Dr Christos Pliotas

Honorary Lecturer

Researcher profile

Email

cp39@st-andrews.ac.uk

Research areas

The research focus in my lab is on complex integral membrane proteins and in particular ion channels and transporters.  We engage a multidisciplinary aproach using a combination of advanced biophysical and biochemical methods spanning from x-ray crystallography and pulsed-EPR to analytical mass and single molecule methodologies to investigate the gating mechanism of these important and challenging systems.

X-ray hanging drop and lipidic cubic phase crystallography is used to obtain structural information to molecular detail and solve membrane protein structures in distinct conformational states. Our aim is to elucidate ion channel gating mechanisms and understand through the use of model systems the fundamental biophysical property of mechanosensation.

X-ray structures represent snapshots frozen in time and dynamic information is required to monitor conformational rearrangements during gating. Pulsed-electron-electron double resonance (PELDOR) spectroscopy, also known as DEER, is used in combination with site-directed spin labeling (SDSL) to obtain structural information (i.e. spin-to-spin distances within the complex).

Mass spectrometry is used to identify potential substrates and characterise their interaction with the macromolecule of interest, while the effect on protein function is monitored using single molecule methodologies, in order to create a valid link between structure and function.

PhD supervision

• Tiange Li

Selected publications

• In-lipid structure of pressure sensitive domains hints mechanosensitive channel functional diversity

  Kapsalis, C., Ma, Y., Bode, B. E. & Pliotas, C., 21 Jul 2020, In : Biophysical Journal. 119, 2, p. 448-459

  Research output: Contribution to journal ? Article

• The tetraspanin Tspan15 is an essential subunit of an ADAM10 scissor complex

  Koo, C. Z., Harrison, N., Noy, P. J., Szyroka, J., Matthews, A. L., Hsia, H-E., Müller, S. A., Tüshaus, J., Goulding, J., Willis, K., Apicella, C., Cragoe, B., Davis, E., Keles, M., Malinova, A., McFarlane, T. A., Morrison, P. R., Nguyen, H. T. H., Sykes, M. C., Ahmed, H., Di Maio, A., Seipold, L., Saftig, P., Cull, E., Pliotas, C., Rubinstein, E., Poulter, N. S., Briddon, S. J., Holliday, N. D., Lichtenthaler, S. F. & Tomlinson, M. G., 28 Feb 2020, In : Journal of Biological Chemistry.

  Research output: Contribution to journal ? Article

• Allosteric activation of an ion channel triggered by modification of mechanosensitive nano-pockets

  Kapsalis, C., Wang, B., El Mkami, H., Pitt, S. J., Schnell, J., Smith, T. K., Lippiat, J., Bode, B. E. & Pliotas, C., 10 Oct 2019, In : Nature Communications. 10, 14 p., 4619.

  Research output: Contribution to journal ? Article

• Optimization of recombinant membrane protein production in the engineered Escherichia coli strains SuptoxD and SuptoxR

  Michou, M., Kapsalis, C., Pliotas, C. & Skretas, G., 6 Jun 2019, In : ACS Synthetic Biology. Articles ASAP

  Research output: Contribution to journal ? Article

• Adenosine monophosphate binding stabilizes the KTN domain of the Shewanella denitrificans Kef potassium efflux system

  Pliotas, C., Grayer, S. C., Ekkerman, S., Chan, A. K. N., Healy, J., Marius, P., Bartlett, W., Khan, A., Cortopassi, W. A., Chandler, S. A., Rasmussen, T., Benesch, J. L. P., Paton, R. S., Claridge, T. D. W., Miller, S., Booth, I. R., Naismith, J. H. & Conway, S. J., 15 Aug 2017, In : Biochemistry. 56, 32, p. 4219-4234

  Research output: Contribution to journal ? Article

• Enhanced imaging of lipid rich nanoparticles embedded in methylcellulose films for transmission electron microscopy using mixtures of heavy metals

  Asadi, J., Ferguson, S., Raja, H., Hacker, C., Marius, P., Ward, R., Pliotas, C., Naismith, J. H. & Lucocq, J., Aug 2017, In : Micron. 99, p. 40-48 9 p.

  Research output: Contribution to journal ? Article

• Ion Channel Conformation and Oligomerization Assessment by Site-Directed Spin Labeling and Pulsed-EPR

  Pliotas, C., 10 Aug 2017, A Structure-Function Toolbox for Membrane Transporter and Channels. Ziegler, C. (ed.). Elsevier, Vol. 594. p. 203-242 (Methods in Enzymology).

  Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding ? Chapter

• Sparse labeling PELDOR spectroscopy on multimeric mechanosensitive membrane channels

  Ackermann, K., Pliotas, C., Valera, S., Naismith, J. & Bode, B. E., 7 Nov 2017, In : Biophysical Journal. 113, 9, p. 1968?1978

  Research output: Contribution to journal ? Article

• Spectator no more, the role of the membrane in regulating ion channel function

  Pliotas, C. & Naismith, J. H., Aug 2017, In : Current Opinion in Structural Biology. 45, p. 59-66 8 p.

  Research output: Contribution to journal ? Review article

• Accurate extraction of nanometer distances in multimers by pulse EPR

  Valera, S., Ackermann, K., Pliotas, C., Huang, H., Naismith, J. H. & Bode, B. E., 16 Mar 2016, In : Chemistry - A European Journal. 22, 14, p. 4700?4703

  Research output: Contribution to journal ? Article

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