Greece: Dissecting the physiological role of MscS-like mechanosensitive channels in a model filamentous fungus
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Leeds
Department Name: Astbury Centre
Abstract
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Publications
Dionysopoulou M
(2022)
Genetic and cellular characterization of MscS-like putative channels in the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans.
in Channels (Austin, Tex.)
Hardman K
(2023)
Membrane force reception: mechanosensation in G protein-coupled receptors and tools to address it
in Current Opinion in Physiology
Lane B
(2023)
Approaches for the modulation of mechanosensitive MscL channel pores
in Frontiers in Chemistry
| Description | Greece: Dissecting the physiological role of MscS-like mechanosensitive channels in a model filamentous fungus (EU partnership award) |
| Amount | £30,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | BB/W018411/1 |
| Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 05/2022 |
| End | 04/2024 |
| Description | Diallinas lab - EU (Athens/Greece) partnership |
| Organisation | National and Kapodistrian University of Athens |
| Country | Greece |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Dr Mariangela Dionysopoulou from the Diallinas lab (Athens University) has visited my lab at the University of Leeds and spent 5 months as a postdoctoral research visitor. Dr Dionysopoulou's travel and subsistence costs were covered by this BBSRC EU partnering award for the duration of these 5 months, that she was visiting my lab in Leeds. Her work in the lab initiated fruitful scientific interactions with other members in my lab and transfer of expertise (i.e. in Aspergillus nidulans cell biology). Importantly, the research activities she led under my supervision led to a significant article output regarding the discovery of novel mechanosesnitive channels in the the eukaryotic A. nidulans organism, published in the journal "Channels" (please see relevant output section). This published effort also involved work from other members of my group working on bacterial mechanosensitive ion channels (i.e. Bolin Wang and Nana Yan), who also co-authored this publication, along with co-corresponding author G Diallinas, as part of this partnership. My group's activities mainly involved all structural modelling aspects in this collaborative paper. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The partnering lab's contributions (Diallinas and Dionysopoulou) involved all cell biology and relevant Aspergillus nidulans cell-based assays described in the paper. Partner's activity included all the confocal microscopy experiments undertaken and the cloning and protein expression in Aspergillus nidulans, as described in the paper. |
| Impact | 1) Genetic and cellular characterization of MscS-like putative channels in the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans (2022). M Dionysopoulou, N Yan, B Wang, C Pliotas*, G Diallinas*. Channels 16 (1), 148-158 2) BBSRC Satellite Symposium on mechanosensitive channels, as part of an EMBO workshop/conference on membrane proteins and transporters |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | BBSRC-sponsored Symposium on Mechanical Sensing and Ion Channels |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | A BBSRC-funded symposium on "Mechanical Sensing and Ion channels" as part of the EMBO workshop on membrane transporters in Chania, Crete, on the 23rd-27th of August 2022. There I have invited Prof Nektarios Tavernarakis (ERC Council Vice President), Prof Ute Hellmich, Prof Gary Lewin, Prof Stefan Lechner, Prof Jian Shi and Prof George Heath. More details here (https://www.pliotasgroup.org/symposium-on-mechanical-sensing/) and the main EMBO workshop page where the BBSRC-sponsored event is also highlighted (https://meetings.embo.org/event/21-membrane-transporters). Both the EMBO workshop and BBSRC satellite symposium attended over 150 delegates, including postgraduate students, postdoctoral researchers, industry representatives and leading academics from around the world. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://meetings.embo.org/event/21-membrane-transporters |
| Description | Invited seminar at the Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation at the University of Glasgow |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Christos Pliotas delivered an external seminar hosted by the Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation at the University of Glasgow, presenting recent research activities of his group on bacterial mechanosensitive channels and pulsed EPR spectroscopy applications on membrane proteins. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.pliotasgroup.org/invited-talk-in-glasgow/ |
| Description | Manchester Institute of Biotechnology Invited Seminar |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Christos Pliotas was invited to give a seminar at the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, The University of Manchester as part of institute's regular bi-weekly/monthly seminar series. His talk attended postgraduates, postdocs and academics mainly from the University of Manchester but also elsewhere and involved his current research on mechanosensitive channels and PELDOR spectroscopy on membrane proteins. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |