Introduction
 Cancer is caused by loss of the normal controls that regulate cell proliferation and differentiation, yet it is commonly treated with radiation and genotoxic drugs that damage or inhibit the replication of DNA.
Our research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms that enable tumour cells to respond to and survive genotoxic stress.
By understanding how these processes are controlled and how they interact with those that regulate normal cell growth and division, we hope to find ways of exploiting the mutations that occur in cancer cells to make anti-cancer therapies more effective.
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Lab Report
 Link to Gillespie Scientific Report 2008 184.47 Kb
Key PublicationsZachos G, Black EJ, Walker M, Scott MT, Vagnarelli P, Earnshaw WC, Gillespie DA (2007). Chk1 is required for spindle checkpoint function. Dev Cell 12, 247-60.
Robinson HM, Jones R, Walker M, Zachos G, Brown R, Cassidy J, Gillespie DA (2006). Chk1-dependent slowing of S-phase progression protects DT40 B-lymphoma cells against killing by the nucleoside analogue 5-fluorouracil. Oncogene 25, 5359-69.
Zachos G, Rainey MD, Gillespie DA (2005). Chk1-dependent S-M checkpoint delay in vertebrate cells is linked to maintenance of viable replication structures. Mole Cell Biol. 25, 563-74.
Black EJ, Clair T, Delrow J, Neiman P, Gillespie DAF (2004). Microarray analysis identifies Autotaxin, a tumour cell motility and angiogenic factor with lysophospholipase D activity, as a specific target of cell transformation by v-Jun. Oncogene 23, 2353-62.
MacLaren A, Black EJ, Clark W, Gillespie DA (2004). Jun-deficient cells undergo premature senescence as a result of spontaneous DNA damage accumulation. Mol Cell Biol. 24, 9006-18.
Zachos G, Gillespie DAF (2003). Chk1-deficient vertebrate somatic cells are viable but exhibit multiple checkpoint and survival defects in response to ionising radiation and inhibition of DNA replication. EMBO J. 22, 713-23.
Biography
Education and qualifications
1982: PhD, Biochemistry, University of Aberdeen
1978: BSc, Genetics (First Class Honours), University of Glasgow
Appointments
2000-present: Group Leader, Beatson Institute for Cancer Research and Professor of Cell & Molecular Biology, University of Glasgow
1993-2000: Group Leader, Beatson Institute for Cancer Research
1988-1993: Staff Scientist, Beatson Institute for Cancer Research
1985-1988: EMBO Fellow, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, USA
1982-1985: Postdoctoral Fellow, Imperial Cancer Research Fund, London
Committee membership
2007-present: Science Foundation Ireland Grants Committee
2003-present: University of Glasgow Tenovus Medal Committee
Honours and awards
Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, 2007
Recent Publications
Bennett LN, Larkin C, Gillespie DA, Clarke PR (2008). Claspin is phosphorylated in the Chk1-binding domain by a kinase distinct from Chk1. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 369, 973-6.
Holmström T, Mialon A, Kallio M, Nymalm Y, Mannerma L, Holm T, Johansson H, Black E, Gillespie D, Salminen A, Langel U, Valdez B, Westermarck J (2008). c-Jun supports ribosomal RNA processing and nucleolar localisation of RNA helicase DDX21. J Biol Chem. 283, 7046-53.
Rainey MD, Black EJ, Zachos G, Gillespie DAF (2008). Chk2 is required for optimal mitotic delay in response to irradiation-induced DNA damage incurred in G2 phase. Oncogene 27, 896-906.
Scorah J, Dong MQ, Yates JR 3rd, Scott M, Gillespie D, McGowan CH (2008). A conserved PCNA-interacting sequence in Chk1 is required for checkpoint function. J Biol Chem. 283, 17250-9.
Abdelmohsen K, Pullmann R, Jr., Lal A, Kim HH, Galban S, Yang X, Blethrow JD,Walker M, Shubert J, Gillespie DA, Furneaux H, Gorospe M (2007). Phosphorylation of HuR by Chk2 regulates SIRT1 expression. Mol Cell 25, 543-57.
Bourke E, Dodson H, Merdes A, Cuffe L, Zachos G,Walker M, Gillespie D, Morrison CG (2007). DNA damage induces Chk1-dependent centrosome amplification. EMBO Reports 8, 603-9.
Maya-Mendoza A, Petermann E, Gillespie DAF, Caldecott KW, Jackson DA (2007). Chk1 regulates the density of active replication origins during the vertebrate S phase. EMBO J. 26, 2719-31.
Ridpath JR, Nakamura A, Tano K, Luke AM, Sonoda E, Arakawa H, Buerstedde JM, Gillespie DA, Sale JE, Yamazoe M, Bishop DK, Takata M, Takeda S, Watanabe M, Swenberg JA, Nakamura J (2007). Cells deficient in the FANC/BRCA pathway are hypersensitive to plasma levels of formaldehyde. Cancer Res. 67, 11117-22.
Zachos G, Black EJ, Walker M, Scott MT, Vagnarelli P, Earnshaw WC, Gillespie DA (2007). Chk1 is required for spindle checkpoint function. Dev Cell 12, 247-60.
Zachos G, Gillespie DA (2007). Exercising restraints: Role of Chk1 in regulating the onset and progression of unperturbed mitosis in vertebrate cells. Cell Cycle 6, 810-3.
Robinson HM, Jones R, Walker M, Zachos G, Brown R, Cassidy J, Gillespie DA (2006). Chk1-dependent slowing of S-phase progression protects DT40 B-lymphoma cells against killing by the nucleoside analogue 5-fluorouracil. Oncogene 25, 5359-69.
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