Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation

Dr Markus Meissner

  • Reader in Cell Biology (Parasitology)

email: Markus.Meissner@glasgow.ac.uk


Current research :

Systematic analysis of essential parasite genes linked to invasion of the host cell in Toxoplasma gondii

Like all apicomplexan parasites, Toxoplasma gondii exhibits a complex life cycle, involving transmission and differentiation within and between different hosts. The accessibility of T.gondii as an experimental system allows this parasite to be used as a superior model organism for many questions that cannot be easily addressed in other Apicomplexans. The asexual life cycle closely resembles the life cycle of Plasmodium blood stages and many factors involved in different processes, especially the factors involved in host cell invasion and regulation of intracellular development can be efficiently studied in T.gondii.

Our research focuses on the mechanisms involved in invasion and modulation of the host cell, focusing on the characterisation of essential genes of interest (GOIs) that are believed to play a role in these processes. Since the whole machinery required for host cell invasion is linked to the secretory pathway of the parasite we are especially interested in defining the transport routes of essential invasion factors and to define the vesicular trafficking systems involved.

In order to actively invade the host cell, these parasites employ their own actin-myosin-system and we aim to dissect the individual components of this complex motor to analyse their function during gliding motility and/or host cell invasion. In order to characterise these essential components our group developed cutting edge genetic technologies in apicomplexan parasites and we aim to implement them in a high-throughput-approach that will hopefully allow us to analyse the whole phenome of these important pathogens.

Jump to: 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008
Number of items: 20.

2013

Andenmatten, N., Egarter, S., Jackson, A.J., Jullien, N., Herman, J.-P., and Meissner, M. (2013) Conditional genome engineering in Toxoplasma gondii uncovers alternative invasion mechanisms. Nature Methods, 10 . pp. 125-127. ISSN 1548-7091 (doi:10.1038/nmeth.2301)

Collins, C.R., Das, S., Wong, E.H., Andenmatten, N., Stallmach, R., Hackett, F., Herman, J-P., Muller, S., Meissner, M., and Blackman, M.J. (2013) Robust inducible Cre recombinase activity in the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparumenables efficient gene deletion within a single asexual erythrocytic growth cycle. Molecular Microbiology . ISSN 0950-382X (doi:10.1111/mmi.12206) (In Press)

Kremer, K. et al. (2013) An overexpression screen of toxoplasma gondii rab-GTPases reveals distinct transport routes to the micronemes. PLoS Pathogens, 9 (3). e1003213. ISSN 1553-7374 (doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1003213)

2012

Kudryashev, M., Münter, S., Lemgruber, L., Montagna, G., Stahlberg, H., Matuschewski, K., Meissner, M., Cyrklaff, M., and Frischknecht, F. (2012) Structural basis for chirality and directional motility ofPlasmodiumsporozoites. Cellular Microbiology, 14 (11). pp. 1757-1768. ISSN 1462-5814 (doi:10.1111/j.1462-5822.2012.01836.x)

Rached, F.B., Ndjembo-Ezougou, C., Chandran, S., Talabani, H., Yera, H., Dandavate, V., Bourdoncle, P., Meissner, M., Tatu, U., and Langsley, G. (2012) Construction of a Plasmodium falciparum Rab-interactome identifies CK1 and PKA as Rab-effector kinases in malaria parasites. Biology of the Cell, 104 (1). pp. 34-47. ISSN 0248-4900 (doi:10.1111/boc.201100081)

Anderson-White, B., Beck, J.R., Chen, C.-T., Meissner, M., Bradley, P.J., and Gubbels, M.-J. (2012) Cytoskeleton assembly in toxoplasma gondii cell division. International Review of Cell and Molecular Biology, 298 . pp. 1-31. ISSN 1937-6448 (doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-394309-5.00001-8)

Feustel, S.M., Meissner, M., and Liesenfeld, O. (2012) Toxoplasma gondii and the blood-brain barrier. Virulence, 3 (2). pp. 182-192. ISSN 2150-5594 (doi:10.4161/viru.19004)

Stutz, A., Kessler, H., Kaschel, M., Meissner, M., and Dalpke, A.H. (2012) Cell invasion and strain dependent induction of suppressor of cytokine signaling-1 by Toxoplasma gondii. Immunobiology, 217 (1). pp. 28-36. ISSN 0171-2985 (doi:10.1016/j.imbio.2011.08.008)

2011

Lachenmaier, S.M., Deli, M.A., and Meissner, M. (2011) Intracellular transport of Toxoplasma gondii through the blood–brain barrier. Journal of Neuroimmunology, 232 (1-2). pp. 119-130. ISSN 0165-5728 (doi:10.1016/j.jneuroim.2010.10.029)

Tawk, L. et al. (2011) Phosphatidylinositol 3-monophosphate is involved in Toxoplasma apicoplast biogenesis. PLoS Pathogens, 7 (2). e1001286. ISSN 1553-7366 (doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1001286)

2010

Agop-Nersesian, C., Egarter, S., Langsley, G., Foth, B.J., Ferguson, D.J. P., Meissner, M., and Sibley, L.D. (2010) Biogenesis of the inner membrane complex is dependent on vesicular transport by the alveolate specific GTPase Rab11B. PLoS Pathogens, 6 (7). e1001029. ISSN 1553-7366 (doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1001029)

2009

Breinich, M. et al. (2009) A dynamin is required for the biogenesis of secretory organelles in Toxoplasma gondii. Current Biology, 19 (4). pp. 277-286. ISSN 0960-9822 (doi:10.1016/j.cub.2009.01.039)

Dooren, G., Reiff, S., Tomova, C., Meissner, M., Humbel, B., and Striepen, B. (2009) A novel dynamin-related protein has been recruited for apicoplast fission in Toxoplasma gondii. Current Biology, 19 (4). pp. 267-276. ISSN 0960-9822 (doi:10.1016/j.cub.2008.12.048)

Agop-Nersesian, C., Naissant, B., Ben Rached, F., Rauch, M., Kretzschmar, A., Thiberge, S., Menard, R., Ferguson, D.J.P., Meissner, M., and Langsley, G. (2009) Rab11A-controlled assembly of the inner membrane complex is required for completion of apicomplexan cytokinesis. PLoS Pathogens, 5 (1). e1000270 . ISSN 1553-7366 (doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1000270)

Doerig, C. et al. (2009) Signalling in malaria parasites the malsig consortium. Parasite-Journal De La Societe Francaise De Parasitologie, 16 (3). pp. 169-182. ISSN 1252-607X

Meissner, M., and Klaus, K. (2009) What new cell biology findings could bring to therapeutics: is it time for a phenome-project in Toxoplasma gondii? Memorias Do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, 104 (2). pp. 185-189. ISSN 0074-0276 (doi:10.1590/S0074-02762009000200010)

2008

Baum, J., Gilberger, T.W., Frischknecht, F., and Meissner, M. (2008) Host-cell invasion by malaria parasites: insights from Plasmodium and Toxoplasma. Trends in Parasitology, 24 (12). pp. 557-563. ISSN 1471-4922 (doi:10.1016/j.pt.2008.08.006)

Agop-Nersesian, C., Pfahler, J., Lanzer, M., and Meissner, M. (2008) Functional expression of ribozymes in Apicomplexa: Towards exogenous control of gene expression by inducible RNA-cleavage. International Journal for Parasitology, 38 (6). pp. 673-681. ISSN 0020-7519 (doi:10.1016/j.ijpara.2007.10.015)

Langsley, G., van Noort, V., Carret, C., Meissner, M., de Villiers, E.P., Bishop, R., and Pain, A. (2008) Comparative genomics, of the Rab protein family in Apicomplexan parasites. Microbes and Infection, 10 (5). pp. 462-470. ISSN 1286-4579 (doi:10.1016/j.micinf.2008.01.017)

Kessler, H., Herm-Gotz, A., Hegge, S., Rauch, M., Soldati-Favre, D., Frischknecht, F., and Meissner, M. (2008) Microneme protein 8 - a new essential invasion factor in Toxoplasma gondii. Journal of Cell Science, 121 (7). pp. 947-956. ISSN 0021-9533 (doi:10.1242/jcs.022350)

This list was generated on Tue May 21 10:47:57 2013 BST.

Grants and Awards listed are those received whilst working with the University of Glasgow.

  • EndoTox: Endosomal dependent transport to the unique secretory organelles of apicomplexan parasites
    European Research Council
    2013 - 2018
     
  • Identification of novel drug targets in host cells that are required by the intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii
    Scottish Universities Life Sciences Alliance
    2010 - 2011
     
  • Systematic analysis of essential parasite genes linked to invasion of the host cell in Toxoplasma gondii
    Wellcome Trust
    2009 - 2014
     
  • Evimalar
    European Commission
    2009 - 2014
     
  • SULSA Readership in Cell Biology
    Scottish Funding Council
    2009 - 2014
     
  • MALSIG - 'Signalling in major developmental stages of malaria parasites'
    European Commission
    2009 - 2012
     
  • Biofuture - Program of the German Ministry of Science and Education (BMBF)
    German Ministry of Science & Education
    2005 - 2010
     

Invited International Presentations

  • 2008: Woods Hole, USA - Molecular Parasitology Meeting
  • 2008: Newcastle, U.K. - Invited Speaker, British Society of Parasitology (BSP Spring, Malaria, Leishmania and Trypanosoma Meeting
  • 2008: Lorne, Australia - MAM (Molecular Approaches to Malaria),
  • 2008: Buzios, Brasil - Invited Speaker, Toxoplasma Centennial Conference
  • 2007: Chico Hot Springs, USA - 9th International Congress on Toxoplasmosis
  • 2007: Heidelberg, Germany - Third Annual BioMalPar Conference: ?The Biology and Pathology of the Malaria Parasite
  • 2007: London, U.K. - Invited Speaker, COST Action 857 workshop
  • 2006: Woods Hole, USA - Molecular Parasitology Meeting
  • 2006: Heidelberg , Germany - Second Annual BioMalPar Conference: ?The Biology and Pathology of the Malaria Parasite
  • 2005: Caxambu Brazil - Invited speaker, Annual Meeting of the Brazilian Society of Protozoology
  • 2005: Marburg, Germany - Invited Speaker, meeting of the DFG-Schwerpunktprogramm ?Intracellular Lifeforms?
  • 2005: Beatenburg, Switzerland - Invited Speaker, COST 857 Action "Apicomplexan parasites in the post-genomic era"

Prizes, Awards and Distinctions

  • 2004: Winner of the BioFuture of the German Ministry for Science and Education (BMBF)
  • 2003: American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene award in recognition of Scientific Excellence in Molecular, Cellular and Immunoparasitology

Research Fellowship

  • 2009 - 2014: Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellowship
  • 2001 - 2001: Feodor-Lynen Fellowship of the German Humboldt Society