Education

Ph.D. in Biochemistry, National Institute for Medical Research, UK, 1991

Current position

Program Leader, Division of Parasitology, MRC National Institute for Medical Research, London, UK (2000-present)
Lab web page: http://www.nimr.mrc.ac.uk/research/mike-blackman/

Publications

Primary research articles (since 2008)

1. Suarez, C., Volkmann, K., Gomes, A. R., Billker, O. and Blackman, M. J. (2013). The malarial serine protease SUB1 plays an essential role in parasite liver stage development. PLoS Pathog 9(12): e1003811.
   
2. van Ooij, C., Withers-Martinez, C., Ringel, A., Cockcroft, S., Haldar, K. and Blackman, M. J. (2013). Identification of a Plasmodium falciparum phospholipid transfer protein. J Biol Chem 288(44): 31971-31983.
   
3. Child, M. A., Harris, P. K., Collins, C. R., Withers-Martinez, C., Yeoh, S. and Blackman, M. J. (2013). Molecular determinants for subcellular trafficking of the malarial sheddase PfSUB2. Traffic 14(10): 1053-1064.
   
4. Collins, C. R., Hackett, F., Strath, M., Penzo, M., Withers-Martinez, C., Baker, D. A. and Blackman, M. J. (2013). Malaria parasite cGMP-dependent protein kinase regulates blood stage merozoite secretory organelle discharge and egress. PLoS Pathog 9(5): e1003344.
   
5. Collins, C. R., Das, S., Wong, E. H., Andenmatten, N., Stallmach, R., Hackett, F., Herman, J. P., Muller, S., Meissner, M. and Blackman, M. J. (2013). Robust inducible Cre recombinase activity in the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum enables efficient gene deletion within a single asexual erythrocytic growth cycle. Mol Microbiol 88(4): 687-701.
   
6. Deligianni, E., Morgan, R. N., Bertuccini, L., Wirth, C. C., Silmon de Monerri, N. C., Spanos, L., Blackman, M. J., Louis, C., Pradel, G. and Siden-Kiamos, I. (2013). A perforin-like protein mediates disruption of the erythrocyte membrane during egress of Plasmodium berghei male gametocytes. Cell Microbiol 15(8): 1438-1455.
   
7. Fulle, S., Withers-Martinez, C., Blackman, M. J., Morris, G. M. and Finn, P. W. (2013). Molecular Determinants of Binding to the Plasmodium Subtilisin-like Protease 1. J Chem Inf Model 53(3): 573-583.
   
8. Moon, R. W., Hall, J., Rangkuti, F., Ho, Y. S., Almond, N., Mitchell, G. H., Pain, A., Holder, A. A. and Blackman, M. J. (2013). Adaptation of the genetically tractable malaria pathogen Plasmodium knowlesi to continuous culture in human erythrocytes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 110(2): 531-536.
   
9. Ruecker, A., Shea, M., Hackett, F., Suarez, C., Hirst, E. M., Milutinovic, K., Withers-Martinez, C. and Blackman, M. J. (2012). Proteolytic activation of the essential parasitophorous vacuole cysteine protease SERA6 accompanies malaria parasite egress from its host erythrocyte. J Biol Chem 287(45): 37949-37963.
   
10. Gemma, S., Giovani, S., Brindisi, M., Tripaldi, P., Brogi, S., Savini, L., Fiorini, I., Novellino, E., Butini, S., Campiani, G., Penzo, M. and Blackman, M. J. (2012). Quinolylhydrazones as novel inhibitors of Plasmodium falciparum serine protease PfSUB1. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 22(16): 5317-5321.
    
11. Withers-Martinez, C., Suarez, C., Fulle, S., Kher, S., Penzo, M., Ebejer, J. P., Koussis, K., Hackett, F., Jirgensons, A., Finn, P. and Blackman, M. J. (2012). Plasmodium subtilisin-like protease 1 (SUB1): insights into the active-site structure, specificity and function of a pan-malaria drug target. Int J Parasitol 42(6): 597-612.
    
12. Cruz, L. N., Juliano, M. A., Budu, A., Juliano, L., Holder, A. A., Blackman, M. J. and Garcia, C. R. (2012). Extracellular ATP triggers proteolysis and cytosolic Ca(2)(+) rise in Plasmodium berghei and Plasmodium yoelii malaria parasites. Malar J 11: 69.
    
13. Silmon de Monerri, N. C., Flynn, H. R., Campos, M. G., Hackett, F., Koussis, K., Withers-Martinez, C., Skehel, J. M. and Blackman, M. J. (2011). Global identification of multiple substrates for Plasmodium falciparum SUB1, an essential malarial processing protease. Infect Immun 79(3): 1086-1097.
    
14. Santos, J. M., Ferguson, D. J., Blackman, M. J. and Soldati-Favre, D. (2011). Intramembrane cleavage of AMA1 triggers Toxoplasma to switch from an invasive to a replicative mode. Science 331(6016): 473-477.
    
15. Olivieri, A., Collins, C. R., Hackett, F., Withers-Martinez, C., Marshall, J., Flynn, H. R., Skehel, J. M. and Blackman, M. J. (2011). Juxtamembrane shedding of Plasmodium falciparum AMA1 is sequence independent and essential, and helps evade invasion-inhibitory antibodies. PLoS Pathog 7(12): e1002448.
    
16. Woehlbier, U., Epp, C., Hackett, F., Blackman, M. J. and Bujard, H. (2010). Antibodies against multiple merozoite surface antigens of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum inhibit parasite maturation and red blood cell invasion. Malar J 9: 77.
    
17. Friedrich, N., Santos, J. M., Liu, Y., Palma, A. S., Leon, E., Saouros, S., Kiso, M., Blackman, M. J., Matthews, S., Feizi, T. and Soldati-Favre, D. (2010). Members of a novel protein family containing microneme adhesive repeat domains act as sialic acid-binding lectins during host cell invasion by apicomplexan parasites. J Biol Chem 285(3): 2064-2076.
    
18. Dvorin, J. D., Martyn, D. C., Patel, S. D., Grimley, J. S., Collins, C. R., Hopp, C. S., Bright, A. T., Westenberger, S., Winzeler, E., Blackman, M. J., Baker, D. A., Wandless, T. J. and Duraisingh, M. T. (2010). A plant-like kinase in Plasmodium falciparum regulates parasite egress from erythrocytes. Science 328(5980): 910-912.
    
19. Child, M. A., Epp, C., Bujard, H. and Blackman, M. J. (2010). Regulated maturation of malaria merozoite surface protein-1 is essential for parasite growth. Mol Microbiol 78(1): 187-202.
    
20. Wanyiri, J. W., Techasintana, P., O'Connor, R. M., Blackman, M. J., Kim, K. and Ward, H. D. (2009). Role of CpSUB1, a subtilisin-like protease, in Cryptosporidium parvum infection in vitro. Eukaryot Cell 8(4): 470-477.
    
21. Lazarou, M., Guevara Patino, J. A., Jennings, R. M., McIntosh, R. S., Shi, J., Howell, S., Cullen, E., Jones, T., Adame-Gallegos, J. R., Chappel, J. A., McBride, J. S., Blackman, M. J., Holder, A. A. and Pleass, R. J. (2009). Inhibition of erythrocyte invasion and Plasmodium falciparum merozoite surface protein 1 processing by human immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) and IgG3 antibodies. Infect Immun 77(12): 5659-5667.
    
22. Koussis, K., Withers-Martinez, C., Yeoh, S., Child, M., Hackett, F., Knuepfer, E., Juliano, L., Woehlbier, U., Bujard, H. and Blackman, M. J. (2009). A multifunctional serine protease primes the malaria parasite for red blood cell invasion. EMBO J 28(6): 725-735.
    
23. Doerig, C., Baker, D., Billker, O., Blackman, M. J., Chitnis, C., Dhar Kumar, S., Heussler, V., Holder, A. A., Kocken, C., Krishna, S., Langsley, G., Lasonder, E., Menard, R., Meissner, M., Pradel, G., Ranford-Cartwright, L., Sharma, A., Sharma, P., Tardieux, T., Tatu, U. and Alano, P. (2009). Signalling in malaria parasites. The MALSIG consortium. Parasite 16(3): 169-182.
    
24. Collins, C. R., Withers-Martinez, C., Hackett, F. and Blackman, M. J. (2009). An inhibitory antibody blocks interactions between components of the malarial invasion machinery. PLoS Pathog 5(1): e1000273.
    
25. Withers-Martinez, C., Haire, L. F., Hackett, F., Walker, P. A., Howell, S. A., Smerdon, S. J., Dodson, G. G. and Blackman, M. J. (2008). Malarial EBA-175 region VI crystallographic structure reveals a KIX-like binding interface. J Mol Biol 375(3): 773-781.
    
26. Sawmynaden, K., Saouros, S., Friedrich, N., Marchant, J., Simpson, P., Bleijlevens, B., Blackman, M. J., Soldati-Favre, D. and Matthews, S. (2008). Structural insights into microneme protein assembly reveal a new mode of EGF domain recognition. EMBO Rep 9(11): 1149-1155.
    

Review articles and book chapters

1. Blackman, M. J. and Carruthers, V. B. (2013). Recent insights into apicomplexan parasite egress provide new views to a kill. Curr Opin Microbiol 16(4): 459-464.
   
2. Silmon de Monerri, N., Ruecker, A., and Blackman, M. J. Plasmodium subtilisins. In Handbook of Proteolytic Enzymes, 3rd edn. In: Barrett, A.J., Rawlings, N. D. and Woessner, J. F. (eds). Elsevier, London. (in press)
   
3. Collins, C. R. and Blackman, M. J. (2011). Apicomplexan AMA1 in host cell invasion: a model at the junction? Cell Host Microbe 10(6): 531-533.
   
4. Dowse, T. J., Koussis, K., Blackman, M. J. and Soldati-Favre, D. (2008). Roles of proteases during invasion and egress by Plasmodium and Toxoplasma. Subcell Biochem 47: 121-139.
   
5. Blackman, M. J. (2008). Malarial proteases and host cell egress: an 'emerging' cascade. Cell Microbiol 10(10): 1925-1934.
   
6. O'Donnell, R. A. and Blackman, M. J. (2005). The role of malaria merozoite proteases in red blood cell invasion. Curr Opin Microbiol 8(4): 422-427.
   
7. Carruthers, V. B. and Blackman, M. J. (2005). A new release on life: emerging concepts in proteolysis and parasite invasion. Mol Microbiol 55(6): 1617-1630.
   
8. Withers-Martinez, C., Jean, L. and Blackman, M. J. (2004). Subtilisin-like proteases of the malaria parasite. Mol Microbiol 53(1): 55-63.
   
9. Blackman, M. J. (2004). Plasmodium subtilisins. In Handbook of Proteolytic Enzymes, 2nd edn. In: Barrett, A. J., Rawlings, N. D. and Woessner, J. F. (eds). Elsevier, London.
   
10. Blackman, M. J. (2004). Proteases in host cell invasion by the malaria parasite. Cell Microbiol 6(10): 893-903.
    
11. Blackman, M. J. (2003). RNAi in protozoan parasites: what hope for the Apicomplexa? Protist 154(2): 177-180.
    
12. Blackman, M. J. and Bannister, L. H. (2001). Apical organelles of Apicomplexa: biology and isolation by subcellular fractionation. Mol Biochem Parasitol 117(1): 11-25.
    
13. Chitnis, C. E. and Blackman, M. J. (2000). Host cell invasion by malaria parasites. Parasitol Today 16(10): 411-415.
    
14. Blackman, M. J. (2000). Proteases involved in erythrocyte invasion by the malaria parasite: function and potential as chemotherapeutic targets. Curr Drug Targets 1(1): 59-83.
    
15. Holder, A. A., Guevara Patino, J. A., Uthaipibull, C., Syed, S. E., Ling, I. T., Scott-Finnigan, T. and Blackman, M. J. (1999). Merozoite surface protein 1, immune evasion, and vaccines against asexual blood stage malaria. Parassitologia 41(1-3): 409-414.
    
16. Blackman, M. J. and Clough, B. (1999). Meeting report: Molecular Parasitology, Woods Hole, USA, September 13-17, 1998. Protist 150(1): 3-6.
    
17. Holder, A. A., Blackman, M. J., Borre, M., Burghaus, P. A., Chappel, J. A., Keen, J. K., Ling, I. T., Ogun, S. A., Owen, C. A. and Sinha, K. A. (1994). Malaria parasites and erythrocyte invasion. Biochem Soc Trans 22(2): 291-295.
    
18. Holder, A. A. and Blackman, M. J. (1994). What is the function of MSP-I on the malaria merozoite? Parasitol Today 10(5): 182-184.
    
19. Blackman, M. J. (1994). Purification of Plasmodium falciparum merozoites for analysis of the processing of merozoite surface protein-1. Methods Cell Biol 45: 213-220.