adjunct Assistant Professor
of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Rice University
Clinical Service Area
Neurology
Specialty
Neurogenetics
Movement Disorders
Neurodegenerative Diseases
Board Certification
American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Neurology
Clinic Appointments
713-798-7416
Consult
713-798-7416
Medical School
University of Padua School of Medicine, Padua, Italy
Internship
Cabrini Medical Center, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY
Residency
Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Fellowship
Molecular Biology, University of Padua School of Medicine, Padua, Italy
Molecular Genetics, Columbia University, New York, NY
Clinical Genetics, Columbia University, New York, NY
Clinical Interests
Inherited neurological diseases with special interests in neurodegenerative disorders, movement disorders and disorders affecting cognition. Examples include Parkinson's disease, parkinsonism, dystonia, tremor, Huntington's disease, Wilson's disease, ataxia, spastic paraplegia, dementia. Treatment with botulinum toxin. General neurology.
Clinic Location
Baylor Neurology
Smith Tower
6550 Fannin, Suite 1801
Houston, TX 77030
Research Interests
Gene-environment interactions in brain function and neurological disease. Genetic and molecular studies of disease pathogenesis in Parkinson's diseases and Rett syndrome. Autism spectrum disorders. Epigenetics, DNA methylation and epigenetic disorders.
Publications
- Fyffe SL, Neul JL, Samaco RC, Chao HT, Ben-Shachar S, Moretti P, McGill BE, Goulding EH, Sullivan E, Tecott LH, Zoghbi HY. Deletion of Mecp2 in Sim1-expressing neurons reveals a critical role for MeCP2 in feeding behavior, aggression, and the response to stress. Neuron. 2008;59:947-58.
- Moretti P, Peters SU, Del Gaudio D, Sahoo T, Hyland K, Bottiglieri T, Hopkin RJ, Peach E, Min SH, Goldman D, Roa B, Bacino CA, Scaglia F. Brief report: autistic symptoms, developmental regression, mental retardation, epilepsy, and dyskinesias in CNS folate deficiency. J Autism Dev Disord. 2008;38:1170-7.
- Brewer GJ, Askari F, Lorincz MT, Carlson M, Schilsky M, Kluin KJ, Hedera P, Moretti P, Fink JK, Tankanow R, Dick RB, Sitterly J. Treatment of Wilson disease with ammonium tetrathiomolybdate: IV. Comparison of tetrathiomolybdate and trientine in a double-blind study of treatment of the neurologic presentation of Wilson disease. Arch Neurol. 2006;63:521-7.
- Moretti P, Levenson JM, Battaglia F, Atkinson R, Teague R, Antalffy B, Armstrong D, Arancio O, Sweatt JD, Zoghbi HY. Learning and memory and synaptic plasticity are impaired in a mouse model of Rett syndrome. J Neurosci. 2006;26:319-27.
- Moretti P, Zoghbi HY. MeCP2 dysfunction in Rett syndrome and related disorders. Curr Opin Genet Dev. 2006;16:276-81.
- Moretti P, Bouwknecht JA, Teague R, Paylor R, Zoghbi HY. Abnormalities of social interactions and home-cage behavior in a mouse model of Rett syndrome. Hum Mol Genet. 2005;14:205-20.
- Moretti P, Hedera P, Wald J, Fink J. Autosomal recessive primary generalized dystonia in two siblings from a consanguineous family. Mov Disord. 2005;20:245-7.
- Moretti P, Sahoo T, Hyland K, Bottiglieri T, Peters S, del Gaudio D, Roa B, Curry S, Zhu H, Finnell RH, Neul JL, Ramaekers VT, Blau N, Bacino CA, Miller G, Scaglia F. Cerebral folate deficiency with developmental delay, autism, and response to folinic acid. Neurology. 2005;64:1088-90.
- Moretti P, Blazo M, Garcia L, Armstrong D, Lewis RA, Roa B, Scaglia F. Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) presenting with ophthalmoplegia and developmental delay in infancy. Am J Med Genet A. 2004;124:392-6.
- Moretti P, Lieberman AP, Wilde EA, Giordani BI, Kluin KJ, Koeppe RA, Minoshima S, Kuhl DE, Seltzer WK, Foster NL. Novel insertional presenilin 1 mutation causing Alzheimer disease with spastic paraparesis. Neurology. 2004;62:1865-8.
- Gruis KL, Moretti P, Gebarski SS, Mikol DD. Cerebellitis in an adult with abnormal magnetic resonance imaging findings prior to the onset of ataxia. Arch Neurol. 2003;60:877-80.
- Moretti P, Shore D. Multiple interactions in Sir protein recruitment by Rap1p at silencers and telomeres in yeast. Mol Cell Biol. 2001;21:8082-94.
- Marcand S, Buck SW, Moretti P, Gilson E, Shore D. Silencing of genes at nontelomeric sites in yeast is controlled by sequestration of silencing factors at telomeres by Rap 1 protein. Genes Dev. 1996;10:1297-309.
- Ausoni S, Campione M, Picard A, Moretti P, Vitadello M, De Nardi C, Schiaffino S. Structure and regulation of the mouse cardiac troponin I gene. J Biol Chem. 1994;269:339-46.
- Moretti P, Freeman K, Coodly L, Shore D. Evidence that a complex of SIR proteins interacts with the silencer and telomere-binding protein RAP1. Genes Dev. 1994;8:2257-69.
- DeNardi C, Ausoni S, Moretti P, Gorza L, Velleca M, Buckingham M, Schiaffino S. Type 2X-myosin heavy chain is coded by a muscle fiber type-specific and developmentally regulated gene. J Cell Biol. 1993;123:823-35.
- Sarzani R, Arnaldi G, De Pirro R, Moretti P, Schiaffino S, Rappelli A. A novel endothelial tyrosine kinase cDNA homologous to platelet-derived growth factor receptor cDNA. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1992;186:706-14.
- Ausoni S, De Nardi C, Moretti P, Gorza L, Schiaffino S. Developmental expression of rat cardiac troponin I mRNA. Development. 1991;112:1041-51.
- LaFramboise WA, Daood MJ, Guthrie RD, Schiaffino S, Moretti P, Brozanski B, Ontell MP, Butler-Browne GS, Whalen RG, Ontell M. Emergence of the mature myosin phenotype in the rat diaphragm muscle. Dev Biol. 1991;144:1-15.
- LaFramboise WA, Daood MJ, Guthrie RD, Moretti P, Schiaffino S, Ontell M. Electrophoretic separation and immunological identification of type 2X myosin heavy chain in rat skeletal muscle. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1990;1035:109-12.
Contact Information
Paolo Moretti, M.D.
Department of Neurology
Baylor College of Medicine
One Baylor Plaza, MS NB302
Houston, TX 77030
Tel: 713-798-7573
Fax: 713-798-2723
Email: