Dr Beric Henderson

Gene Expression Research Group

• Research Interests
• Publications
• Contact Details

Beric Henderson is head of the Gene Expression Laboratory at the Westmead Institute for Cancer Research, and a National Health and Medical Research Council (NH and MRC) Senior Research Fellow within the Department of Medicine, University of Sydney (based at Westmead Millennium Institute).

He graduated in Science with BSc Honours (First Class) in Biochemistry from the University of New South Wales in 1984 and went on to complete a PhD in Medicine at the University of Sydney (Westmead campus) in 1990.

He embarked on postdoctoral studies overseas, training at the Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research in Lausanne, Switzerland (1992-1994) and subsequently at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge England (1995-1996).

He returned to Australia in 1997 as a Rolf Edgar lake Research Fellow at the Westmead Institute for Cancer Research, and established a new research team.

Research Interests

Dr. Henderson has a long standing interest in cancer, and in the changes to gene and protein regulation during tumour progression.

His laboratory established new methodologies to study intracellular movement of proteins, and were the first to discover nuclear-cytoplasmic trafficking of the key tumour suppressing proteins APC (colon cancer), BRCA1 (breast cancer) and BARD1 (breast cancer).

The movement and cellular location of APC and of BRCA1 is altered by cancer mutations, and this may affect the normal function of these proteins. His current research program aims to fully explore the relationship between intracellular movement of these various proteins (and their partners) between different cellular locations such as the nucleus, mitochondria and plasma membrane, and to understand how this directed transport regulates their different activities. This cell biology approach uses a range of sophisticated cell imaging techniques and will increase our understanding of how certain cancers are initiated and progress.

Dr. Henderson works with a team of local and international post-doctoral scientists, postgraduate students and research staff. The group is supported by state and national peer-reviewed grants.

Publications

- 2007 - 2006 - 2005 - 2004 - 2003 - 2002 - 2001 - 2000 -

2007

• Sharma, M. and Henderson, B.R. (2007) IQGAP1 regulates beta-catenin at membrane ruffles and its role in macropinocytosis of N-cadherin and adenomatous polyposis coli. J. Biol. Chem. 282, 8545-8556.
• Au, W.W.Y. and Henderson, B.R. (2007) Identification of sequences that target BRCA1 to nuclear foci following alkylative DNA damage. Cellular Signalling (in press)
• Bolli, N., Nicoletti, I., Felicetta De Marco, M., Bigerna, B., Pucciarini, A., Mannucci, R., Paola Martelli, M., Liso, A., Mecucci, C., Fabbiano, F., Martelli, M.F., Henderson, B.R. and Falini, B. (2007) Born to be exported: C-terminus nuclear export signals of different strength ensure cytoplasmic accumulation of nucleophosmin leukemic mutants. Cancer Research (in press)
• Tembe, V. and Henderson, B.R. (2007) Protein localisation response to DNA damage. Cellular Signalling 19, 1113-1120.
• Tembe, V. and Henderson, B.R. (2007) BARD1 translocation to mitochondria correlates with Bax oligomerization, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and apoptosis. J. Biol. Chem. (in press)

2006

• Sharma, M, Leung, L, Brocardo, M, Henderson, J, Flegg, C, Henderson, B. Membrane localization of adenomatous polyposis coli protein at cellular protrusions: targeting sequences and regulation by beta-catenin. The Journal of biological chemistry. 2006; 281:17140-9 [Abstract]

• Lovelock, P, Healey, S, Au, W, Sum, E, Tesoriero, A, Wong, E, Hinson, S, Brinkworth, R, Bekessy, A, Diez, O, Izatt, L, Solomon, E, Jenkins, M, Renard, H, Hopper, J, Waring, P, Tavtigian, S, Goldgar, D, Lindeman, G, Visvader, J, Couch, F, Henderson, B, Southey, M, Chenevix-Trench, G, Spurdle, A, Brown, M. Genetic, functional, and histopathological evaluation of two C-terminal BRCA1 missense variants. Journal of Medical Genetics. 2006; 43:74-83 [Abstract]

2005

• Henderson, B. Regulation of BRCA1, BRCA2 and BARD1 intracellular trafficking. BioEssays: news and reviews in molecular, cellular and developmental biology. 2005; 27:884-93 [Abstract]

• Schüchner, S, Tembe, V, Rodriguez, J, Henderson, B. Nuclear targeting and cell cycle regulatory function of human BARD1. The Journal of biological chemistry. 2005; 280:8855-61 [Abstract]

• Au, W, Henderson, B. The BRCA1 RING and BRCT domains cooperate in targeting BRCA1 to ionizing radiation-induced nuclear foci. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 2005; 280:6993-7001 [Abstract]

• Brocardo, M, Näthke, I, Henderson, B. Redefining the subcellular location and transport of APC: new insights using a panel of antibodies. EMBO reports. 2005; 6:184-90 [Abstract]

2004

• Fabbro, M, Schuechner, S, Au, W, Henderson, B. BARD1 regulates BRCA1 apoptotic function by a mechanism involving nuclear retention. Experimental cell research. 2004; 298:661-73 [Abstract]

• Rodriguez, J, Schüchner, S, Au, W, Fabbro, M, Henderson, B. Nuclear-cytoplasmic shuttling of BARD1 contributes to its proapoptotic activity and is regulated by dimerization with BRCA1. Oncogene. 2004; 23:1809-20 [Abstract]

• Rodriguez, J, Au, W, Henderson, B. Cytoplasmic mislocalization of BRCA1 caused by cancer-associated mutations in the BRCT domain. Experimental cell research. 2004; 293:14-21 [Abstract]

2003

• Keough, R, Macmillan, E, Lutwyche, J, Gardner, J, Tavner, F, Jans, D, Henderson, B, Gonda, T. Myb-binding protein 1a is a nucleocytoplasmic shuttling protein that utilizes crm1-dependent and independent nuclear export pathways. Experimental Cell Research. 2003; 289:108-123

• Fabbro, M, Henderson, B. Regulation of tumor suppressors by nuclear-cytoplasmic shuttling. Experimental Cell Research. 2003; 282:59-69

2002

• Febbro, M, Rodriguez, R, Baer, R, Henderson, B. BARD1 induces BRCA1 intranuclear foci formation by increasing RING-dependent BRCA1 nuclear import and inhibiting BRCA1 nuclear export. Journal Of Biological Chemistry. 2002; 277:21315-21324

• Henderson, B, Galea, M, Schuechner, S, Leung, L. Lymphoid enhancer factor-1 blocks adenomators polyposis coli-mediated nuclear export and degradation of B-catenin. Journal Of Biological Chemistry. 2002; 277:24258-24264

• Henderson, B, Fagotto, F. The ins and outs of APC and B-catenin nuclear transport. Embo Reports. 2002; 3:834-839

2001

• Galea, M, Eleftheriou, A, Henderson, B. ARM domain-dependent nuclear import of adenomatous polyposis coli protein is stimulated by B56a subunit of protein phosphatase 2A. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 2001; 280:H1802-H1806

• Lam, M, Henderson, B, Gillespie, M, Jans, D. Dynamics of Leptomycin B-sensitive nucleocytoplasmic flux of parathyroid hormone-related protein. Traffic. 2001; 42:106-109

• Lixin, R, Efthymiadis, A, Henderson, B, Jans, D. Novel properties of the nucleolar targeting signal of human angiogenin. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications. 2001; 15:421-434

• Eleftheriou, A, Yoshida, M, Henderson, B. Nuclear Export of Human B-Catenin can occur independent of CRM1 and the Adenomatous Polyposis Coli Tumor Suppresor. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 2001; 142:1760-1769

2000

• Henderson, B, Eleftheriou, A. A comparison of the activity, sequence specificity, and CRM1-dependence of different nuclear export signals. Experimental Cell Research. 2000; 256:213-224

• Rodriguez, J, Henderson, B. Identification of a functional nuclear export sequence in BRCA1. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 2000; 275:38589-38596

• Henderson, B. Nuclear-cytoplasmic shuttling of APC regulates beta-catenin subcellular localization and turnover. Nature Cell Biology. 2000; 2:653-660

Contact Details

T +61 2 9845 9057

F +61 2 9845 9102

E beric_henderson@wmi.usyd.edu.au