Staff

Dr Paul Yeo, BSc (Hons), PhD

Contact Dr Paul Yeo (email at r.p.yeo@durham.ac.uk)

Biography

Paul was appointed as Lecturer in Microbiology in 2004 after seven years working in the renowned Medical Research Council’s Virology Unit (Glasgow) as a senior scientist. Prior to that, he worked in the University of Reading on HIV. His current research interests are focussed on Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) a major cause of respiratory disease in infants and the elderly. Throughout his research career Paul has focused upon the study of viral proteins for their structure, function and ultimately to use this information in the design of novel therapeutics. The results of this work will lead to a greater understanding of how viruses replicate and cause disease. He has identified potential targets for intervention particularly against the interaction between the RSV nucleocapsid and the polymerase. Further work on validating these targets as therapeutics is ongoing but they provide proof of principle that there are alternative strategies to be taken in the search for new reagents.

Current projects include:

•The assembly of Respiratory Syncytial Virus
•The interaction of Respiratory Syncytial Virus with the cytoskeleton
•The structure and function of the polymerase, its cofactors and the viral template

Research Groups

School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences

• Biomolecular Interactions
• Cell Structure

Research Interests

• Cell Biology
• Membrane:Protein interactions
• Molecular Biology
• Structural Biology
• Virology

Teaching Areas

• CSIM: Clinical Virology (34 hours/year.)
• NME: Clinical Biochemistry and Endocrinology (63 hours/year.)

Indicators of Esteem

• 2012: Invited speaker, Wellcome Trust,' Understanding bottlenecks in the discovery of new therapie for Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) infection: Invites to the Wellcome Trust New Frontiers meeting " Understanding bottlenecks in the discovery of new therapie for Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) infection"
• 2006: Invited Lecture, Cambridge: Invited to speak to Dept of Pathology, University of Cambridge Title "Sugar and spice and all things nice: A look at the internal proteins of the Mononegavirales"
• 2006: Invited Lecture, Manchester: Invited to speak to the Dept of Chemistry, University of Manchester, Feb 2005. Title "The Inside story of negative-strand RNA viruses"
• 2005: Invited Talk, JCUH, Middlesborough: Invited to speak to Dept of Pathology, JCUH Middlesbrough Title "RNA viruses in the Centre for Infectious Diseases"
• 2001: Invited talk, Pfizer, Sandwich, Kent: Invited to speak to Virology Dept in Pfizer Title "Possible antiviral targets for Respiratory Syncytial virus"

Selected Publications

Journal papers: academic

• McPhee, HK, Carlisle, JL, Beeby, A, Money, V, Watson, MD, Yeo, RP & Sanderson, JM (2011). Influence of Lipids on the Interfacial Disposition of Respiratory Syncytical Virus Matrix Protein. Langmuir 27(1): 304-311.
• Curtis F.A., Reed, P., Wilson, L.A., Bowers, L.Y., Yeo, P., Sanderson, J.M., Walmsley, A.R. & Sharples, G.J. (2011). The C-terminus of the phage lambda Orf recombinase is involved in DNA binding. Journal of Molecular Recognition 24(2): 330-340.
• Money, V.A. McPhee, H.K. Mosely, J.A., Sanderson, J.M. & Yeo, R.P. (2009). Surface features of a Mononegavirales matrix protein indicate sites of membrane interaction. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA 106(11): 4441-4446.
• Tran, T.L. Castagné, N., Dubosclard, V., Noinville, S. Koch, E. Moudjou, M., Henry, C. Bernard, J., Yeo, R.P. & Eléouët, J.F. (2009). The Respiratory syncytial virus M2-1 protein forms tetramers and interacts with RNA and P in a competitive manner. Journal of Virology 83(13): 6363-6374.
• MacLellan, K., Loney, C, Yeo R.P. & Bhella D. (2007). The 24-angstrom structure of respiratory syncytial virus nucleocapsid protein-RNA decameric rings. Journal of Virology 81 (17): 9519-9524.
• Yeo, RP, Garcia-Barreno, B, Steel, J, Paya, M, Martinez-Sobrido, L, Delgado, T & Melero, JA (2005). Epitope mapping of human respiratory syncytial virus 22K transcription antitermination factor: role of N-terminal sequences in protein folding. Journal of General Virology 86: 1103-1107.
• Yeo, RP, Bhella, D & Ralph, A (2004). Conformational Flexibility in Recombinant Measles Virus Nucleocapsids Visualised by Cryo-negative Stain Electron Microscopy and Real-space Helical Reconstruction. Journal of Molecular Biology 340(2): 319-331.
• Bhella, D, Ralph, A & Yeo, RP (2004). Conformational flexibility in recombinant measles virus nucleocapsids visualised by cryo-negative stain microscopy and real space helical reconstruction. Journal of Molecular Biology 340: 319-331.
• Murphy, LB, Loney, C, Murray, J, Bhella, D, Ashton, P & Yeo, P (2003). Investigations into the amino-terminal domain of the respiratory syncytial virus nucleocapsid protein reveal elements important for nucleocapsid formation and interaction with the phosphoprotein. Virology 307(1): 143-153.
• Yeo, RP, Longhi, S, Receveur, V, Karlin, D, Johansson, K, Darbon, H & Bhella, D (2003). The N-terminal domain of the measles virus nucleoprotein is intrinsically disordered and folds upon binding the C-terminal domain of the Phosphoprotein. Journal of Biological Chemistry 278(20): 18638-18648.
• Yeo, RP, Bhella, D, Ralph, A & Murphy, LB (2002). Significant differences in nucleocapsid morphology within the Paramyxoviridae. Journal of General Virology 83: 1831-1839.
• Henderson, G, Murray, J & Yeo, RP (2002). Sorting of the Respiratory Syncytial Virus Matrix Protein into Detergent-Resistant Structures Is Dependent on Cell-Surface Expression of the Glycoproteins. Virology 300(2): 244-254.
• Murray, J, Loney, C, Murphy, LB, Graham, S & Yeo, RP (2001). Characterization of Monoclonal Antibodies raised against Recombinant Respiratory Syncytial Virus Nucleocapsid (N) Protein: Identification of a Region in the Carboxy Terminus of N Involved in the Interaction with P Protein. Virology 289(2): 252-261.

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Media Contacts

Available for media contact about:

• Bioactive chemistry: I study viruses that infect humans, particularly a virus that causes respiratory disease in infants called Respiratory Syncytial Virus. my particular interests are in how the virus assemble and how it interacts with the cell, hijacking components to hel

Grants Awarded

• 2012: PVC Seedcorn Grant " Non-enzymatic acelyation of memebrane proteins as a marker of cellular aging
• 2012: PVC Seedcorn Grant " Non-enzymatic acelyation of memebrane proteins as a marker of cellular aging
• 2007: Wellcome Vacation Scholarship
• 2005: OneNorthEast: "Viral Fusion Proteins and their interactions with membrane"
• 2005: Royal Society "The role of Detergent Resistant Membrane-associated proteins in Respiratory Syncytial Virus infection: a preliminary proteomic analysis."
• 2001: EU grant "Toward the design of of new potent antiviral drugs: structure-function analysis of Paramyxoviridae RNA polymerase."