Dr Kate Wegener

Biography/ Background

I carried out my undergraduate studies at the University of Adelaide, graduating with a First Class Honours degree in Science, majoring in chemistry, in 1997. This was followed by a PhD in chemistry with Professor John Bowie and Professor John Carver (then at the University of Wollongong), examining the structure/activity relationships of bioactive amphibian peptides.

From 2002 to 2009 I undertook post-doctoral study at Oxford University in the laboratory of Professor Iain Campbell, studying proteins involved in the processes of cell migration and adhesion. In 2010 I returned to Adelaide University to become the inaugural Ramsay Fellow.

 

 

Research Interests

I study proteins involved in cell migration and adhesion – or how cells decide whether to move around or stay in one place. These essential processes are involved in almost all aspects of life, including embryogenesis, wound repair and in the immune response.

Integrins are key proteins in these processes. They reside in the cell membrane, interacting with both the interior of the cell and the external environment, communicating between the two. I focus on integrin interactions with cytoplasmic proteins, and how these influence migration and adhesion. I look at these interactions from a structural point of view, mainly using nuclear magnetic resonance or NMR, complementing this with a variety of biophysical techniques including isothermal titration calorimetry, surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy and mass spectroscopy.

 

Publications

[1] B.T. Goult, N. Bate, N.J. Anthis, K.L. Wegener, A.R. Gingras, B. Patel, I.L. Barsukov, I.D. Campbell, G.C. Roberts, and D.R. Critchley, The structure of an interdomain complex that regulates talin activity. J Biol Chem 284 (2009) 15097-106.

[2] N.J. Anthis, K.L. Wegener, F. Ye, C. Kim, B.T. Goult, E.D. Lowe, I. Vakonakis, N. Bate, D.R. Critchley, M.H. Ginsberg, and I.D. Campbell, The structure of an integrin/talin complex reveals the basis of inside-out signal transduction. EMBO J 28 (2009) 3623-32.

[3] N.J. Anthis, J.R. Haling, C.L. Oxley, M. Memo, K.L. Wegener, C.J. Lim, M.H. Ginsberg, and I.D. Campbell, Beta integrin tyrosine phosphorylation is a conserved mechanism for regulating talin-induced integrin activation. J Biol Chem 284 (2009) 36700-10.

[4] K.L. Wegener, and I.D. Campbell, Transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains in integrin activation and protein-protein interactions (review). Mol Membr Biol 25 (2008) 376-87.

[5] K.L. Wegener, J. Basran, C.R. Bagshaw, I.D. Campbell, G.C. Roberts, D.R. Critchley, and I.L. Barsukov, Structural basis for the interaction between the cytoplasmic domain of the hyaluronate receptor layilin and the talin F3 subdomain. J Mol Biol 382 (2008) 112-26.

[6] C.L. Oxley, N.J. Anthis, E.D. Lowe, I. Vakonakis, I.D. Campbell, and K.L. Wegener, An integrin phosphorylation switch: the effect of beta3 integrin tail phosphorylation on Dok1 and talin binding. J Biol Chem 283 (2008) 5420-6.

[7] K.L. Wegener, A.W. Partridge, J. Han, A.R. Pickford, R.C. Liddington, M.H. Ginsberg, and I.D. Campbell, Structural basis of integrin activation by talin. Cell 128 (2007) 171-182.

[8] T. Kiema, Y. Lad, P. Jiang, C.L. Oxley, M. Baldassarre, K.L. Wegener, I.D. Campbell, J. Ylanne, and D.A. Calderwood, The molecular basis of filamin binding to integrins and competition with talin. Mol Cell 21 (2006) 337-47.

[9] J.M. de Pereda, K.L. Wegener, E. Santelli, N. Bate, M.H. Ginsberg, D.R. Critchley, I.D. Campbell, and R.C. Liddington, Structural basis for phosphatidylinositol phosphate kinase type Igamma binding to talin at focal adhesions. J Biol Chem 280 (2005) 8381-6.

[10] K.L. Wegener, J.A. Carver, and J.H. Bowie, The solution structures and activity of caerin 1.1 and caerin 1.4 in aqueous trifluoroethanol and dodecylphosphocholine micelles. Biopolymers 69 (2003) 42-59.

[11] I. Marcotte, K.L. Wegener, Y.H. Lam, B.C. Chia, M.R. de Planque, J.H. Bowie, M. Auger, and F. Separovic, Interaction of antimicrobial peptides from Australian amphibians with lipid membranes. Chem Phys Lipids 122 (2003) 107-20.

[12] J. Doyle, C.S. Brinkworth, K.L. Wegener, J.A. Carver, L.E. Llewellyn, I.N. Olver, J.H. Bowie, P.A. Wabnitz, and M.J. Tyler, nNOS inhibition, antimicrobial and anticancer activity of the amphibian skin peptide, citropin 1.1 and synthetic modifications. The solution structure of a modified citropin 1.1. Eur J Biochem 270 (2003) 1141-53.

[13] C.S. Brinkworth, J.A. Carver, K.L. Wegener, J. Doyle, L.E. Llewellyn, and J.H. Bowie, The solution structure of frenatin 3, a neuronal nitric oxide synthase inhibitor from the giant tree frog, Litoria infrafrenata. Biopolymers 70 (2003) 424-34.

[14] J. Doyle, L.E. Llewellyn, C.S. Brinkworth, J.H. Bowie, K.L. Wegener, T. Rozek, P.A. Wabnitz, J.C. Wallace, and M.J. Tyler, Amphibian peptides that inhibit neuronal nitric oxide synthase. Isolation of lesuerin from the skin secretion of the Australian Stony Creek frog Litoria lesueuri. Eur J Biochem 269 (2002) 100-9.

[15] K.L. Wegener, C.S. Brinkworth, J.H. Bowie, J.C. Wallace, and M.J. Tyler, Bioactive dahlein peptides from the skin secretions of the Australian aquatic frog Litoria dahlii: sequence determination by electrospray mass spectrometry. Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom 15 (2001) 1726-34.

[16] T. Rozek, K.L. Wegener, J.H. Bowie, I.N. Olver, J.A. Carver, J.C. Wallace, and M.J. Tyler, The antibiotic and anticancer active aurein peptides from the Australian Bell Frogs Litoria aurea and Litoria raniformis the solution structure of aurein 1.2. Eur J Biochem 267 (2000) 5330-41.

[17] S.G. Lambert, J.A.M. Taylor, K.L. Wegener, S.L. Woodhouse, S.F. Lincoln, and A.D. Ward, A preparitive, spectroscopic and equilibruim study of some phenyl-2-thiazoline fluorophores for aluminium (III) detection. New Journal of Chemistry 24 (2000) 541-546.

[18] K.L. Wegener, P.A. Wabnitz, J.A. Carver, J.H. Bowie, B.C. Chia, J.C. Wallace, and M.J. Tyler, Host defence peptides from the skin glands of the Australian blue mountains tree-frog Litoria citropa. Solution structure of the antibacterial peptide citropin 1.1. Eur J Biochem 265 (1999) 627-37.

[19] J.H. Bowie, K.L. Wegener, P.A. Wabnitz, B.C.S. Chia, J.A. Carver, J.C. Wallace, and M.J. Tyler, Hose defence antibacterial peptides from skin secretions of Australian amphibians. The relationship between structure and activity. Protein and Peptide Letters 6 (1999) 259-269.

 

 

Entry last updated: Friday, 24 Dec 2010