Dr Mark S Thomas
BSc, PhD
Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine and Population Health
Senior Lecturer
m.s.thomas@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 215 9557
+44 114 215 9557
+44 114 271 1863
(Fax)
The Medical School
Full contact details
Dr Mark S Thomas
Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine and Population Health
The Medical School
Beech Hill Road
Sheffield
S10 2RX
Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine and Population Health
The Medical School
Beech Hill Road
Sheffield
S10 2RX
- Profile
-
For enquiries, please contact – iicd-om-operational@sheffield.ac.uk
I obtained my PhD in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Southampton followed by postdoctoral stints in Masayasu Nomura’s lab at the Institute for Enzyme Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and at the University of California-Irvine. I then spent some time working in Richard Flavell's group at IPSR in Cambridge and with Robert Glass at the University of Nottingham. I joined the University of Sheffield in 1994.
- Research interests
-
Virulence mechanisms of pathogenic members of the Burkholderia, particularly B. cenocepacia and B. thailandensis. Areas of interest include:
- Iron acquisition mechanisms.
- Protein toxins and their mechanism of secretion.
- Response to environmental stress, particularly the role of extracytoplasmic function (ECF) sigma factors.
- Mechanisms and regulation of antibiotic resistance.
Current projects
- The mechanism of toxin secretion by the type VI secretion systems of B. cenocepacia and B. thailandensis
- Identification and characterisation of secreted effector proteins of B. cenocepacia and B. thailandensis
- Mechanisms of stress sensing and response in pathogenic Burkholderia
- How does B. cenocepacia survive in a low iron environment?
- Role of TonB-dependent transport systems in Burkholderia.
- Mechanisms and regulation of antibiotic resistance in Burkholderia.
- Publications
-
Show: Featured publications All publications
Featured publications
Journal articles
- Distinct modes of promoter recognition by two iron starvation σ factors with overlapping promoter specificities.. Journal of Bacteriology. View this article in WRRO
- Burkholderia cenocepacia utilizes a type VI secretion system for bacterial competition. MicrobiologyOpen. View this article in WRRO
- Structural insights into the function of type VI secretion system TssA subunits.. Nature Communications, 9. View this article in WRRO
- Iron Acquisition Mechanisms and Their Role in the Virulence of Burkholderia Species. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, 7. View this article in WRRO
- An efficient system for the generation of marked genetic mutants in members of the genus Burkholderia. Plasmid, 89, 49-56. View this article in WRRO
- Investigation of the multifaceted iron acquisition strategies of Burkholderia cenocepacia. BioMetals, 28(2), 367-380. View this article in WRRO
- Regulation of virulence gene expression. Virulence, 5(8), 832-834. View this article in WRRO
- Pore-forming pyocin S5 utilizes the FptA ferripyochelin receptor to kill Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Microbiology (United Kingdom), 160(PART 2), 261-269.
- A novel method for the production of in vivo-assembled, recombinant Escherichia coli RNA polymerase lacking the alpha C-terminal domain. PROTEIN SCI, 20(6), 986-995.
- Regulation of sulfur assimilation pathways in Burkholderia cenocepacia through control of genes by the SsuR transcription factor.. J Bacteriol, 193(8), 1843-1853.
- The pobA gene of Burkholderia cenocepacia encodes a group I Sfp-type phosphopantetheinyltransferase required for biosynthesis of the siderophores ornibactin and pyochelin.. Microbiology, 157(Pt 2), 349-361.
- Anchoring the type VI secretion system to the peptidoglycan TssL, TagL, TagP,... what else?. Virulence, 1(6), 535-540.
- The UP element is necessary but not sufficient for growth rate-dependent control of the Escherichia coli guaB promoter.. J Bacteriol, 190(7), 2450-2457.
- In vivo expression technology identifies a type VI secretion system locus in Burkholderia pseudomallei that is induced upon invasion of macrophages.. Microbiology, 153(Pt 8), 2689-2699.
- Iron acquisition mechanisms of the Burkholderia cepacia complex.. Biometals, 20(3-4), 431-452.
All publications
Journal articles
- The Burkholderia cenocepacia iron starvation σ factor, OrbS, possesses an on-board iron sensor. Nucleic Acids Research.
- A role for tetraspanin proteins in regulating fusion induced by Burkholderia thailandensis. Medical Microbiology and Immunology. View this article in WRRO
- Correction to: A role for tetraspanin proteins in regulating fusion induced by Burkholderia thailandensis. Medical Microbiology and Immunology, 209(5), 643-652.
- Distinct modes of promoter recognition by two iron starvation σ factors with overlapping promoter specificities.. Journal of Bacteriology. View this article in WRRO
- Burkholderia cenocepacia utilizes a type VI secretion system for bacterial competition. MicrobiologyOpen. View this article in WRRO
- Structural insights into the function of type VI secretion system TssA subunits.. Nature Communications, 9. View this article in WRRO
- TssA from Burkholderia cenocepacia: expression, purification, crystallization and crystallographic analysis. Acta Crystallographica Section F Structural Biology Communications, 74(9), 536-542. View this article in WRRO
- TssA from Aeromonas hydrophila: Expression, purification and crystallographic studies. Acta Crystallographica Section F: Structural Biology Communications, 74(9), 578-582. View this article in WRRO
- Corrigendum: Iron Acquisition Mechanisms and Their Role in the Virulence of Burkholderia Species.. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, 8.
- Iron Acquisition Mechanisms and Their Role in the Virulence of Burkholderia Species. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, 7. View this article in WRRO
- Virulence profile: Mark Thomas. Virulence, 8(8), 1867-1869.
- An efficient system for the generation of marked genetic mutants in members of the genus Burkholderia. Plasmid, 89, 49-56. View this article in WRRO
- Investigation of the multifaceted iron acquisition strategies of Burkholderia cenocepacia. BioMetals, 28(2), 367-380. View this article in WRRO
- Regulation of virulence gene expression. Virulence, 5(8), 832-834. View this article in WRRO
- Pore-forming pyocin S5 utilizes the FptA ferripyochelin receptor to kill Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Microbiology (United Kingdom), 160(PART 2), 261-269.
- A novel method for the production of in vivo-assembled, recombinant Escherichia coli RNA polymerase lacking the alpha C-terminal domain. PROTEIN SCI, 20(6), 986-995.
- Regulation of sulfur assimilation pathways in Burkholderia cenocepacia through control of genes by the SsuR transcription factor.. J Bacteriol, 193(8), 1843-1853.
- The pobA gene of Burkholderia cenocepacia encodes a group I Sfp-type phosphopantetheinyltransferase required for biosynthesis of the siderophores ornibactin and pyochelin.. Microbiology, 157(Pt 2), 349-361.
- Anchoring the type VI secretion system to the peptidoglycan TssL, TagL, TagP,... what else?. Virulence, 1(6), 535-540.
- Downregulation of the Escherichia coli guaB promoter by upstream-bound cyclic AMP receptor protein.. J Bacteriol, 191(19), 6094-6104. View this article in WRRO
- Downregulation of the Escherichia coli guaB promoter by FIS.. Microbiology, 154(Pt 6), 1729-1738. View this article in WRRO
- The UP element is necessary but not sufficient for growth rate-dependent control of the Escherichia coli guaB promoter.. J Bacteriol, 190(7), 2450-2457.
- Iron acquisition mechanisms of the Burkholderia cepacia complex (BioMetals DOI: 10.1007/s10534-006-9065-4). BioMetals, 21(1), 105-106.
- In vivo expression technology identifies a type VI secretion system locus in Burkholderia pseudomallei that is induced upon invasion of macrophages.. Microbiology, 153(Pt 8), 2689-2699.
- Iron acquisition mechanisms of the Burkholderia cepacia complex.. Biometals, 20(3-4), 431-452.
- The C-terminal domain of the Escherichia coli RNA polymerase alpha subunit plays a role in the CI-dependent activation of the bacteriophage lambda p(M) promoter. NUCLEIC ACIDS RES, 35(7), 2311-2320. View this article in WRRO
- Fusion of antigen to Fas-ligand in a DNA vaccine enhances immunogenicity.. Vaccine, 25(12), 2306-2315.
- Regulation of sulfur assimilation pathways in Burkholderia cenocepacia: Identification of transcription factors CysB and SsuR and their role in control of target genes. J BACTERIOL, 189(5), 1675-1688.
- The ornibactin biosynthesis and transport genes of Burkholderia cenocepacia are regulated by an extracytoplasmic function sigma factor which is a part of the Fur regulon.. J Bacteriol, 188(10), 3631-3644.
- Enhancement of immune responses to an HIV gp120 DNA vaccine by fusion to TNF alpha cDNA.. Vaccine, 24(16), 3298-3308.
- An interferon gamma-gp120 fusion delivered as a DNA vaccine induces enhanced priming.. Vaccine, 23(30), 3984-3990.
- Escherichia coli can tolerate insertions of up to 16 amino acids in the RNA polymerase alpha subunit inter-domain linker.. Biochim Biophys Acta, 1678(1), 47-56.
- Isolation and characterization of Burkholderia cenocepacia mutants deficient in pyochelin production: pyochelin biosynthesis is sensitive to sulfur availability.. J Bacteriol, 186(2), 270-277.
- Role of the RNA polymerase alpha subunits in CII-dependent activation of the bacteriophage lambda pE promoter: identification of important residues and positioning of the alpha C-terminal domains.. Nucleic Acids Res, 32(2), 834-841.
- Role of the stationary growth phase sigma factor RpoS of Burkholderia pseudomallei in response to physiological stress conditions. J BACTERIOL, 185(23), 7008-7014.
- Toxicity of the bacteriophage lambda cII gene product to Escherichia coli arises from inhibition of host cell DNA replication. VIROLOGY, 313(2), 622-628.
- Genetic analysis of bacteriophage lambda N-dependent antitermination suggests a possible role for the RNA polymerase alpha subunit in facilitating specific functions of NusA and NusE. ARCH MICROBIOL, 180(3), 161-168.
- The cell surface protein Ag43 facilitates phage infection of Escherichia coli in the presence of bile salts and carbohydrates. MICROBIOL-SGM, 148, 1533-1542.
- Determinants of the C-terminal domain of the Escherichia coli RNA polymerase alpha subunit important for transcription at class I cyclic AMP receptor protein-dependent promoters. J BACTERIOL, 184(8), 2273-2280.
- Architecture of Fis-activated transcription complexes at the Escherichia coli rrnB P1 and rrnE P1 promoters. J MOL BIOL, 316(3), 501-516.
- Modulation of the susceptibility of intestinal bacteria to bacteriophages in response to Ag43 phase variation - a hypothesis.. Medical Science Monitor: international medical journal for clinical and experimental research, 8(6), 15-18.
- Immunization with an interferon-gamma-gp120 fusion protein induces enhanced immune responses to human immunodeficiency virus gp120.. J Infect Dis, 184(11), 1423-1430.
- UP element-dependent transcription at the Escherichia coli rrnB P1 promoter: positional requirements and role of the RNA polymerase alpha subunit linker.. Nucleic Acids Res, 29(20), 4166-4178.
- The Burkholderia cepacia fur gene: co-localization with omlA and absence of regulation by iron.. Microbiology, 147(Pt 5), 1303-1314.
- pGSTp: an IVET-compatible promoter probe vector conferring resistance to trimethoprim.. Biotechniques, 29(5), 954-958.
- The Escherichia coli RNA polymerase alpha subunit linker: length requirements for transcription activation at CRP-dependent promoters.. EMBO J, 19(7), 1555-1566.
- Transcription activation at the Escherichia coli melAB promoter: the role of MelR and the cyclic AMP receptor protein. MOL MICROBIOL, 36(1), 211-222.
- Cell surface expression of CD154 inhibits alloantibody responses: A mechanism for the prevention of autoimmune responses against activated T cells?. Cell Immunol, 195(2), 157-161.
- Excess production of phage lambda delayed early proteins under conditions supporting high Escherichia coli growth rates. MICROBIOL-UK, 144, 2217-2224.
- The Escherichia coli RNA polymerase alpha subunit and transcriptional activation by bacteriophage lambda CII protein. ACTA BIOCHIM POL, 45(1), 271-280.
- The effect of a nested set of C-terminal substituted deletions on the function of the alpha subunit of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase. INT J BIOCHEM CELL B, 29(12), 1475-1483.
- DNA binding and DNA bending by the MelR transcription activator protein from Escherichia coli. NUCLEIC ACIDS RES, 25(9), 1685-1693.
- Enhancement of immunogenicity of recombinant antigens by production of a cytokine-antigen fusion protein for vaccination.. Biochem Soc Trans, 25(2), 297S.
- Impaired lysogenisation of the Escherichia coli rpoA341 mutant by bacteriophage lambda is due to the inability of CII to act as a transcriptional activator. MOL GEN GENET, 254(3), 304-311.
- A nested set of C-terminal deletions of the a subunit of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase define regions concerned with assembly, proteolysis, stabilization and transcriptional activation in vivo. Genes to Cells, 2(1), 81-94.
- An RNA polymerase alpha subunit mutant impairs N-dependent transcriptional antitermination in Escherichia coli. MOL MICROBIOL, 23(2), 211-222.
- Enhancement of immunogenicity of recombinant antigens by production of a cytokine-antigen fusion protein for vaccination.. IMMUNOLOGY, 89, OZ280-OZ280.
- Drastically decreased transcription from CII-activated promoters is responsible for impaired lysogenization of the Escherichia coli rpoA341 mutant by bacteriophage lambda. FEMS MICROBIOL LETT, 144(1), 21-27.
- Involvement of the Escherichia coli RNA polymerase alpha subunit in transcriptional activation by the bacteriophage lambda CI and CII proteins.. Gene, 122(1), 1-7.
- Escherichia coli rpoA mutation which impairs transcription of positively regulated systems.. Mol Microbiol, 5(11), 2719-2725.
- Identification of an enhancer element for the endosperm-specific expression of high molecular weight glutenin.. Plant Cell, 2(12), 1171-1180.
- Regulation of alpha operon gene expression in Escherichia coli. A novel form of translational coupling.. J Mol Biol, 196(2), 333-345.
- S4-α mRNA translation repression complex. I. Thermodynamics of formation. Journal of Molecular Biology, 196(2), 313-322.
- Translational regulation of the L11 ribosomal protein operon of Escherichia coli: Mutations that define the target site for repression by L1. Nucleic Acids Research, 15(7), 3085-3096.
- Secondary attachment site for bacteriophage lambda in the guaB gene of Escherichia coli. Journal of Bacteriology, 168(2), 1048-1050.
- Nucleotide sequence and organisation of the gua promoter region of Escherichia coli. Gene, 36(1-2), 45-53.
- Molecular cloning and characterisation of the gua regulatory region of Escherichia coli K12. MGG Molecular & General Genetics, 195(1-2), 238-245.
Conference proceedings papers
- Properties of the Escherichia coli DnaA protein required for transcriptional activation of bacteriophage lambda p(R) promoter. FEBS JOURNAL, Vol. 274 (pp 347-347)
- Distinct modes of promoter recognition by two iron starvation σ factors with overlapping promoter specificities.. Journal of Bacteriology. View this article in WRRO
- Teaching interests
-
Currently, I teach bacterial molecular genetics, microbial pathogenicity, and microbiology to science undergraduates, medical students and Masters students.