Professor Geoff McFadden
| Location |
Botany Bld Rm 211 |
| Phone | +61 3 8344 5053 |
| Fax | +61 3 9347 5460 |
| gim@unimelb.edu.au | |
| Website | http://www.geoffmcfadden.com |
Research Interests
• The relict chloroplast of malaria parasites
• Origin and evolution of plastids and mitochondria
Research Group
- Molecular & Cellular Evolution
Publications
[IF = journal impact factor] [C= number of times cited as of May 2009]
[1]. Gardner, M.J., N. Hall, E. Fung, O. White, M. Berriman, R.W. Hyman, J.M. Carlton, A. Pain, K.E. Nelson, S. Bowman, I.T. Paulsen, K. James, J.A. Eisen, K. Rutherford, S.L. Salzberg, A. Craig, S. Kyes, M.S. Chan, V. Nene, S.J. Shallom, B. Suh, J. Peterson, S. Angiuoli, M. Pertea, J. Allen, J. Selengut, D. Haft, M.W. Mather, A.B. Vaidya, D.M. Martin, A.H. Fairlamb, M.J. Fraunholz, D.S. Roos, S.A. Ralph, G.I. McFadden, L.M. Cummings, G.M. Subramanian, C. Mungall, J.C. Venter, D.J. Carucci, S.L. Hoffman, C. Newbold, R.W. Davis, C.M. Fraser, and B. Barrell, (2002) Genome sequence of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Nature. 419: 498-511. [IF 30.9] [C 1,245]
Landmark paper in malaria research. My lab comprises two of 45 authors but we had two sentences in the abstract, a figure and were responsible for annotating 500 of the 5,600 genes.
[2]. Foth, B.J., S.A. Ralph, C.J. Tonkin, N.S. Struck, M. Fraunholz, D.S. Roos, A.F. Cowman, and G.I. McFadden, (2003) Dissecting apicoplast targeting in the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Science. 299: 705-8. [IF 29.7] [C 131]
First combination of bioinformatics and strategic in vivo point mutagenesis to examine how leader sequences target proteins to the relict plastid of malaria parasite. Featured in textbook Discovering Genomics, Proteomics and Bioinformatics 2nd ed. (Campbell AM and Heyer LJ 2006)
[3]. Waller, R.F., P.J. Keeling, G.G. van Dooren, and G.I. McFadden, (2003) A green algal apicoplast ancestor. Science. 301: 49. [IF 29.7] [C 35]
Debunked the prominently published notion that the malaria parasite plastid arose from a green algal endosymbiont. Presented evidence for a red algal origin.
[4]. Waller, R.F., S.A. Ralph, M.B. Reed, V. Su, J.D. Douglas, D.E. Minnikin, A.F. Cowman, G.S. Besra, and G.I. McFadden, (2003) A type II pathway for fatty acid biosynthesis presents drug targets in Plasmodium falciparum. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 47: 297-301. [IF 4.2] [C 64]
[5]. Ralph, S.A., G.G. van Dooren, R.F. Waller, M.J. Crawford|, M. Fraunholz, B.F. Foth, C.J. Tonkin, D.S. Roos, and G.I. McFadden, (2004) Metabolic maps and functions of the Plasmodium falciparum apicoplast. Nature Reviews Microbiol. 2: 203-216. [IF 15.0] [C 161]
Assembles a comprehensive model of metabolic pathways in the relict plastid of malaria parasites from the genome data and targeting knowledge. Exceptional impact in short time frame.
[6]. Tonkin, C.J., G.G. Van Dooren, T.P. Spurck, N.S. Struck, R.T. Good, E. Handman, A.F. Cowman, and G.I. McFadden, (2004) Localization of organellar proteins in Plasmodium falciparum using a novel set of transfection vectors and a new immunofluorescence fixation method. Mol Biochem Parasitol. 137: 13-21. [IF 2.8] [C 72]
Introduced new microscopy technology that is now almost universally adopted in malaria research. Top 10 cited article for Mol Biochem. Parasitology in 2006. Cover illustration.
[7]. Gilson, P.R., V. Su, C.H. Slamovits, M.E. Reith, P.J. Keeling, and G.I. McFadden, (2006) Complete nucleotide sequence of the chlorarachniophyte nucleomorph: Nature's smallest nucleus. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 103: 9566-71. [IF 10.4] [C 44]
Reports genome of the remnant nucleus of a secondary endosymbiont. Examines reasons for endosymbiont nucleus retention and principles of genome reduction. Attracted a commentary in PNAS and news coverage in Nature and Science.
[8]. Mullin, K.A., L. Lim, S.A. Ralph, T.P. Spurck, E. Handman, and G.I. McFadden, (2006) Membrane transporters in the relict plastid of malaria parasites. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 103: 9572-7. [IF 10.4] [C 19]
Identifies first proteins in secondary plastid membrane and the engine of the apicoplast. Connects blood glucose via parasite glycolysis to apicoplast carbon, energy and reducing power pathways.
[9]. Saliba, K.J., R.E. Martin, A. Broer, R.I. Henry, C.S. McCarthy, M.J. Downie, R.J. Allen, K.A. Mullin, G.I. McFadden, S. Broer, and K. Kirk, (2006) Sodium-dependent uptake of inorganic phosphate by the intracellular malaria parasite. Nature. 443: 582-5. [IF 30.9] [C 16]
Identifies parasite's transporter for acquiring the essential nutrient phosphate. Combines bioinformatics, transporter characterization & localization by molecular genetic tagging to resolve the mystery of how parasites exploit the host to steal nutrients.
[10]. van Dooren, G.G., L.M. Stimmler, and G.I. McFadden, (2006) Metabolic maps and functions of the Plasmodium mitochondrion. FEMS Microbiol Rev. 30: 596-630. [IF 10.0] [C 31]
[11]. Goodman, C.D., V. Su, and G.I. McFadden, (2007) The effects of anti-bacterials on the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Mol Biochem Parasitol. 152: 181-91. [IF 2.7] [C 22]
[12]. Rogers, M.B., P.R. Gilson, V. Su, G.I. McFadden, and P.J. Keeling, (2007) The complete chloroplast genome of the chlorarachniophyte Bigelowiella natans: evidence for independent origins of chlorarachniophyte and euglenid secondary endosymbionts. Mol Biol Evol. 24: 54-62. [IF 6.7] [C 34]
[13]. Gould, S.B., W.H. Tham, A.F. Cowman, G.I. McFadden, and R.F. Waller, (2008) Alveolins, a new family of cortical proteins that define the protist infrakingdom Alveolata. Mol Biol Evol. 25: 1219-30. [IF 6.7] [C 10]
[14]. Tonkin, C.J., B.J. Foth, S.A. Ralph, N. Struck, A.F. Cowman, and G.I. McFadden, (2008) Evolution of malaria parasite plastid targeting sequences. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 105: 4781-5. [IF 10.4] [C 1]
Used computer algorithm to generate artificial targeting peptides for which genes were synthesised and tested in parasites. The key point of our findings is that the order of amino acids and peptides mediating import of proteins into the plastid of malaria parasites is not important, only the overall content.