Role
Dr Verderio Edwards is:
- Coordinator of REF Unit of Assessment A03: Allied Health Professions and Studies
- Leader of final year undergraduate module Cell Signalling and Cancer and
- Teaches on Master-level module Biology of Disease, Molecular Genetics of Human Disease, and offers Master-level Research projects.
Research areas
What is Transglutaminase-2?
What have we achieved?
- Mapping of the TG2 interactome in chronic kidney disease (CKD). A differential proteomic approach was developed to identify disease gene-associated proteins in kidney membranes. The project, in collaboration with Dr Tim Johnson (University of Sheffield), our proteomics group (Dr David Boocock- John van Geest Cancer Research Centre) had support from Kidney Research UK. Furini et al. 2018 J. Am. Soc. Nephrol. 29:880-905
- Identification of the role of Syndecan-4 in the biological activity of extracellular TG2 in fibrosis. The partnership of TG2 and Syndecan-4 was elucidated in experimental models of kidney fibrosis (unilateral ureteric obstruction (UUO) and aristolochic acid nephropathy (AAN)) in vivo and ex vivo Burhan et al. 2016 Sci. Rep. 6:31343 Huang et al 2013 Nephron Extra 3:12-29 Scarpellini et al. 2014 J. Am. Soc. Nephrol. 25:1013-27
- Characterisation of the heparin binding property of TG2. The affinity binding of TG2 for heparan sulphate (HS) was demonstrated biochemically by solid binding assays and co-immunoprecipitation, and by double immunofluorescent staining of fixed and stained primary cells. The significance of the syndecan-4/HS-TG2 association in TG2 cell surface trafficking/localisation was investigated in primary cell models Scarpellini et al 2009 J. Biol. Chem. 284:18411-23 Lortat-Jacob & Burhan et al 2012 J. Biol. Chem. 287:18005-17 Reviewed in Furini and Verderio 2018 Diagram
- Identification of a TG2-fibronectin mediated cell survival pathway. A matrix TG2-mediated cell survival pathway independent of the Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD)-main cell adhesion site of fibronectin was reported with relevance in matrix fragmentation / tissue injury. Verderio et al. 2003 J. Biol. Chem. 278:42604-14 Telci et al. 2008 J. Biol. Chem. 283:20937-47 Diagram
The team have extensively collaborated with CNRS- Grenoble Institut de Biologie Structurale, Grenoble (Prof H. Lortat-Jacob) for surface plasmon resonance studies and the Department of Biological Sciences of University of Bologna (Prof D. Serafini-Fracassini and Prof S. Del Duca), for work with pollen transglutaminase.
Our Research Group
Current Research Associates
- Elisa Tonoli
- Adeola Atobatele (Grace)
Research Fellows
- Dr Alessandra Scarpellini (now Manager at Essen BioScience-Sartorious)
- Dr Nina Schroder (now at Sygnature Discovery)
Current PhD Students :
- Adeola Atobatele (Grace)
- Elisa Tonoli
- Maria Pia Savoca
Previous PhD Students:
- Shakthi Dookie
- Alessandra Scarpellini
- Izhar Burhan
- Giulia Furini
The range of skills I have learned in 6 months from the start of my PhD are amazing. (First Year PhD Student)
The level of guidance and feedback I have received throughout my PhD studies was continuous and of high standard. Final Year PhD student. (First Year PhD Student)
PhD Projects available in the area of:
- Kidney Fibrosis
- Cancer microenvironment
- Matrix Cross-linking in Bone Marrow Stem Cell milieu
Opportunities to carry out postgraduate research towards an MPhil / PhD exist in all the areas identified above and further information may be obtained from the https://www.ntu.ac.uk/research/research-degrees-at-ntu.
External activity
- Member of Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (MRPharmS)
- Member of General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
- Member of Biochemical Society
- Member of Renal Association
- Kidney Research UK Alumni
- Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
Sponsors and collaborators
Research support including from
- VU Medical School Amsterdam (2019), €10,000
- UCB Pharmaceuticals (2017-2018), £105, 740
- Kidney Research UK (2013-2016), £66,440 -Transglutaminase-2 (TG2) interactome in experimental kidney fibrosis: accelerated identification of TG2 therapeutic targets
- Wellcome Trust (2009 to 2013), £322,000 ( £146,994 to NTU) - Does Syndecan-4 play a crucial role in the development of kidney scarring by acting as a novel cell surface co receptor for Transglutaminase-2
- iNET East Midlands (2009 to 2010), £24,634 -Tissue transglutaminase (TG2) - a candidate susceptibility gene for Type 2 Diabetes
- British Council-CRUI (2006 to 2007), £12,000 - Influence of climatic changing factors on the allergenicity of pollen and allergic respiratory diseases: the involvement of pollen transglutaminase
- EPSRC (2003 to 2006), £160,000 - The use of tissue transglutaminase as a novel biocatalyst in the modification of collagen for development of new biomaterial, E Verderio (Co-I).
Publications
Proteomic Profiling Reveals the Transglutaminase-2 Externalization Pathway in Kidneys after Unilateral Ureteric Obstruction. Furini, G., Schroeder, N., Huang, L., Boocock, D., Scarpellini, A., Coveney, C., Tonoli, E., Ramaswamy, R., Ball, G., Verderio, C., Johnson, T.S., Verderio, E.A.M. Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. 2018, 29:880-905.
Interplay between transglutaminases and heparan sulphate in progressive renal scarring. Burhan, I., Furini, G., Lortat-Jacob, H., Atobatele, A.G., Scarpellini, A., Schroeder, N., Atkinson, J., Maamra, M., Nutter, F.H., Watson, P., Vinciguerra, M., Johnson, T.S, Verderio, E. Scientific Reports. 2016, 6:31343.
Syndecan-4 knockout leads to reduced extracellular transglutaminase-2 and protects against tubulointerstitial fibrosis. Scarpellini A, Huang L, Burhan I, Schroeder N, Funck M, Johnson TS, Verderio EA. Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. 2014, 25:1013-27.
Transglutaminase-2 interaction with heparin: identification of a heparin binding site that regulates cell adhesion to fibronectin-transglutaminase-2 matrix. Lortat-Jacob H, Burhan I, Scarpellini A, Thomas A, Imberty A, Vivès RR, Johnson T, Gutierrez A, Verderio E, Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2012, 287:18005-18017
A crucial sequence for transglutaminase type 2 extracellular trafficking in renal tubular epithelial cells lies in its N-terminal -sandwich domain. Chou CY, Streets AJ, Watson PF, Huang L, Verderio E, Johnson TS, Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2011, 286:27825-27835
Simulated environmental criticalities affect transglutaminase of Malus and Corylus pollens having different allergenic potential. Iorio RA, Di Sandro A, Paris R, Pagliarani G, Tartarini S, Ricci G, Serafini-Fracassini D, Verderio E, Del Duca S, Amino Acids, 2011, 42:1007
An extracellular transglutaminase is required in apple pollen tube growth. Di Sandro A, Del Duca, S, Verderio E, Hargreaves A, Bonner P, Griffin M, Iorio R, Scarpellini A, Serafini-Fracassini D, Biochemical Journal, 2010, 429: 261-271
Heparan sulphate proteoglycans are receptors for the cell-surface trafficking and biological activity of transglutaminase-2. Scarpellini A, Germack R, Lortat-Jacob H, Muramatsu T, Billett E, Johnson T, Verderio E, Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2009, 284:18411-1842
Fibronectin-tissue transglutaminase matrix rescues RGD-impaired cell adhesion through syndecan-4 and beta(1) integrin co-signaling. Telci D, Wang Z, Li X, Verderio EA, Humphries MJ, Baccarini M, Basaga H, Griffin M, Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2008, 283:20937-41
Press expertise
- Chronic kidney disease
- Fibrosis
- Wound healing
- Transglutaminase type 2 (TG2)