The effect of the branched-chain amino acids on the in-vitro activity of bovine intestinal alkaline phosphatase (2018)
Journal Article
Boyd, G. W., Drew, M., Ward, S., Baird, M., Graham, S. M., & Connaboy, C. (2018). The effect of the branched-chain amino acids on the in-vitro activity of bovine intestinal alkaline phosphatase. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, https://doi.org/10.1139/apnm-2018-0449

Branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) are used as nutritional support for patients with a range of conditions including liver cirrhosis and in-born errors of amino acid metabolism, and are commonly used “sports”/exercise supplements. The effects of the B... Read More about The effect of the branched-chain amino acids on the in-vitro activity of bovine intestinal alkaline phosphatase.

A distinctive patchy osteomalacia characterises Phospho1 -deficient mice (2017)
Journal Article
-deficient mice. Journal of Anatomy, 231(2), 298-308. https://doi.org/10.1111/joa.12628

The phosphatase PHOSPHO1 is involved in the initiation of biomineralisation. Bones in Phospho1 KO mice show histological osteomalacia with frequent bowing of long bones and spontaneous fractures: they contain less mineral, with smaller mineral crysta... Read More about A distinctive patchy osteomalacia characterises Phospho1 -deficient mice.

A role for the metalloprotease invadolysin in insulin signaling and adipogenesis (2016)
Journal Article
Chang, C., Abhinav, K., Di Cara, F., Panagakou, I., Vass, S., & Heck, M. M. (2017). A role for the metalloprotease invadolysin in insulin signaling and adipogenesis. Biological Chemistry, 398(3), 373-393. https://doi.org/10.1515/hsz-2016-0226

Invadolysin is a novel metalloprotease conserved amongst metazoans that is essential for life in Drosophila. We previously showed that invadolysin was essential for the cell cycle and cell migration, linking to metabolism through a role in lipid stor... Read More about A role for the metalloprotease invadolysin in insulin signaling and adipogenesis.

Development of mitochondria- and protease-specific prodrugs in the potential treatment of parasitic helminth infections (2016)
Presentation / Conference Contribution
Oluwadare, E., Rehan, A., Ding, Y., Turnbull, A., Malone, E., Mincher, D., & Proudfoot, L. (2016, September). Development of mitochondria- and protease-specific prodrugs in the potential treatment of parasitic helminth infections. Poster presented at Molecular & Cellular Biology of Helminth Parasites X, Hydra, Greece

Anthelmintic resistance and the shortage of new drugs represent an urgent need for the development of novel anti-parasite drugs with effective delivery to the target site. Reduced bioavailability and sub-optimal doses can be responsible for generatio... Read More about Development of mitochondria- and protease-specific prodrugs in the potential treatment of parasitic helminth infections.

Endochondral Growth Defect and Deployment of Transient Chondrocyte Behaviors Underlie Osteoarthritis Onset in a Natural Murine Model (2016)
Journal Article
Staines, K. A., Madi, K., Mirczuk, S. M., Parker, S., Burleigh, A., Poulet, B., Hopkinson, M., Bodey, A. J., Fowkes, R. C., Farquharson, C., Lee, P. D., & Pitsillides, A. A. (2016). Endochondral Growth Defect and Deployment of Transient Chondrocyte Behaviors Underlie Osteoarthritis Onset in a Natural Murine Model. Arthritis and Rheumatology, 68(4), 880-891. https://doi.org/10.1002/art.39508

OBJECTIVE:
To explore whether aberrant transient chondrocyte behaviors occur in the joints of STR/Ort mice (which spontaneously develop osteoarthritis [OA]) and whether they are attributable to an endochondral growth defect.
METHODS:
Knee joints f... Read More about Endochondral Growth Defect and Deployment of Transient Chondrocyte Behaviors Underlie Osteoarthritis Onset in a Natural Murine Model.

E11/Podoplanin Protein Stabilization Through Inhibition of the Proteasome Promotes Osteocyte Differentiation in Murine in Vitro Models (2015)
Journal Article
Staines, K. A., Prideaux, M., Allen, S., Buttle, D. J., Pitsillides, A. A., & Farquharson, C. (2016). E11/Podoplanin Protein Stabilization Through Inhibition of the Proteasome Promotes Osteocyte Differentiation in Murine in Vitro Models. Journal of Cellular Physiology, 231(6), 1392-1404. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcp.25282

The transmembrane glycoprotein E11 is considered critical in early osteoblast–osteocyte transitions (osteocytogenesis), however its function and regulatory mechanisms are still unknown. Using the late osteoblast MLO-A5 cell line we reveal increased E... Read More about E11/Podoplanin Protein Stabilization Through Inhibition of the Proteasome Promotes Osteocyte Differentiation in Murine in Vitro Models.

Expression of Sulf1 and Sulf2 in cartilage, bone and endochondral fracture healing (2015)
Journal Article
Zaman, G., Farquharson, C., Staines, K. A., Newton, P. T., Dudhia, J., Chenu, C., …Dhoot, G. K. (2016). Expression of Sulf1 and Sulf2 in cartilage, bone and endochondral fracture healing. Histochemistry and Cell Biology, 145(1), 67-79. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00418-015-1365-8

SULF1/SULF2 enzymes regulate cell signalling that impacts the growth and differentiation of many tissues. To determine their possible role in cartilage and bone growth or repair, their expression was examined during development and bone fracture heal... Read More about Expression of Sulf1 and Sulf2 in cartilage, bone and endochondral fracture healing.

Phospho1 deficiency transiently modifies bone architecture yet produces consistent modification in osteocyte differentiation and vascular porosity with ageing (2015)
Journal Article
Javaheri, B., Carriero, A., Staines, K. A., Chang, Y., Houston, D. A., Oldknow, K. J., …Pitsillides, A. A. (2015). Phospho1 deficiency transiently modifies bone architecture yet produces consistent modification in osteocyte differentiation and vascular porosity with ageing. Bone, 81, 277-291. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bone.2015.07.035

PHOSPHO1 is one of principal proteins involved in initiating bone matrix mineralisation. Recent studies have found that Phospho1 KO mice (Phospho1-R74X) display multiple skeletal abnormalities with spontaneous fractures, bowed long bones, osteomalaci... Read More about Phospho1 deficiency transiently modifies bone architecture yet produces consistent modification in osteocyte differentiation and vascular porosity with ageing.

Early-life perturbations in glucocorticoid activity impacts on the structure, function and molecular composition of the adult zebrafish (Danio rerio) heart (2015)
Journal Article
Wilson, K. S., Baily, J., Tucker, C. S., Matrone, G., Vass, S., Moran, C., …Denvir, M. A. (2015). Early-life perturbations in glucocorticoid activity impacts on the structure, function and molecular composition of the adult zebrafish (Danio rerio) heart. Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology, 414, 120-131. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mce.2015.07.025

Background

Transient early-life perturbations in glucocorticoids (GC) are linked with cardiovascular disease risk in later life. Here the impact of early life manipulations of GC on adult heart structure, function and gene expression were assessed... Read More about Early-life perturbations in glucocorticoid activity impacts on the structure, function and molecular composition of the adult zebrafish (Danio rerio) heart.

Impact of Glucocorticoid Induced Reprogramming on Functional, Histological and Molecular Signalling in the Adult Zebrafish Heart (2015)
Presentation / Conference Contribution
Wilson, K., Baily, J., Tucker, C., Vass, S., Moran, C., Chapman, K., Mullins, J., Kenyon, C., Hadoke, P., & Denvir, M. Impact of Glucocorticoid Induced Reprogramming on Functional, Histological and Molecular Signalling in the Adult Zebrafish Heart

Introduction Foetal over-exposure to glucocorticoids (GC) has been associated with cardiovascular disorder in later life however the impact of transient early life alterations in GC activity on the heart itself has not been widely studied. We explore... Read More about Impact of Glucocorticoid Induced Reprogramming on Functional, Histological and Molecular Signalling in the Adult Zebrafish Heart.

MMP and TIMP temporal gene expression during osteocytogenesis (2015)
Journal Article
Prideaux, M., Staines, K. A., Jones, E. R., Riley, G. P., Pitsillides, A. A., & Farquharson, C. (2015). MMP and TIMP temporal gene expression during osteocytogenesis. Gene Expression Patterns, 18(1-2), 29-36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gep.2015.04.004

Osteocytes within bone differentiate from osteoblast precursors which reside in a mineralised extracellular matrix (ECM). Fully differentiated osteocytes are critical for bone development and function but the factors that regulate this differentiatio... Read More about MMP and TIMP temporal gene expression during osteocytogenesis.

The local effects of ovarian diathermy in an ovine model of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (2014)
Journal Article
Shen, W., Connolly, F., Rae, M. T., Butler, M., Klibanov, A. L., Sboros, V., …Duncan, W. C. (2014). The local effects of ovarian diathermy in an ovine model of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. PLOS ONE, 9, Article e111280. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0111280

In order to develop a medical alternative to surgical ovarian diathermy (OD) in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) more mechanistic information is required about OD. We therefore studied the cellular, molecular and vascular effects of diathermy on the... Read More about The local effects of ovarian diathermy in an ovine model of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

Yeast Dun1 Kinase Regulates Ribonucleotide Reductase Inhibitor Sml1 in Response to Iron Deficiency (2014)
Journal Article
Sanvisens, N., Romero, A. M., An, X., Zhang, C., de Llanos, R., Martinez-Pastor, M. T., Bañó, M. C., Huang, M., & Puig, S. (2014). Yeast Dun1 Kinase Regulates Ribonucleotide Reductase Inhibitor Sml1 in Response to Iron Deficiency. Molecular and Cellular Biology, 34(17), 3259-3271. https://doi.org/10.1128/mcb.00472-14

Iron is an essential micronutrient for all eukaryotic organisms because it participates as a redox-active cofactor in many biological processes, including DNA replication and repair. Eukaryotic ribonucleotide reductases (RNRs) are Fe-dependent enzyme... Read More about Yeast Dun1 Kinase Regulates Ribonucleotide Reductase Inhibitor Sml1 in Response to Iron Deficiency.

Heart on a Plate: Histological and Functional Assessment of Isolated Adult Zebrafish Hearts Maintained in Culture (2014)
Journal Article
Pieperhoff, S., Wilson, K. S., Baily, J., de Mora, K., Maqsood, S., Vass, S., Taylor, J., Del-Pozo, J., MacRae, C. A., Mullins, J. J., & Denvir, M. A. (2014). Heart on a Plate: Histological and Functional Assessment of Isolated Adult Zebrafish Hearts Maintained in Culture. PLOS ONE, 9(5), Article e96771. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0096771

The zebrafish is increasingly used for cardiovascular genetic and functional studies. We present a novel protocol to maintain and monitor whole isolated beating adult zebrafish hearts in culture for long-term experiments. Excised whole adult zebrafis... Read More about Heart on a Plate: Histological and Functional Assessment of Isolated Adult Zebrafish Hearts Maintained in Culture.

Weaker control of the electrical properties of cerebellar granule cells by tonically active GABAA receptors in the Ts65Dn mouse model of Down's syndrome. (2013)
Journal Article
Szemes, M., Davies, R. L., Garden, C. L. P., & Usowicz, M. M. (2013). Weaker control of the electrical properties of cerebellar granule cells by tonically active GABAA receptors in the Ts65Dn mouse model of Down's syndrome. Molecular Brain, 6, 33

BACKGROUND

Down's syndrome (DS) is caused by triplication of all or part of human chromosome 21 and is characterized by a decrease in the overall size of the brain. One of the brain regions most affected is the cerebellum, in which the number of g... Read More about Weaker control of the electrical properties of cerebellar granule cells by tonically active GABAA receptors in the Ts65Dn mouse model of Down's syndrome..

Emperor penguin body surfaces cool below air temperature (2013)
Journal Article
McCafferty, D. J., Gilbert, C., Thierry, A. M., Currie, J., Le Maho, Y., & Ancel, A. (2013). Emperor penguin body surfaces cool below air temperature. Biology Letters, 9, 20121192-20121192. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2012.1192

Emperor penguins Aptenodytes forsteri are able to survive the harsh Antarctic climate because of specialized anatomical, physiological and behavioural adaptations for minimizing heat loss. Heat transfer theory predicts that metabolic heat loss in thi... Read More about Emperor penguin body surfaces cool below air temperature.

A holidic medium for Drosophila melanogaster (2013)
Journal Article
Piper, M. D. W., Blanc, E., Leitão-Gonçalves, R., Yang, M., He, X., Linford, N. J., Hoddinott, M. P., Hopfen, C., Soultoukis, G. A., Niemeyer, C., Kerr, F., Pletcher, S. D., Ribeiro, C., & Partridge, L. (2014). A holidic medium for Drosophila melanogaster. Nature methods, 11(1), 100-105. https://doi.org/10.1038/nmeth.2731

A critical requirement for research using model organisms is a well-defined and consistent diet. There is currently no complete chemically defined (holidic) diet available for Drosophila melanogaster. We describe a holidic medium that is equal in per... Read More about A holidic medium for Drosophila melanogaster.

miRNA-221 and miRNA-222 synergistically function to promote vascular calcification: MIR221/222 PROMOTE VASCULAR CALCIFICATION (2013)
Journal Article
Mackenzie, N. C. W., Staines, K. A., Zhu, D., Genever, P., & MacRae, V. E. (2014). miRNA-221 and miRNA-222 synergistically function to promote vascular calcification: MIR221/222 PROMOTE VASCULAR CALCIFICATION. Cell Biochemistry and Function, 32(2), 209-216. https://doi.org/10.1002/cbf.3005

Vascular calcification shares many similarities with skeletal mineralisation and involves the phenotypic trans-differentiation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) to osteoblastic cells within a calcified environment. Various microRNAs (miRs) are... Read More about miRNA-221 and miRNA-222 synergistically function to promote vascular calcification: MIR221/222 PROMOTE VASCULAR CALCIFICATION.

Seals like it hot: Changes in surface temperature of harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) from late pregnancy to moult (2012)
Journal Article
Paterson, W., Sparling, C. E., Thompson, D., Pomeroy, P. P., Currie, J., & McCafferty, D. J. (2012). Seals like it hot: Changes in surface temperature of harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) from late pregnancy to moult. Journal of Thermal Biology, 37, 454-461. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtherbio.2012.03.004

The annual moult in harbour seals(Phoca vitulina L.) follows a few weeks after the end of lactation and is characterised by a progressive loss and regrowth of hair which is apparent over a 4–6 week period. It is thought that during the moult harbour... Read More about Seals like it hot: Changes in surface temperature of harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) from late pregnancy to moult.

Differential effect of transient global ischaemia on the levels of GABA(A) receptor subunit mRNAs in young and older rats. (2012)
Journal Article
Montori, S., Dos Anjos, S., Poole, A. V., Regueiro-Purrinos, M. M., Llorente, I. L., Darlison, M. G., …Martínez-Villayandre, B. (2012). Differential effect of transient global ischaemia on the levels of GABA(A) receptor subunit mRNAs in young and older rats. Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology, 38, 710-722. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2990.2012.01254.x

Aims: This study has investigated how global brain ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R) modifies levels of mRNAs encoding GABA(A) receptor alpha1, beta2 and gamma2 subunits and glutamic acid decarboxylase 65 (GAD65) in an age- and structure-dependent manner.... Read More about Differential effect of transient global ischaemia on the levels of GABA(A) receptor subunit mRNAs in young and older rats..