Professor Kathryn Ayscough

School of Biosciences

Professor of Molecular Cell Biology

k.ayscough@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 2371

Profile

2021-Present: Professor, Biomedical Science
2016-2021: Head of Department, Biomedical Science
2012-2016: Professor, Deputy Head of Biomedical Science
2008-2012: Professor and MRC Senior Research Fellow. Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield
2003–2008: MRC Senior Research Fellow. Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield
1999–2003: MRC Senior Research Fellow, Department of Biochemistry, University of Glasgow
1996–1999: Wellcome Trust Career Development Fellow, Department of Biochemistry, University of Dundee
1993-1999: Wellcome International Travelling Fellow, University of California, Berkeley, USA. Supervisor David Drubin
1989–1993: PhD Imperial Cancer Research Fund (now CRUK) and University College London. Supervisor Graham Warren
1985-1989: BA MA(Oxon) Biochemistry, University of Oxford. 1st Class.

Research interests

The main research focus of my lab is to understand the mechanisms governing cell organization and architecture. We are currently addressing how one of the key elements of the cytoskeleton (actin) can initiate filaments formation and how these filaments can then be organized to allow inward bending of the plasma membrane. This invagination process is called endocytosis and allows cells to regulate their cell surface composition in response to environmental signals. We are also aiming to understand how the process of endocytosis is coupled to the invasion and survival properties of the human fungal pathogen Candida albicans.

The role of the actin cytoskeleton in membrane trafficking and cell organization

Cells are the basic unit of life and all organisms are composed of one or more cells. Central to the functioning of many cells, including human cells, is the internal skeleton, or cytoskeleton. This cytoskeleton is required for cells to have certain shapes that are often a necessary part of their functioning. However, unlike our own body skeleton that is static, the cytoskeleton is able to remodel itself to change cell shape, or allow a cell to move.

One of the most important proteins in the cytoskeleton is called actin. It is an amazing protein because it is almost the same now as hundreds of millions of years ago, long before humans, or even vertebrates existed. Staying so similar over time is called evolutionary conservation. Proteins that are very important to cell functioning are the most highly conserved. Actin is a protein that can join together with other actin proteins to form long lines or filaments. These filaments can be organised by other proteins to form large structures that are part of the cytoskeleton.

We are interested in how this protein is controlled in cells and in particular, we are trying to determine how the filaments can be started from single actin proteins in a process called nucleation. We are also aiming to understand how force can be generated by these filaments to help inward bending of the outer membrane of the cell to let parts of the membrane to be pinched off (internalised) This process, called endocytosis allows the surface composition of the cell to be effectively regulated.

Scientific questions we are addressing:

How are new actin filaments initiated at cell membranes?
How is actin nucleation regulated in cells?
What mechanisms ensure that endocytosis is a unidirectional process?
How does actin function in membrane scission?
What is the importance of endocytosis for virulence of the pathogenic fungus Candida albicans?

Techniques we use:

Molecular biology: PCR, cloning, in vitro mutagenesis
Biochemistry: protein expression and purification, binding assays including microscale thermophoresis; immunoprecipitation and GST pull down; lipid and liposome binding, actin polymerization assays, negative staining and electron microscopy analysis of actin filaments
Genetics: S. cerevisiae and Candida albicans gene deletion and epitope tagging, growth, phenotypic analysis, strain crossing, tetrad dissection
Cell Biology and microscopy: dual colour live cell imaging including quantitative analysis and patch tracking using Deltavision microscope; yeast endocytosis assays and vital staining for mitochondria and vacuoles.
Electron microscopy, in collaboration with Per Bullough (University of Sheffield); Martin Goldberg, (Durham University)

Publications

Show: Featured publications All publications

Featured publications

Journal articles

Knafler HC, Smaczynska-de Rooij II, Walker LA, Lee KK, Gow NAR & Ayscough KR (2019) AP-2-Dependent Endocytic Recycling of the Chitin Synthase Chs3 Regulates Polarized Growth in Candida albicans.. mBio, 10(2). View this article in WRRO
Rzepnikowska W, Flis K, Kaminska J, Grynberg M, Urbanek A, Ayscough KR & Zoladek T (2017) Amino acid substitution equivalent to human chorea-acanthocytosis I2771R in yeast Vps13 protein affects its binding to phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate. Human Molecular Genetics, 26(8), 1497-1510. View this article in WRRO
Allwood EG, Tyler JJ, Urbanek AN, Smaczynska-de Rooij II & Ayscough KR (2016) Elucidating Key Motifs Required for Arp2/3-Dependent and Independent Actin Nucleation by Las17/WASP. PLoS ONE, 11(9). View this article in WRRO
Palmer SE, Smaczynska-de Rooij II, Marklew CJ, Allwood EG, Mishra R, Johnson S, Goldberg MW & Ayscough KR (2015) A Dynamin-Actin Interaction Is Required for Vesicle Scission during Endocytosis in Yeast. Current Biology, 25(7), 868-878. View this article in WRRO
Chapa-y-Lazo B, Allwood EG, Smaczynska-de Rooij II, Snape ML & Ayscough KR (2014) Yeast Endocytic Adaptor AP-2 Binds the Stress Sensor Mid2 and Functions in Polarized Cell Responses. Traffic, 15(5), 546-557. View this article in WRRO
Urbanek AN, Smith AP, Allwood EG, Booth WI & Ayscough KR (2013) A novel actin-binding motif in Las17/WASP nucleates actin filaments independently of Arp2/3.. Curr Biol, 23(3), 196-203.

All publications

Journal articles

Arlt H, Raman B, Filali-Mouncef Y, Hu Y, Leytens A, Hardenberg R, Guimarães R, Kriegenburg F, Mari M, Smaczynska-de Rooij II , Ayscough KR et al (2023) The dynamin Vps1 mediates Atg9 transport to the sites of autophagosome formation. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 299(5), 104712-104712.
Gill MR, Jarman PJ, Hearnden V, Bassetto M, fairbanks SD, Palmer J, Ayscough KF, Thomas JA & Smythe C (2022) A ruthenium(II) polypyridyl complex disrupts actin cytoskeleton assembly and blocks cytokinesis. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 61(27).
Tyler JJ, Smaczynska-de Rooij II, Abugharsa L, Palmer JS, Hancock LP, Allwood EG & Ayscough KR (2021) Phosphorylation of the WH2 domain in yeast Las17/WASP regulates G-actin binding and protein function during endocytosis. Scientific Reports, 11. View this article in WRRO
Hulmes GE, Hutchinson JD, Dahan N, Nuttall JM, Allwood EG, Ayscough KR & Hettema EH (2020) The Pex3–Inp1 complex tethers yeast peroxisomes to the plasma membrane. Journal of Cell Biology, 219(10). View this article in WRRO
Knafler H, Rooij IS-D & Ayscough K (2019) The AP-2 endocytic adaptor complex in Candida albicans morphology and virulence. Access Microbiology, 1(9).
Knafler HC, Smaczynska-de Rooij II, Walker LA, Lee KK, Gow NAR & Ayscough KR (2019) AP-2-Dependent Endocytic Recycling of the Chitin Synthase Chs3 Regulates Polarized Growth in Candida albicans.. mBio, 10(2). View this article in WRRO
Soczewka P, Kolakowski D, Smaczynska-de Rooij I, Rzepnikowska W, Ayscough KR, Kaminska J & Zoladek T (2019) Yeast model based study identified myosin and calcium-dependent calmodulin signalling as a potential target for drug intervention in chorea-acanthocytosis. Disease Models & Mechanisms, 12(1). View this article in WRRO
Sutipatanasomboon A, Herberth S, Alwood EG, Häweker H, Müller B, Shahriari M, Zienert AY, Marin B, Robatzek S, Praefcke GJK , Ayscough KR et al (2017) Disruption of the plant-specific CFS1 gene impairs autophagosome turnover and triggers EDS1-dependent cell death. Scientific Reports, 7(1). View this article in WRRO
Rzepnikowska W, Flis K, Kaminska J, Grynberg M, Urbanek A, Ayscough KR & Zoladek T (2017) Amino acid substitution equivalent to human chorea-acanthocytosis I2771R in yeast Vps13 protein affects its binding to phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate. Human Molecular Genetics, 26(8), 1497-1510. View this article in WRRO
Maib H, Smythe E & Ayscough KR (2017) Forty years on: clathrin-coated pits continue to fascinate. Molecular Biology of the Cell, 28(7), 843-847. View this article in WRRO
Tyler JJ, Allwood EG & Ayscough KR (2016) WASP family proteins, more than Arp2/3 activators. Biochemical Society Transactions, 44(5), 1339-1345. View this article in WRRO
Kaminska J, Rzepnikowska W, Polak A, Flis K, Soczewka P, Bala K, Sienko M, Grynberg M, Kaliszewski P, Urbanek A , Ayscough K et al (2016) Phosphatidylinositol-3-phosphate regulates response of cells to proteotoxic stress. The International Journal of Biochemistry & Cell Biology, 79, 494-504. View this article in WRRO
Allwood EG, Tyler JJ, Urbanek AN, Smaczynska-de Rooij II & Ayscough KR (2016) Elucidating Key Motifs Required for Arp2/3-Dependent and Independent Actin Nucleation by Las17/WASP. PLoS ONE, 11(9). View this article in WRRO
Moustaq L, Smaczynska-de Rooij II, Palmer SE, Marklew CJ & Ayscough KR (2016) Insights into dynamin-associated disorders through analysis of equivalent mutations in the yeast dynamin Vps1. Microbial Cell, 3(4), 147-158. View this article in WRRO
Smaczynska-de Rooij II, Marklew CJ, Allwood EG, Palmer SE, Booth WI, Mishra R, Goldberg MW & Ayscough KR (2016) Phosphorylation Regulates the Endocytic Function of the Yeast Dynamin-Related Protein Vps1. Molecular and Cellular Biology, 36(5), 742-755. View this article in WRRO
Urbanek AN, Allwood EG, Smith AP, Booth WI & Ayscough KR (2015) Distinct Actin and Lipid Binding Sites in Ysc84 Are Required during Early Stages of Yeast Endocytosis. PLOS ONE, 10(8). View this article in WRRO
Palmer SE, Smaczynska-de Rooij II, Marklew CJ, Allwood EG, Mishra R, Goldberg MW & Ayscough KR (2015) A Charge Swap mutation E461K in the yeast dynamin Vps1 reduces endocytic invagination. Communicative & Integrative Biology, 8(4), e1051274-e1051274. View this article in WRRO
Palmer SE, Smaczynska-de Rooij II, Marklew CJ, Allwood EG, Mishra R, Johnson S, Goldberg MW & Ayscough KR (2015) A Dynamin-Actin Interaction Is Required for Vesicle Scission during Endocytosis in Yeast. Current Biology, 25(7), 868-878. View this article in WRRO
Urbanek AN, Chan R & Ayscough KR (2015) Function and interactions of the Ysc84/SH3yl1 family of actin- and lipid-binding proteins. Biochemical Society Transactions, 43(1), 111-116. View this article in WRRO
Aghamohammadzadeh S, Smaczynska-de Rooij II & Ayscough KR (2014) An Abp1-Dependent Route of Endocytosis Functions when the Classical Endocytic Pathway in Yeast Is Inhibited. PLoS ONE, 9(7). View this article in WRRO
Chapa-y-Lazo B, Allwood EG, Smaczynska-de Rooij II, Snape ML & Ayscough KR (2014) Yeast Endocytic Adaptor AP-2 Binds the Stress Sensor Mid2 and Functions in Polarized Cell Responses. Traffic, 15(5), 546-557. View this article in WRRO
Chapa-y-Lazo B & Ayscough KR (2014) Apm4, the mu subunit of yeast AP-2 interacts with Pkc1, and mutation of the Pkc1 consensus phosphorylation site Thr176 inhibits AP-2 recruitment to endocytic sites. Communicative & Integrative Biology, 7(2), e28522-e28522. View this article in WRRO
Alpadi K, Kulkarni A, Namjoshi S, Srinivasan S, Sippel KH, Ayscough K, Zieger M, Schmidt A, Mayer A, Evangelista M , Quiocho FA et al (2013) Dynamin−SNARE interactions control trans-SNARE formation in intracellular membrane fusion. Nature Communications, 4(1). View this article in WRRO
Urbanek AN, Smith AP, Allwood EG, Booth WI & Ayscough KR (2013) A novel actin-binding motif in Las17/WASP nucleates actin filaments independently of Arp2/3.. Curr Biol, 23(3), 196-203.
Thompson O, Moghraby JS, Ayscough KR & Winder SJ (2012) Depletion of the actin bundling protein SM22/transgelin increases actin dynamics and enhances the tumourigenic phenotypes of cells.. BMC Cell Biol, 13, 1. View this article in WRRO
Smaczynska-de Rooij II, Allwood EG, Mishra R, Booth WI, Aghamohammadzadeh S, Goldberg MW & Ayscough KR (2012) Yeast Dynamin Vps1 and Amphiphysin Rvs167 Function Together During Endocytosis. Traffic, 13(2), 317-328.
Smaczynska-de Rooij II, Allwood EG, Mishra R, Booth WI, Aghamohammadzadeh S, Goldberg MW & Ayscough KR (2012) Yeast dynamin Vps1 and amphiphysin Rvs167 function together during endocytosis.. Traffic, 13(2), 317-328.
Mishra R, Smaczynska-de Rooij II, Goldberg MW & Ayscough KR (2011) Expression of Vps1 I649K, a self-assembly defective yeast dynamin, leads to formation of extended endocytic invaginations. Communicative & Integrative Biology, 4(1), 115-117.
Mishra R, Smaczynska-de Rooij II, Goldberg MW & Ayscough KR (2011) Expression of Vps1 I649K a self-assembly defective yeast dynamin, leads to formation of extended endocytic invaginations.. Commun Integr Biol, 4(1), 115-117.
Smaczynska-de Rooij II, Allwood EG, Aghamohammadzadeh S, Hettema EH, Goldberg MW & Ayscough KR (2010) A role for the dynamin-like protein Vps1 during endocytosis in yeast.. J Cell Sci, 123(Pt 20), 3496-3506.
Aghamohammadzadeh S & Ayscough KR (2010) The yeast actin cytoskeleton and its function in endocytosis. Fungal Biology Reviews, 24(1-2), 37-46.
Aghamohammadzadeh S & Ayscough KR (2010) The yeast actin cytoskeleton and its function in endocytosis. Fungal Biology Reviews.
Thompson O, Moore CJ, Hussain S-A, Kleino I, Peckham M, Hohenester E, Ayscough KR, Saksela K & Winder SJ (2010) Modulation of cell spreading and cell-substrate adhesion dynamics by dystroglycan.. J Cell Sci, 123(Pt 1), 118-127.
François IEJA, Bink A, Vandercappellen J, Ayscough KR, Toulmay A, Schneiter R, van Gyseghem E, Van den Mooter G, Borgers M, Vandenbosch D , Coenye T et al (2009) Membrane rafts are involved in intracellular miconazole accumulation in yeast cells.. J Biol Chem, 284(47), 32680-32685.
Aghamohammadzadeh S & Ayscough KR (2009) Differential requirements for actin during yeast and mammalian endocytosis.. Nature Cell Biology, 11(8), 1039-1042. View this article in WRRO
Robertson AS, Smythe E & Ayscough KR (2009) Functions of actin in endocytosis.. Cell Mol Life Sci, 66(13), 2049-2065.
Du W & Ayscough KR (2009) Methyl beta-cyclodextrin reduces accumulation of reactive oxygen species and cell death in yeast.. Free Radic Biol Med, 46(11), 1478-1487.
Robertson AS, Allwood EG, Smith APC, Gardiner FC, Costa R, Winder SJ & Ayscough KR (2009) The WASP homologue Las17 activates the novel actin-regulatory activity of Ysc84 to promote endocytosis in yeast.. Mol Biol Cell, 20(6), 1618-1628.
Leadsham JE, Miller K, Ayscough KR, Colombo S, Martegani E, Sudbery P & Gourlay CW (2009) Whi2p links nutritional sensing to actin-dependent Ras-cAMP-PKA regulation and apoptosis in yeast.. J Cell Sci, 122(Pt 5), 706-715.
Gheorghe DM, Aghamohammadzadeh S, Smaczynska-de Rooij II, Allwood EG, Winder SJ & Ayscough KR (2008) Interactions between the yeast SM22 homologue Scp1 and actin demonstrate the importance of actin bundling in endocytosis.. J Biol Chem, 283(22), 15037-15046.
Smaczynska-de Rooij II, Costa R & Ayscough KR (2008) Yeast Arf3p modulates plasma membrane PtdIns(4,5)P2 levels to facilitate endocytosis.. Traffic, 9(4), 559-573.
Thevissen K, Ayscough KR, Aerts AM, Du W, De Brucker K, Meert EMK, Ausma J, Borgers M, Cammue BPA & François IEJA (2007) Miconazole induces changes in actin cytoskeleton prior to reactive oxygen species induction in yeast.. J Biol Chem, 282(30), 21592-21597.
Gardiner FC, Costa R & Ayscough KR (2007) Nucleocytoplasmic trafficking is required for functioning of the adaptor protein Sla1p in endocytosis.. Traffic, 8(4), 347-358.
Hettema EH & Ayscough KR (2007) Immunological methods. METHOD MICROBIOL, 36, 241-268.
Gourlay CW & Ayscough KR (2006) Actin-induced hyperactivation of the Ras signaling pathway leads to apoptosis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.. Mol Cell Biol, 26(17), 6487-6501.
Gourlay CW, Du W & Ayscough KR (2006) Apoptosis in yeast--mechanisms and benefits to a unicellular organism.. Mol Microbiol, 62(6), 1515-1521.
Smythe E & Ayscough KR (2006) Actin regulation in endocytosis.. J Cell Sci, 119(Pt 22), 4589-4598.
Costa R & Ayscough KR (2005) Interactions between Sla1p, Lsb5p and Arf3p in yeast endocytosis.. Biochem Soc Trans, 33(Pt 6), 1273-1275.
Gourlay CW & Ayscough KR (2005) A role for actin in aging and apoptosis.. Biochem Soc Trans, 33(Pt 6), 1260-1264.
Gourlay CW & Ayscough KR (2005) The actin cytoskeleton in ageing and apoptosis.. FEMS Yeast Res, 5(12), 1193-1198.
Gourlay CW & Ayscough KR (2005) A role for actin in aging and apoptosis. Biochemical Society Transactions, 33(6), 1260-1264.
Ayscough KR (2005) Defining protein modules for endocytosis.. Cell, 123(2), 188-190.
Ayscough KR (2005) Coupling actin dynamics to the endocytic process in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.. Protoplasma, 226(1-2), 81-88.
Ayscough KR (2005) Insights into the role of actin in endocytosis. COMP BIOCHEM PHYS A, 141(3), S321-S321.
Gourlay CW & Ayscough KR (2005) The actin cytoskeleton: a key regulator of apoptosis and ageing?. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol, 6(7), 583-589.
Gourlay CW & Ayscough KR (2005) Identification of an upstream regulatory pathway controlling actin-mediated apoptosis in yeast.. J Cell Sci, 118(Pt 10), 2119-2132.
Costa R, Warren DT & Ayscough KR (2005) Lsb5p interacts with actin regulators Sla1p and Las17p, ubiquitin and Arf3p to couple actin dynamics to membrane trafficking processes.. Biochem J, 387(Pt 3), 649-658.
Winder SJ & Ayscough KR (2005) Actin-binding proteins.. J Cell Sci, 118(Pt 4), 651-654.
Dewar H, Warren DT, Gardiner FC, Gourlay CG, Satish N, Richardson MR, Andrews PD & Ayscough KR (2004) Novel proteins linking the actin cytoskeleton to the endocytic machinery in Saccharomyces cerevisiae (vol 13, 3646, 2004). MOL BIOL CELL, 15(11).
Ayscough KR & Winder SJ (2004) Two billion years of actin. Meeting on cytoskeletal dynamics: from cell biology to developmental disease.. EMBO Rep, 5(10), 947-952.
Gourlay CW, Carpp LN, Timpson P, Winder SJ & Ayscough KR (2004) A role for the actin cytoskeleton in cell death and aging in yeast.. J Cell Biol, 164(6), 803-809. View this article in WRRO
Ayscough KR (2004) Endocytosis: Actin in the driving seat. CURR BIOL, 14(3), R124-R126.
Winder SJ, Jess T & Ayscough KR (2003) SCP1 encodes an actin-bundling protein in yeast.. Biochem J, 375(Pt 2), 287-295.
Gourlay CW, Dewar H, Warren DT, Costa R, Satish N & Ayscough KR (2003) An interaction between Sla1p and Sla2p plays a role in regulating actin dynamics and endocytosis in budding yeast.. J Cell Sci, 116(Pt 12), 2551-2564.
Smythe E & Ayscough KR (2003) The Ark1/Prk1 family of protein kinases. Regulators of endocytosis and the actin skeleton.. EMBO Rep, 4(3), 246-251.
Dewar H, Warren DT, Gardiner FC, Gourlay CG, Satish N, Richardson MR, Andrews PD & Ayscough KR (2002) Novel proteins linking the actin cytoskeleton to the endocytic machinery in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.. Mol Biol Cell, 13(10), 3646-3661.
Warren DT, Andrews PD, Gourlay CW & Ayscough KR (2002) Sla1p couples the yeast endocytic machinery to proteins regulating actin dynamics.. J Cell Sci, 115(Pt 8), 1703-1715.
Ayscough KR (2000) Endocytosis and the development of cell polarity in yeast require a dynamic F-actin cytoskeleton.. Curr Biol, 10(24), 1587-1590.
Dewar H & Ayscough KR (2000) The role of Sla1p in actin dynamics in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.. MOL BIOL CELL, 11, 187A-187A.
Morton WM, Ayscough KR & McLaughlin PJ (2000) Latrunculin alters the actin-monomer subunit interface to prevent polymerization.. Nat Cell Biol, 2(6), 376-378.
Ayscough KR, Eby JJ, Lila T, Dewar H, Kozminski KG & Drubin DG (1999) Sla1p is a functionally modular component of the yeast cortical actin cytoskeleton required for correct localization of both Rho1p-GTPase and Sla2p, a protein with talin homology.. Mol Biol Cell, 10(4), 1061-1075.
Ayscough KR (1998) The role of the actin cytoskeleton in morphogenesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.. MOL BIOL CELL, 9, 14A-14A.
Ayscough K (1998) [2] Use of latrunculin-A, an actin monomer-binding drug, 18-25.
Ayscough KR & Drubin DG (1998) A role for the yeast actin cytoskeleton in pheromone receptor clustering and signalling.. Curr Biol, 8(16), 927-930.
Ayscough KR (1998) In vivo functions of actin-binding proteins.. Curr Opin Cell Biol, 10(1), 102-111.
Ayscough KR, Stryker J, Pokala N, Sanders M, Crews P & Drubin DG (1997) High rates of actin filament turnover in budding yeast and roles for actin in establishment and maintenance of cell polarity revealed using the actin inhibitor latrunculin-A.. J Cell Biol, 137(2), 399-416. View this article in WRRO
Yang S, Ayscough KR & Drubin DG (1997) A role for the actin cytoskeleton of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in bipolar bud-site selection.. J Cell Biol, 136(1), 111-123. View this article in WRRO
Ayscough KR & Drubin DG (1996) ACTIN: general principles from studies in yeast.. Annu Rev Cell Dev Biol, 12, 129-160.
Chappell TG, Hajibagheri MA, Ayscough K, Pierce M & Warren G (1994) Localization of an alpha 1,2 galactosyltransferase activity to the Golgi apparatus of Schizosaccharomyces pombe.. Mol Biol Cell, 5(5), 519-528.
Ayscough K & Warren G (1994) Inhibition of protein synthesis disrupts the Golgi apparatus in the fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe.. Yeast, 10(1), 1-11.
Ayscough K, Hajibagheri NM, Watson R & Warren G (1993) Stacking of Golgi cisternae in Schizosaccharomyces pombe requires intact microtubules.. J Cell Sci, 106 ( Pt 4), 1227-1237.
Ayscough K, Hayles J, MacNeill SA & Nurse P (1992) Cold-sensitive mutants of p34cdc2 that suppress a mitotic catastrophe phenotype in fission yeast.. Mol Gen Genet, 232(3), 344-350.
Ekal L, Alqahtani AMS, Schuldiner M, Zalckvar E, Hettema EH & Ayscough KR () Spindle Position Checkpoint Kinase Kin4 Regulates Organelle Transport in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Biomolecules, 13(7), 1098-1098.
Smaczynska-de Rooij II, Marklew CJ, Palmer SE, Allwood EG & Ayscough KR () Mutation of key lysine residues in the Insert B region of the yeast dynamin Vps1 disrupts lipid binding and causes defects in endocytosis. PLOS ONE, 14(4), e0215102-e0215102.
Carmona-Gutierrez D, Bauer MA, Zimmermann A, Aguilera A, Austriaco N, Ayscough K, Balzan R, Bar-Nun S, Barrientos A, Belenky P , Blondel M et al () Guidelines and recommendations on yeast cell death nomenclature. Microbial Cell, 5(1), 4-31. View this article in WRRO

Conference proceedings papers

Zoladek T, Rzepnikowska W, Flis K, Kaminska J, Grynberg M, Urbanek A & Ayscough K (2017) Amino acid substitution equivalent to human chorea-acanthocytosis I2771R in yeast Vps13 protein affects its binding to phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate. FEBS JOURNAL, Vol. 284 (pp 181-181)
Rzepnikowska W, Kaminska J, Urbanek A, de-Rooij IS, Ayscough K & Zoladek T (2015) The Vps13 protein is involved in endocytic internalization and endosomal trafficking events in yeast. YEAST, Vol. 32 (pp S201-S201)
Reaves B & Ayscough K (2003) Meeting Report from the 55th Harden Conference: Dynamics of Membrane Traffic, 26-29th August 2002. Traffic, Vol. 4(1) (pp 49-54)
HAJIBAGHERI M, BLIGHT KJ, GSCHMEISSNER SE, AYSCOUGH KR & WARREN GR (1994) Applications of freeze substitution, ultrathin frozen sectioning and low temperature embedding for immunogold labelling of fission yeast protein. ELECTRON MICROSCOPY 1994, VOLS 3A AND 3B (pp 285-286)

Datasets

Ayscough K, Rooij IS-D, Allwood E, Palmer S & Marklew C Dataset for graphs for Vps1 lipid binding (Smaczynska et al 2019).

Research group

Research theme: Cell Biology.

Post doc: Ellen Allwood

PhD students: Sarah Gratton and Stella Christou

Grants

BBRSC Project Grant, (2016 –2019) £638,000. Elucidating the molecular mechanism of Arp2/3-independent actin nucleation by WASP family proteins. Principal investigator.
BBSRC Infrastructure Award (2013) A Quantitative Biomolecular Interaction Suite. Co-applicant.
MRC Imaging Initiative (Sheffield IMAging) (2013) Co-applicant
BBSRC Project Grant (2013 – 2016) Elucidating the mechanism of endocytic invagination and scission. Principal investigator
BBSRC Project Grant (2012 – 2015) £602,000. Defining factors that ensure unidirectionality of endocytosis. Principal investigator
Yorkshire Cancer Research (2010-2011) –Regulation of podosome/invadopodia dynamics in prostate cancer cells. Co-applicant.
BBSRC Project Grant. (2009 - 2012). Endocytic Invagination and Vesicle Scission - interplay between Dynamin homologues and Amphiphysins in Budding Yeast. Principal investigator.
MRC Senior non-clinical Fellowship Renewal (2007-2012) - £1,142,297. The Role of Actin in Cell Homeostasis.

Teaching activities: Lecture on BMS 242/243; L3, L4 projects; MSc projects

Professional activities and memberships

Grant awarding panels:

BBSRC Responsive Mode Grant Panel D (2014-2019)
The Wellcome Trust (Molecules, Genes and Cells Committee) 2006-2009
Wolfson-Royal Society Infrastructure Awards (2012)

Grant panels:

MRC Senior non-clinical Fellow (2001 – 2012)
Editorial Board for the international journals Molecular Biology of the Cell, Cytoskeleton and F1000 Research
Faculty of 1000 member (Cytoskeleton panel from 2010)
Scientific Advisory Board, Biological Sciences, Durham University

Learned Societies:

Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology
British Society for Cell Biology - Executive Committee (1998 - 2004)
Biochemical Society Theme Panel IV Cells (2011-2014)