 Dr Julianne T Djordjevic
CIDM - Fungal Pathogenesis Research Group
Julianne Djordjevic completed her PhD at the Department of Biochemistry, University of Queensland in 1995, investigating mechanisms of development of the disease hypercholesterolemia which lead to the structural determination of cholesterol-binding modules of the low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor. She has since completed two post-doctoral positions within the Millennium Institute (WMI), investigating inhibitors of T cell function and the pathogenesis of HIV infection.
In January 2003, she joined the Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology (CIDM) and, in 2005, was appointed to a tenured position as head of the Fungal Pathogenesis Group, to establish an internationally competitive laboratory in molecular fungal pathogenesis.
Research Interests
Using the AIDS-related pathogen, Cryptococcus neoformans, as a model she is primarily interested in determining mechanisms used by pathogenic fungi to secrete virulence determinants, such as the “invasin” phospholipase B1, and to establish cell wall integrity. Techniques employed to achieve these goals include targeted gene disruption and RNA silencing, and robust animal infection models are well-established. Her team recently discovered that a cryptococcal phospholipase C (PLC) controls many virulence attributes including secretion, and is currently employing transcriptomic and proteomic approaches to elucidate PLC-related signal transduction pathways and secretion mechanisms. The team’s goal is to discover novel determinants of fungal virulence that could serve as potential targets for anti-fungal drug development.
In December 2008, the team was awarded a WMI Science Prize for a paper reporting the discovery of a novel cell wall initiated mechanism of secretion of the common fungal invasin, phospholipase B1. (Siafakas, AR et al (2007) Cell Wall-Linked Cryptococcal Phospholipase B1 is a Source of Secreted Enzyme and a Determinant of Cell Wall Integrity. J. Biol. Chem. 282, 37508-37514. Epub: Oct 18 2007).
Publications
- 2009 - 2008 - 2007 - 2006 - 2005 - 2004 - 2003 - 2002 -
2009
- Panepinto J, Komperda K, Frases S, Park, Y-D, Djordjevic, JT, Casadevall, A and Williamson, PR (2009) Sec6-dependent sorting of fungal extracellular exosomes and laccase of Cryptococcus neoformans Mol. Microbiol. 71, 1165-76. Epub 2009 Feb 5. [Abstract]
- Gordon-Thomson C, Kumari A, Tomkins L, Holford P, Djordjevic JT, Wright LC, Sorrell TC. Moore GPM. (2009) Chitotriosidase and gene therapy for fungal nfections Cell Mol Life Sci. 66, 1116-25 . [Abstract]
2008
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Chayakulkeeree, M, Sorrell, TC, Siafakas, AR, Wilson, CF, Pantarat, N, Gerik, KJ, Boadle, R and Djordjevic, JT. (2008) Role and Mechanism of Phosphatidyl-inositol Specific Phospholipase C in Survival and Virulence of Cryptococcus neoformans. Accepted 22th March Molecular Microbiology. [Abstract]
2007
- Wright, LC, Santangelo, RM, Ganendren, R, Payne, J, Djordjevic, JT, and Sorrell TC. (2007) Cryptococcal lipid metabolism: Phospholipase B1 is implicated in transcellular metabolism of macrophage-derived lipids. Eukaryotic Cell, Vol 6(1) 37-47 [Abstract]
- Jones P, Turner KM, Djordjevic JT, Sorrell TC, Wright LC, George AM. Role of Conserved Active Site Residues in Catalysis by Phospholipase B1 from Cryptococcus neoformans (2007) Biochemistry 46, 10024-10032 [Abstract]
- Siafakas, AR. Sorrell TC, Wright LC, Wilson CF, Larsen, M, Boadle, R, Williamson, PR and JT. Djordjevic. Cell Wall-Linked Cryptococcal Phospholipase B1 is a Source of Secreted Enzyme and a Determinant of Cell Wall Integrity. J. Biol. Chem. Dec 28; 282(52), 37508-37514. Epub: Oct 18 2007. [Abstract]
2006
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Siafakas, AR, Sorrell, TC Wright LC and Djordjevic, JT (2006) Lipid rafts in Cryptococcus neoformans concentrate the virulence determinants phospholipase B1 and Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase. Eukaryotic Cell. 5(3):488-498. [Abstract]
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Turner, KT, Wright, LC, Sorrell TC, and Djordjevic, JT (2006) N-linked glycosylation sites selectively affect secretion of cryptococcal PLB1, irrespective of glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchoring. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta 1760, 1569-1579. [Abstract]
2005
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Djordjevic, JT, Del Poeta, M , Sorrell, TC , Turner, KM. and Wright, LC. Secretion of cryptococcal phospholipase B1 (PLB1) is regulated by a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor (2005) Biochem. J. 389(3):803-12. [Abstract]
2004
- Santangelo, R, Zoellner, H, Sorrell, TC, Wilson, C, Donald, C, Djordjevic, JT, Shounan, Y, & Wright, LC. (2004) The role of extracellular phospholipases and mononuclear phagocytes in the dissemination of cryptococcosis in a murine model. Infect. Immun. 72, 2229-2239. [Abstract]
- Djordjevic, JT, Schibeci, SD, Stewart, GJ & Williamson, P. (2004). HIV-1 Nef increases association of T-cell receptor signaling molecules with rafts and promotes T-cell raft fusion. AIDS Res. & human retroviruses 20:547-55. [Abstract]
2003
- Wright, LC, Djordjevic, JT, Schibeci, SD, Muljadi, N, Williamson, P, & Lynch, GW. (2003). Lipid rafts form part of the 1H NMR-visible lipid in cells. European J. Biochem. 270(9):2091-100
2002
- Djordjevic, JT, Wang, MX, Bender, V, & Manolios, N. (2002). T cell antigen receptor (TCR) transmembrane peptides colocalize with TCR, not lipid rafts, in surface membranes. Cellular Immunology 215: 12-19 [Abstract]
- Djordjevic, JT, Wang, MX, Lee, L, Schibeci, SD, Williamson, P & Manolios, N. (2002). T cell antigen receptor (TCR) peptides inhibit signal transduction within membrane lipid bilayers. Clinical Immunology, 105(2):199-207 [Abstract]
Contact Details
T +61 2 9845 7367
F + 61 2 9891 5317
E julie_djordjevic@wmi.usyd.edu.au
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