Our research is directed at the molecular basis of hypertension, ageing, cancer and premature birth.
The Lab is Currently engaged in research to discover:
(1) all of the genes whose expression is altered in hypertension
(2) the role of resveratrol in health and its effect on gene expression in hypertension
(3) how certain splicing factors control alternative splicing of pre-mRNA
(4) a role for the (pro)renin-angiotensin system in premature birth
More specifically:
(1) The hypertension studies involve whole-genome microarray of RNA from tissues from genetically hypertensive mice, in collaboration with Prof Geoff Head's Lab at the Baker Heart Research Institute in Melbourne, where radiotelemetry is performed for 24-hour continuous monitoring of cardiovascular parameters, and Dr Ruby Lin and Prof Ian Dawes at the Ramaciotti Gene Function Analysis Centre, School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences at the University of New South Wales.
(2) Resveratrol is being administered to genetically hypertensive mice and its effect on global gene expression is being monitored, initially in the hypothalamus.
(3) The splicing factors being investigated by the Lab include RBM4 (formerly Lark), ZRANB2 (formerly ZNF265 or Zis), and XE7. The research on these involves their immunolocalization in subnuclear compartments by confocal microscopy, splicing assays and other techniques. Dr Joel Mackay's Lab in the School of Molecular and Microbial Biosciences has extended the ZRANB2 studies to show that the zinc fingers of this protein have a very high specificity for the mRNA 5'-acceptor sequence involved in pre-mRNA splicing [see 2009 publication in PNAS below].
(4) Expression of components of the (pro)renin-angiotensin system - namely (pro)renin, angiotensinogen, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), ACE2, angiotensin type 1 receptor (AT1R) and AT2R - in placental tissues is being measured by qRT-PCR on tissues supplied by John Hunter Hospital in a project led by Emeritis Professor Eugenie Lumbers and researchers at University of Newcastle.
Other interests:
(A) Prof Morris has a long-standing interest in the molecular mechanisms of longevity and ageing, as well as the use of dietary components to prolong health and life span. He has a number of publications in this general area.
(B) In addition, Prof Morris was the first to patent a PCR-based test for human papillomavirus (in 1987). The patent portfolio was purchased by Polartechnics Ltd. He has been providing assistance to Australian industry in the roll-out of HPV testing for cervical screening. The HPV test can be applied not only to conventional smear samples, but as well to specimens that women can collect themselves.
(C) His research in cervical cancer led Prof Morris to develop an interest in the benefits of male circumcision, initially in the prevention of cervical cancer, and then in the prevention of various other sexually transmitted genital infections as well as urinary tract infections over the lifetime, together with its ability to reduce sexual, physical and other problems (see his large internet review: www.circinfo.net and publications below).
PUBLICATIONS
Brian Morris has 270 publications. In the past 15 years his papers, mostly as first or corresponding author, have appeared in Nature Genetics, Journal of Cell Biology, Human Molecular Genetics, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Journal of Clinical Investigation, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, Journal of Biological Chemistry, Diabetes Care, British Medical Journal, Human Mutation, BioEssays, Hypertension, Journal of Hypertension, Journal of Molecular Medicine, Journal of Physiology, Experimental Cell Research, and other high ranking journals. One of his book chapters appeared in the prestigious Handbook of Physiology published by the American Physiological Society in 2000. His publications have been cited 5,348 times to the end 2008, including 177 times in 2008, 230 times in 2007, 194 times in 2006, 254 times in 2005, 221 times in 2004, and 299 times in 2003. Nine of his papers have each received in the range of 100-500 citations. He has given over 400 conference presentations, including over 100 international/overseas and 20 paid invited. Grant funding (as 1st chief investigator): over A$6 million (over 60 grants).
Brian Morris
Edgeworth David Medal 1985 - Royal Society of New South Wales .
The Faculty of Medicine Award for Excellence in Postgraduate Research Supervision 2006.
'Scroll of Honour' Australia Day Award 2007 - Waverley Council.
David Adams
Young Investigator Award 1997, 1998, 1999 - High Blood Pressure Research Council of Australia .
Young Investigator Award 1999 - Australian Society for Medical Research.
Pfizer Award 2001 - Lorne Genome Conference.
CJ Martin Fellowship 2001 (for 2002-2005) - NHMRC.
Bercovici Medal 2001 - Institute for Biomedical Research (now 'Bosch Institute')
International Young Achiever 2002 (1 of 20)
Young Tall Poppy Award 2004 - Australian Institute of Political Science.
Ruby Lin
Peter Doherty Fellowship 2003 (for 2004-08) - NHMRC.
Helena Mangs
John Young Prize 2005 - Institute for Biomedical Research (now 'Bosch Institute').
Promega Award 2007 - Lorne Genome Conference.
NHMRC Australian Biomedical Fellowship (Formerly 'Peter Doherty Fellowship') 2007 (for 2008-2012) - NHMRC
Andrea Markus
Rebecca L Cooper Medal 2006 - Rebecca L Cooper Foundation.
Craig Plambeck
University Medal 2002
Louise van der Weyden
Young Investigator Award 2000 - High Blood Pressure Research Council of Australia
CJ Martin Fellowship 2002 (for 2003-06)
Lihua Ying
Young Investigator Award 1996 - High Blood Pressure Reserarch Council of Australia
299 (in 2003), 221 (in 2004), 254 (in 2005), 194 (in 2006), 230 (in 2007), 177 (in 2008).
9 (in 2001), 4 (in 2002), 14 (in 2003), 6 (in 2004), 10 (in 2005), 6 (in 2006), 12 (in 2007), 7 (in 2008), 7 (in 2009)
For a complete list of journal publications by Prof Morris click the following link Publications all
Markus MA, Morris BJ. RBM4: A multifunctional RNA-binding protein. Int J Biochem Cell Biol. 2009; 41:740-743.
Mangs AH, Morris BJ. ZRANB2: structural and functional insights into a novel splicing protein. Int J Biochem Cell Biol. 2008; 40: 2353-2357.
Morris BJ. How xenohormetic compounds confer health benefits. In: Le Bourg E, Rattan SIS (eds). Mild Stress: Applying Hormesis in Aging Research and Interventions. Springer, Netherlands. 2008: pp 115-138. [download]
Markus MA, Morris BJ. Resveratrol in prevention and treatment of common clinical conditions of aging. Clin Interv Aging. 2008; 3: 331-339.
Morris BJ. Why circumcision is a biomedical imperative for the 21st century. BioEssays 2007: 29: 1147-58 [download]
Morris BJ, Rose BR. Cervical screening in the 21st century: The case for human papillomavirus testing of self-collected specimens. (Review) Clin Chem Lab Med 2007: 45: 577-591 [download]
Mangs AH, Morris BJ. The human pseudoautosomal region (PAR): origin, function and future. Current Genomics 2007; 8: 129-136
Morris BJ. Climate not cultivars in the NO-ing of red wines. J Hypertens 2007; 25: 501-503
Morris BJ. A forkhead in the road to longevity: the molecular basis of lifespan becomes clearer. [Invited Review] J Hypertens. 2005: 23: 1285-1309 [320 refs] (This article was the most downloaded for the journal of publication in 2005, apart from two 'Guidelines' articles, one of which received the highest number of downloads for the entire medical literature.)
Morris BJ. Cervical human papillomavirus screening by PCR: Advantages of targeting the E6/E7 region. Clin Chem Lab Med 2005: 43: 1171-1177
Morris BJ. Renin: from 'pro' to promoter. BioEssays 2003: 25: 520-527
Loughlin FE, Mansfield RE, Vaz PM, McGrath AP, Setiyaputra S, Gamsjaeger R, Chen ES, Morris BJ, Guss JM, Mackay JP. The zinc fingers of the SR-like protein ZRANB2 are single-stranded RNA-binding domains that recognize 5 ' splice site-like sequences. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2009; 106: 5581-5586
Markus MA, Goy C, Adams DJ, Lovicu FJ, Morris BJ. Renin enhancer is crucial for full response in renin expression to an in vivo stimulus. Hypertension 2007: 50: 933-38
Adams DJ, Head GA, Markus MA, Lovicu FJ, van der Weyden L, Köentgen F, Arends MJ, Thiru S, Mayorov DN, Morris BJ. Renin enhancer is critical for regulation of renin gene expression and cardiovascular function. J Biol Chem 2006; 281: 31753-31761
Mangs H, Speirs HJL, Goy C, Adams DJ, Markus MA, Morris BJ. XE7: A novel splicing factor that interacts with ASF/SF2 and ZNF265. Nucleic Acids Res 2006; 34: 4976-4986
Markus MA, Heinrich B, Raitskin O, Adams DJ, Mangs H, Goy C, Ladomery M, Sperling R, Stamm S, Morris BJ. WT1 interacts with the splicing protein RBM4 and regulates its ability to modulate alternative splicing in vivo. Exp Cell Res 2006; 312: 3379-3388
Adams DJ, van der Weyden L, Gergely FV, Arends M, Martin L, Ng BL, Tannahill D, Kanaar R, Markus MA, Morris BJ, Bradley A. Targeted disruption of BRCTx, a novel centrosomal RAD18-interacting protein. Mol Cell Biol 2005; 25: 779-788
Adams DJ, Beveridge DJ, van der Weyden L, Mangs H, Leedman PJ, Morris BJ. HADHB, HuR and CP1 bind to the distal 3'-untranslated region of human renin mRNA and differentially modulate renin expression. J Biol Chem 2003; 278: 44894-44903
Plambeck CA , Kwan AHY, Adams DJ, Westman BJ, van der Weyden L, Medcalf RL, Morris BJ, Mackay JP. The zinc finger domain from human splicing factor ZNF265 forms a novel fold. J Biol Chem 2003; 278: 22805-22811
Adams DJ, van der Weyden L, Mayeda A, Stamm S, Morris BJ*, Rasko JEJ. ZNF265 - A novel spliceosomal protein able to induce alternative splicing. J Cell Biol 2001; 154: 25-32 (*author for correspondence)
Glenn CL, Wang WYS, Benjafield AV, Morris BJ. Linkage and association of tumor necrosis factor receptor 2 locus with hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and plasma shed receptor. Hum Mol Genet 2000; 9: 1943-1949
Lin RCY, Wang WYS, Morris BJ. High penetrance, overweight, and glucocorticoid receptor variant: case-control study. Brit Med J 1999; 319: 1337-1338
Benjafield AV, Jeyasingam CL, Nyholt DR , Griffiths LR, Morris BJ. G-protein beta3 subunit gene (GNB3) variant in causation of essential hypertension. Hypertension 1998; 32: 1094-1097
Ying L-H, Morris BJ, Sigmund CD. Transactivation of the human renin promoter by the cyclic AMP/protein kinase A pathway is mediated by both cAMP-responsive element binding protein-1 (CREB)-dependent and CREB-independent mechanisms in Calu-6 cells. J Biol Chem 1997; 272: 2412-2420
Professor Brian J Morris School of Medical Sciences The University of Sydney NSW 2006 AUSTRALIA