Andrew Aquilina

Research Interests

• Protein modifications and interactions responsible for the development of presbyopia and cataract
• Advanced mass spectrometry techniques for the study of protein structure and interactions
• Small heat shock proteins

Representative Publications

1. Ecroyd, H., Meehan, S., Horwitz, J., Aquilina, J. A., Benesch, J. L. et al. Mimicking phosphorylation of alphaB-crystallin affects its chaperone activity. Biochem. J. 401, 129-41 (2007).
2. Aquilina, J. A. & Watt, S. J. The N-terminal domain of alphaB-crystallin is protected from proteolysis by bound substrate. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 353, 1115-20 (2007).
3. Pepys, M. B., Hirschfield, G. M., Tennent, G. A., Gallimore, J. R., Kahan, M. C. et al. Targeting C-reactive protein for the treatment of cardiovascular disease. Nature 440, 1217-21 (2006).
4. Korlimbinis, A., Hains, P. G., Truscott, R. J. & Aquilina, J. A. 3-Hydroxykynurenine oxidizes alpha-crystallin: potential role in cataractogenesis. Biochemistry 45, 1852-60 (2006).
5. Aquilina, J. A., Benesch, J. L., Ding, L. L., Yaron, O., Horwitz, J. et al. Subunit exchange of polydisperse proteins: mass spectrometry reveals consequences of alphaA-crystallin truncation. J. Biol. Chem. 280, 14485-91 (2005).
6. Aquilina, J. A., Benesch, J. L., Ding, L. L., Yaron, O., Horwitz, J. et al. Phosphorylation of alphaB-crystallin alters chaperone function through loss of dimeric substructure. J. Biol. Chem. 279, 28675-80 (2004).
7. Aquilina, J. A. & Robinson, C. V. Investigating interactions of the pentraxins serum amyloid P component and C-reactive protein by mass spectrometry. Biochem. J. 375, 323-8 (2003).
8. Aquilina, J. A., Benesch, J. L., Bateman, O. A., Slingsby, C. & Robinson, C. V. Polydispersity of a mammalian chaperone: mass spectrometry reveals the population of oligomers in alphaB-crystallin. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 100, 10611-6 (2003).

Current Students

Jim Shih-Ping (PhD)

James Scifleet (PhD)

Quill Bowden (Hons. Biotech.)

Emma Finlayson (Hons. BSc.)

Suggested Topics for Future Students

Using chemical cross-linking and mass spectrometry to map the regions of interaction in a multi-subunit protein

Developing a MALDI mass spectrometry technique as a forensic tool for the determination of maggot age

Use a small molecule probe to map structural changes in a recombinant small heat shock protein due to molecular crowding and phosphorylation

Abbreviated CV

2007- SENIOR FELLOW/LECTURER

University of Wollongong

2006-2011 NHMRC R. DOUGLAS WRIGHT FELLOW

School of Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong

2005-2006 LECTURER

School of Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong

2004-2005 RESEARCH FELLOW

Department of Chemistry, University of Wollongong

2001-2003 HOWARD FLOREY RESEARCH FELLOW,

Department of Chemistry, Cambridge University, UK

2000-2001 POST-DOCTORAL FELLOW,

Department of Chemistry, University of Wollongong

2000 PhD

Department of Chemistry, University of Wollongong

Last reviewed: 7 May, 2008