Academic Staff
Professor John A. Gatehouse, M.A., D.Phil. (Oxon.)
(email at j.a.gatehouse@durham.ac.uk)
Biography
University of Durham (Department of Botany; Department of Biological Sciences; School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences):
Postdoctoral Research Assistant 1976-1979;
Addison Wheeler Research Fellow 1979-1984;
Lecturer 1984-1997;
Reader 1997-2011;
Professor 2011-present.
Currently Deputy Head of School and Director of Undergraduate Teaching
Scientific interests:
Two main areas of research are currently being pursued; Plant-Insect Interactions, and Recombinant Proteins.
Plant-Insect Interactions, and developing insect-resistant crops, form a multi-disciplinary research programme carried out in collaboration with the group of Prof. Angharad Gatehouse IRES, University of Newcastle, with Dr. Elaine Fitches at CSL York, and with other collaborators, both national and international. The programme has involved the study of both plant and insect biochemistry and molecular biology, to characterise the interaction between plants and their predators at the molecular level. Much current research involves the design and production of recombinant fusion proteins as novel insecticides. These proteins are based on plant lectins as carriers for a variety of toxins, including components from venoms of spiders, scorpions and parasitoid wasps. The research group has also been involved in the production and bioassay of insect-resistant transgenic plants, and in evaluating the effects of these plants on non-target organisms. We believe that genetically modified (GM) crops will make a valuable contribution to future agriculture, and, despite the negative image that has been falsely attributed to them, will come to be seen as an environmentally benign form of pest control.
The research group has extensive experience in the production of recombinant proteins in functional form, using various expression systems, but specialising in the yeast Pichia pastoris as an expression host. These proteins have been used as as starting points for mutagenesis programmes designed to produce novel proteins, for use as catalysts, and in pharmaceutical applications.
Research Groups
- Biomolecular Interactions
- Durham Centre for Crop Improvement Technology
Research Interests
- Biochemistry and molecular biology of plant-insect interactions
- Expression of recombinant plant and insect proteins in microorganisms
- Genetic engineering of plants for insect resistance
- Insect biochemistry and molecular biology
- Plant biochemistry and molecular biology
- Protein engineering
Selected Publications
Journal papers: academic
- Ferry, N., Stavroulakis, S., Guan, W., Davison, G.M., Bell, H.A., Weaver, R.J., Down, R.E., Gatehouse, J.A. & Gatehouse, A.M.R. (2011). Molecular interactions between wheat and cereal aphid (Sitobion avenae): Analysis of changes to the wheat proteome. PROTEOMICS 11(10): 1985-2002.
- Pyati, P., Bandani, A.R., Fitches, E. & Gatehouse, J.A. (2011). Protein digestion in cereal aphids (Sitobion avenae) as a target for plant defence by endogenous proteinase inhibitors. Journal of Insect Physiology 57(7): 881-891.
- Bruce, C., Fitches, E.C., Chougule, N., Bell, H.A. & Gatehouse, J.A. (2011). Recombinant conotoxin, TxVIA, produced in yeast has insecticidal activity. Toxicon 58(1): 93-100.
- Fang, Q, Wang, F, Gatehouse, J.A., Gatehouse, A.M.R., Chen, X-X, Hu, C & Ye, G-Y (2011). Venom of Parasitoid, Pteromalus puparum, Suppresses Host, Pieris rapae, Immune Promotion by Decreasing Host C-Type Lectin Gene Expression. PLoS ONE 6(10): e26888.
- Hinchliffe, G, Bown, DP, Gatehouse, JA & Fitches, E (2010). Insecticidal activity of recombinant avidin produced in yeast. Journal of Insect Physiology 56(6): 629-639.
- Price, DRG, Tibbles, K, Shigenobu, S, Smertenko, A, Russell, CW, Douglas, AE, Fitches, E, Gatehouse, AMR & Gatehouse, JA (2010). Sugar transporters of the major facilitator superfamily in aphids; from gene prediction to functional characterization. Insect Molecular Biology 19(S2): 97-112.
- Price, DRG, Bell, HA, Hinchliffe, G, Fitches, E, Weaver, R, & Gatehouse, JA (2009). A venom metalloproteinase from the parasitic wasp Eulophus pennicornis is toxic towards its host, tomato moth (Lacanobia oleracae). Insect Molecular Biology 18(2): 195-202.
- Pyati, PS, Bell, HA, Fitches, E, Price, DRG, Gatehouse, AMR & Gatehouse, JA (2009). Cathepsin L-like cysteine proteinase (DcCathL) from Delia coarctata (wheat bulb fly): Basis of insecticidal activity. Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 39(8): 535-546.
- Chougule, N, Doyle, E, Fitches, E & Gatehouse, JA (2008). Biochemical characterization of midgut digestive proteases from Mamestra brassicae (cabbage moth; Lepidoptera Noctuidae) and effect of soybean Kunitz inhibitor (SKTI) in feeding assays. Journal of Insect Physiology 54(3): 563-572.
- Gatehouse, JA (2008). Biotechnological prospects for engineering insect-resistant plants. Plant Physiology 146(3): 881-887.
- Price, DRG & Gatehouse, JA (2008). RNAi-mediated crop protection against insects. Trends in Biotechnology 26(7): 393-400.
- Fitches, E, Wiles, D, Douglas, AE, Hinchliffe, G, Audsley, N & Gatehouse, JA (2008). The insecticidal activity of recombinant garlic lectins towards aphids. Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 38(10): 905-915.
- Price, DRG, Wilkinson, HS & Gatehouse, JA (2007). Functional expression and characterisation of a gut facilitative glucose transporter, NIHT1, from the phloem-feeding insect Nilaparvata lugens (rice brown planthopper. Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 37(11): 1138-1148.
- Srinivasan, A, Giri, AP, Harsulkar, AM, Gatehouse, JA & Gupta, VS (2005). A Kunitz trypsin inhibitor from chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) that exerts anti-metabolic effect on podborer (Helicoverpa armigera) larvae. Plant Molecular Biology 57(3): 359-374.
- Mehlo, L, Gahakwa, D, Nghia, PT, Loc, NT, Capell, T, Gatehouse, JA, Gatehouse, AMR & Christou, P (2005). An alternative strategy for sustainable pest resistance in genetically enhanced crops. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America 102(22): 7812-7816.
- Bown, DP, Wilkinson, HS, Jongsma, MA & Gatehouse, JA (2004). Characterisation of cysteine proteinases responsible for digestive proteolysis in guts of larval western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera) by expression in the yeast Pichia pastoris. Insect Biochemistry And Molecular Biology 34(4): 305-320.
- Bown, DP & Gatehouse, JA (2004). Characterization of a digestive carboxypeptidase from the insect pest corn earworm (Helicoverpa armigera) with novel specificity towards C-terminal glutamate residues. European Journal Of Biochemistry 271(10): 2000-2011.
- Fitches, E, Wilkinson, H, Bell, H, Bown, DP, Gatehouse, JA & Edwards, JP (2004). Cloning, expression and functional characterisation of chitinase from larvae of tomato moth (Lacanobia oleracea): a demonstration of the insecticidal activity of insect chitinase. Insect Biochemistry And Molecular Biology 34(10): 1037-1050.
- Fitches, E, Edwards, MG, Mee, C, Grishin, E, Gatehouse, AMR, Edwards, JP & Gatehouse, JA (2004). Fusion proteins containing insect-specific toxins as pest control agents: snowdrop lectin delivers fused insecticidal spider venom toxinto insect haemolymph following oral ingestion. Journal Of Insect Physiology 50(1): 61-71.
- Price, DRG, Du, J, Dinsmore, A & Gatehouse, JA (2004). Molecular cloning and immunolocalization of a diuretic hormone receptor in rice brown planthopper (Nilaparvata lugens). Insect Molecular Biology 13(5): 469-480.
- Fordham-Skelton, AP, Chilley, P, Lumbreras, V, Reignoux, S, Fenton, TR, Dahm, CC, Pages, M & Gatehouse, JA (2002). A novel higher plant protein tyrosine phosphatase interacts with SNF1-related protein kinases via a KIS (kinase interaction sequence) domain. Plant Journal 29(6): 705-715.
- Fitches, E, Audsley, N, Gatehouse, JA & Edwards, JP (2002). Fusion proteins containing neuropeptides as novel insect control agents: snowdrop lectin delivers fused allatostatin to insect haemolymph following oral ingestion. Insect Biochemistry And Molecular Biology 32(12): 1653-1661.
- Gatehouse, JA (2002). Plant resistance towards insect herbivores: a dynamic interaction. New Phytologist 156(2): 145-169.
Journal papers: online
- Trung, NP, Fitches, E & Gatehouse, JA (2006). A fusion protein containing a lepidopteran-specific toxin from the South Indian red scorpion (Mesobuthus tamulus) and snowdrop lectin shows oral toxicity to target insects. BMC Biotechnology 6: 18.