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Cambridge Immunology Network

 

Research

We aim to characterise fundamental mechanisms controlling lymphocyte development and function. In the future, explaining how these are integrated will be an important step towards a systems level understanding of immunity. Genetically modified mice in which the functions of signalling pathways and RNA–binding proteins (RBP) can be controlled by conditional mutagenesis are one important research tool. We also use genome wide approaches to study RNA turnover and translation and to identify the targets of RBP. Our approach trains individuals who can combine molecular, cellular and in vivo skills with the ability to generate and interpret big data and apply these to tackle important biological questions.

Website: Martin Turner » Babraham Institute

Publications

Key publications: 

Saveliev A, Bell SE, Turner M. Efficient homing of antibody-secreting cells to the bone marrow requires RNA-binding protein ZFP36L1. J Exp Med. 2021 Mar 1;218(3):e20200504. doi: 10.1084/jem.20200504. PMID: 33306108; PMCID: PMC7744253.

 

Monzón-Casanova E, Matheson LS, Tabbada K, Zarnack K, Smith CW, Turner M. (2020) Polypyrimidine tract binding proteins are essential for B cell development.  eLIFE. Feb 21;9. pii: e53557. doi: 10.7554/eLife.53557. PMID: 32081131

 

Salerno, F., Engels, S., van den Biggelaar, M., van Alphen, F., Guislaina, A., Zhao, W., Hodge, D., Bell, S. E., Jan Paul Medema, J. P., von Lindern, M., Turner, M.,Young, H.A. and Wolkers, M. C. (2018). Translational repression of pre-formed cytokine mRNA prevents chronic activation of memory T cells.  Nature Immunology 19, 828–837. PMID: 29988089

 

Antigen phagocytosis by B cells is required for a potent humoral response. (2018) Martínez-Riaño A, Bovolenta ER, Mendoza P, Oeste CL, Martín-Bermejo MJ, Bovolenta P, Turner M,Martínez-Martín N, Alarcón B. EMBO Rep. 2018 PMID: 29987136

 

Monzón-Casanova E., Screen M., Coulson, R.M.R., Diaz-Munoz M.D., Bell S.E., Lamers G., Solimena M., Smith C. and Turner M.(2018) “The RNA binding protein PTBP1 is necessary for B cell selection in germinal centres.” Nature Immunology 19 (3) March 267-278. PMID: 29358707

 

Turner M,and Díaz-Muñoz MD. (2018) “RNA-binding proteins control gene expression and cell fate in the immune system.” Nature Immunology 19(2):120-129. Review. PMID: 29348497

 

Tarling EJ, Clifford BL, Cheng J, Morand P, Cheng A, Lester E, Sallam T, Turner M,de Aguiar Vallim TQ. (2017). “RNA-binding protein ZFP36L1 maintains posttranscriptional regulation of bile acid metabolism.” J Clin Invest. 127(10):3741-3754. PMID: 28891815.

 

Díaz-Muñoz, M.D., Kiselev, V. Y., Le Novère, N., Curk, T., Ule, J., and Turner, M.(2017) "Regulation of mRNA translation and subcellular location controls          protein synthesis of    key modulators of the DNA damage response during B cell activation" Nature Communications 8(1):530. PMID: 28904350

 

Díaz-Muñoz, M.D. Monzón-Casanova E., and Turner M.(2017) Characterization of the B Cell Transcriptome Bound by RNA-Binding Proteins with iCLIP. Methods Mol Biol. 2017;1623:159-179. PMID: 28589356.

 

 Galloway A, and Turner M.  Cell cycle RNA regulons coordinating early lymphocyte development.  Wiley Interdiscip. Rev. RNA. 2017 Feb 23. doi: 10.1002/wrna.1419. Review. PMID: 28231639.

 

    Rebecca Newman, Helena Ahlfors, Alexander Saveliev, Alison Galloway, Charlotte Cook, Daniel J Hodson, Robert Williams, Adam Cunningham, Sarah E Bell and Martin Turner.  “Maintenance of the marginal zone B cell compartment specifically requires the RNA binding protein ZFP36l1” Nature Immunology June 2017. 18(6):683-693.  PMID: 28394372

 

Vogel, K. U., Bell, L. S., Galloway, A., Ahlfors, H., and Turner, M.(2016) "The RNA-binding proteins Zfp36l1 and Zfp36l2 enforce the thymic β-selection checkpoint by limiting DNA damage response signaling and cell cycle progression" J. Immunol. 197(7):2673-85. PMID: 27566829

 

Tiedje C, Diaz-Muñoz MD, Trulley P, Ahlfors H, Laaß K, Blackshear PJ, Turner M, Gaestel M. (2016) The RNA-binding protein TTP is a global post-transcriptional regulator of feedback control in inflammation.  Nucleic Acids Res. 2016 May 24. pii: gkw474. PMID: 27220464

 

Galloway, A., Saveliev, A., Łukasiak, S., Hodson, D.J., Bolland, D., Balmanno, K., Ahlfors, H., Monzón-Casanova, E., Ciullini-Mannurita, S., Bell, L.S., Andrews, S. R.,  Díaz-Muñoz, M.D., Cook, S. J., Corcoran, A. and Turner M. “RNA binding proteins ZFP36L1 and ZFP36L2 promote cell quiescence". Science 352:453 PMID: 27102483

 

Nakagawa R, Leyland R, Meyer-Hermann M, Lu D, Turner M, Arbore G, Phan TG, Brink R, Vigorito E.  (2016). MicroRNA-155 controls affinity-based selection by protecting c-MYC+ B cells from apoptosis.  J. Clin. Invest. 126 (1):377-88. PMID: 26657861

 

Tan LY, Whitfield P, Llorian M, Monzon-Casanova E, Diaz-Munoz MD, Turner M, Smith CW. (2015). Generation of functionally distinct isoforms of PTBP3 by alternative splicing and translation initiation. Nucleic Acids Res. 2015 May 4. pii: gkv429. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 25940628

 

Diaz-Muñoz,. M. D., Bell, S.E., Fairfax, K., Monzon-Casanova, E., Cunningham, A.F. Gonzalez-Porta, M., Andrews, S.R., Bunik, V. I., Zarnack, K., Curk, T.,  Ward A. Heggermont, W.A., Heymans, S., Gibson, G.E.,. Kontoyiannis, D. L., Ule, J., and Turner M.  (2015) HuR-dependent regulation of mRNA splicing is essential for the B cell antibody response. Nature Immunology (4):415-25. PMID: 25706746

 

Lu D., Nakagawa R., Lazzaro S., Staudacher P., Abreu-Goodger C., Henley T., Boiani S., Leyland R., Galloway A., Andrews S., Butcher G., Nutt S.L, Turner M*., Vigorito E*..  (2014) The miR-155/PU.1 axis acts on Pax5 to enable efficient terminal B cell differentiation. J. Exp. Med.  211:2183-98. PMID: 25288398

 

Turner M, Galloway A, Vigorito E.(2014) Noncoding RNA and its associated proteins as regulatory elements of the immune system. Nature Immunology. 15(6):484-91. doi: 10.1038/ni.2887.

 

Turner M., and Katsikis P. (2012) Regulation of gene expression by non-coding RNA Pillars in immunology commentary J. Immunol. PMID: 22723637

 

Hodson, D. J., Janas, M. L., Galloway, A. Bell, S.E., Andrews, S., Li, C.M., Pannell, R. Siebel, C.W., MacDonald, H. R., De Keersmaecker, K., Ferrando, A.A., Grutz, G.,and Turner, M. (2010). Deletion of the RNA-binding proteins zfp36L1 and zfp36L2 leads to perturbed thymic development and T-lymphoblastic leukaemia. Nature. Immunology. 11(8):717-724. PMID: 20622884.

 

Rolf J, Bell SE, Kovesdi D, Janas ML, Soond DR, Webb LM, Santinelli S, Saunders T, Hebeis B, Killeen N, Okkenhaug K, and Turner M, (2010). Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase Activity in T Cells Regulates the Magnitude of the Germinal Center Reaction. J. Immunol. 185: 4042–4052 PMID: 20826752.

 

Janas ML, Varano G, Gudmundsson K, Noda M, Nagasawa T, Turner M, (2010) Thymic development beyond β-selection requires phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activation by CXCR4. J. Exp. Med. 207:247–61. PMID: 20038597

 

Vigorito E, Kerry L Perks, Cei Abreu-Goodger, Sam Bunting, Zou Xiang, Susan Kohlhaas, Partha P. Das, Eric A. Miska, Antony Rodriguez, Allan Bradley, Kenneth G. C. Smith, Cristina Rada, Anton J. Enright, Kai-Michael Toellner, Ian C. MacLennan and Turner, M. (2007). MicroRNA-155 regulates the generation of Immunoglobulin class-switched plasma cells.  Immunity 27:847-59.

 

Rodriguez A, Vigorito E, Clare S, Warren MV, Couttet P, Soond DR, van Dongen S, Grocock RJ, Das PP, Miska EA, Vetrie D, Okkenhaug K, Enright AJ, Dougan G, Turner M*, Bradley A*.  (2007)  Requirement of bic/microRNA-155 for normal immune function.  Science.  316:608-11

Dr Martin  Turner
Takes PhD students
Available for consultancy

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