Paul Gleeson

The Gleeson group's research interests include:

Membrane trafficking and protein sorting
Molecular immunology and autoimmunity

Membrane trafficking and protein sorting: Membrane trafficking underpins a wide variety of physiological processes, including secretion of hormones and growth factors, antigen presentation, regulation of receptor signalling and establishment of polarised epithelial cells.

A focus of this laboratory is to understand the molecular basis of membrane and protein sorting in the secretory and endocytic pathways of mammalian cells, with particular emphasis on the regulation of post-Golgi membrane transport, role of macropinocytosis in the downregulation of activated receptors and antigen presentation and acid secretion by parietal cells.

Molecular immunology and autoimmunity: Autoimmune disease occurs when the immune system turns against the body's own tissues resulting in immunemediated destruction. Our objective is to understand the development of autoimmune diseases and the basis for the loss of immunological tolerance to self-antigens. We have established a highly defined mouse model of autoimmune gastritis to investigate the mechanisms of T lymphocyte tolerance to gastric self-antigens and the pathogenesis of this organ-specific autoimmune disease. A major focus is to understand the role of suppressor T cells in protection from autoimmune disease. A goal of this research is to develop molecular and cellular strategies for the treatment of autoimmune disorders.

Techniques include: Expertise includes molecular cell biology, molecular immunology and cellular immunology including: Mammalian cell culture and transfection and viral transduction systems, siRNA knock down, stable cell lines; microscopy including multi-colour imaging by confocal microscopy, application of fluorescent proteins; membrane transport assays; autoimmune mouse models, bone marrow reconstitution, transgenesis, flow cytometry (FACS), cell sorting, T lymphocyte assays; PCR and cloning, real time PCR, bacterial expression systems; purification of recombinant proteins (for antibody production, X-ray crystallography and NMR); production of monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies, SDS page, western blotting, immuno-precipitation, liposome binding assay.

Paul Gleeson Bio

Paul Gleeson obtained his PhD in 1980 from the University of Melbourne and did post-doctoral work in the biosynthesis and function of glycoproteins at the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, National Institute for Medical Research, London and the Department of Biochemistry, La Trobe University. From 1986-2001 he rose from Lecturer to Associate Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Melbourne, where he is currently Professor and Head of Department. Professor Gleeson's research interests over the past 20 years have focused on the molecular mechanisms of intracellular membrane transport and the molecular basis of organ-specific autoimmune diseases.