Professor Margaret Ashcroft

Member Listing

Name	Professor Margaret Ashcroft
Affiliation	Department of Medicine
Title	Professor
Role	Principal Investigator
Research Summary	The main goal of the Ashcroft laboratory is to understand the key cellular mechanisms involved in hypoxia signalling and control of oxygenation. In particular, we have a strong interest in the hypoxia inducible factor (HIF) family of transcription factors and understanding their role in disease as a basis for developing new therapies targeting hypoxia signalling. Our current work focuses on exploring the molecular interface between mitochondria and the cellular oxygen-sensing machinery. We use a range of mammalian cell systems as well as model organisms, including zebrafish.
Expertise	Cancer, Cell Biology, Developmental Biology, Immunology, Translational Medicine
Selected Publications	Exploring the molecular interface between hypoxia-inducible factor signalling and mitochondria. Thomas LW, Ashcroft M. Cell Mol Life Sci. 2019 May;76(9):1759-1777. doi: 10.1007/s00018-019-03039-y. CHCHD4 confers metabolic vulnerabilities to tumour cells through its control of the mitochondrial respiratory chain. Thomas LW, Stephen JM, Esposito C, Hoer S, Antrobus R, Ahmed A, Al-Habib H, Ashcroft M. Cancer Metab. 2019 Mar 6;7:2. doi: 10.1186/s40170-019-0194-y. VHL-mediated regulation of CHCHD4 and mitochondrial function. Briston T., Stephen J., Thomas L.W., Esposito C., Chung Y.L., Syafruddin S., Turmaine M., Maddalena L., Greef B., Szabadkai G., Maxwell P.H., Vanharanta S. and Ashcroft M. Front Oncology (2018) 8: 388. CHCHD4 regulates intracellular oxygenation and perinuclear distribution of mitochondria. Thomas L.W., Staples O., Turmaine M., Ashcroft M. Frontiers in Oncology (2017) 7: 71. HIF-1alpha localization with mitochondria: A new role for an old favorite? Briston, T., Yang J., Ashcroft M. Cell Cycle (2011) 10: 4170-4171. Human CHCHD4 mitochondrial proteins regulate cellular oxygen consumption rate and metabolism and provide a critical role in hypoxia signaling and tumor progression. Yang J, Staples O, Thomas LW, Briston T, Robson M, Poon E, Simões ML, El-Emir E, Buffa FM, Ahmed A, Annear NP, Shukla D, Pedley BR, Maxwell PH, Harris AL, Ashcroft M. J Clin Invest. 2012 Feb 1;122(2):600-11.