BSc (University of Liverpool)

PhD (University of Liverpool)

I obtained my BSc and PhD at Liverpool. I have worked on ion channels and cell signalling (primarily Ca²⁺) in the physiology and pathology of a number of cell types. Initially this work was focussed on synaptic transmission, synaptic plasticity and Ca²⁺-mediated cell death in excitable cells. After moving to Birmingham, I worked on signalling in mammalian bone, particularly the putative glutamatergic signalling network. My laboratory now concentrates on human sperm physiology and sperm-egg signalling. We are studying signalling events (primarily [Ca²⁺]i signalling and ion channel regulation) evoked by interaction of sperm with the oocyte-cumulus complex and the female tract.

Areas of teaching include neurobiology and nervous systems (taught to all three undergraduate years), cellular physiology and reproductive biology. I have a background in zoology and also contribute to teaching on animal diversity.

For a list of possible PhD projects offered by Dr Publicover www.findaphd.com/search/customlink.asp?inst=birm-Biol&supersurname=Publicover

Research Theme within School of Biosciences: Molecular and Cell Biology

Lab website address: http://www.biosciences-labs.bham.ac.uk/publicover/

Ca²⁺ signalling and regulation of function in human sperm.

I have worked on ion channels and cell signalling (primarily Ca²⁺) in the physiology and pathology of a number of cell types. Initially this work was focussed on synaptic transmission, synaptic plasticity and Ca²⁺-mediated cell death in excitable cells. After moving to Birmingham, I worked on signalling in mammalian bone, particularly the putative glutamatergic signalling network.

My laboratory now concentrates on human sperm physiology and sperm-egg signalling. We are studying signalling events (primarily [Ca²⁺]i signalling and ion channel regulation) evoked by interaction of sperm with the oocyte-cumulus complex and the female tract. Our primary area of interest is the role(s) of Ca²⁺ signalling and post-translational protein modification in regulation of the activities of human spermatozoa (particularly motility) in response to factors encountered by the sperm in the female tract, both from the tract itself and from the oocyte and its surrounding cumulus cells. We are using ion-imaging, electrophysiological and molecular techniques, together with standard techniques for assessment of motility, to study signal transduction and downstream responses in human sperm.

Wu J, Wang S, Publicover SJ, Gu Y, Franklin-Tong VEF. (2011) Self-incompatibility in Papaver rhoeas activates a non-specific cation conductance permeable to Ca²⁺ and K^+. Plant Physiology (in press)

Nash K, Lefievre L, Peralta-Arias R, Morris J, Morales-Garcia A, Connolly T, Costello S, Kirkman-Brown J, Publicover S (2010) Techniques for Imaging Ca²⁺ Signaling in Human Sperm. JOVE http://www.jove.com/index/Details.stp?ID=1996

Teves, ME,. Guidobaldi, HA, Uñates, DR, Raul Sanchez, R, Miska, W, Stephen J., SJ, Morales Garcia, AA, Giojalas, LC (2010) Molecular Mechanism for Human Sperm Chemotaxis Mediated by Progesterone. PLOS One 4: e8211

Costello S, Michelangeli F, Nash K, Lefievre L, Morris J, Machado-Oliveira G, Barratt C, Kirkman-Brown J, Publicover S. (2009) Ca2+ stores in sperm: their identities and functions. Reproduction 138, 425-437.

Lefièvre L, Machado-Oliveira G, Ford C, Kirkman-Brown J, Barratt C, Publicover S. (2009) Communication between female tract and sperm: Saying NO* when you mean yes. Commun Integr Biol ;2, 82-85.

Wang, S, Publicover, SJ, Gu, Y (2009) A novel oxygen-sensitive mechanism for regulation of the epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) Proc Nat Acad Sci USA. 106:2957-62.

K Bedu-Addo, S Publicover. (2008) Characterization of the Ca²⁺ channels involved in the progesterone-induced Ca²⁺ influx and acrosome reaction (AR) in human spermatozoa. Journal of the Ghana Science Association 10:166-177 

Machado-Oliveira,G, Linda Lefièvre, L, Ford, WCL, Herrero, MB, Barratt, CLR, Connolly, T, Nash, K, Morales-Garcia, A, Kirkman-Brown, J, Publicover, SJ. (2008) Mobilisation of Ca2+ stores and flagellar regulation in human sperm by S-nitrosylation: a role for NO synthesised in the female tract. Development 135, 3677-3686

Harper CV, Cummerson JA, White MRH, Publicover SJ, Johnson PM (2008) Dynamic resolution of acrosomal exocytosis in human sperm. J Cell Sci 121:2130-5

K Bedu-Addo; S Costello, CV Harper, GSM Machado-Oliveira, L Lefievre, WCL Ford, CLR Barratt, SJ Publicover (2008) Mobilisation of stored Ca2+ in the neck region of human sperm - a mechanism for regulation of flagellar activity. Int J Dev Biol . 52: 615-626

Publicover SJ, Giojalas LC, Teves ME, Machado-Oliveira GS, Morales-Garcia AA, Barratt CLR, Harper CV (2008) Ca2+ signalling in the control of motility and guidance in mammalian sperm. Frontiers in Bioscience 13:5623-37

Jimenez-Gonzalez MC, Gu Y, Kirkman-Brown J, Barratt CL, Publicover S. (2007) Patch-clamp 'mapping' of ion channel activity in human sperm reveals regionalisation and co-localisation into mixed clusters. J Cell Physiol. 213:801-808

Lefievre L, Chen Y, Conner SJ, Scott JL, Publicover SJ, Ford WC, Barratt CL. (2007) Human spermatozoa contain multiple targets for protein S-nitrosylation: An alternative mechanism of the modulation of sperm function by nitric oxide? Proteomics. 17:3066-84.

Lefievre L, Bedu-Addo K, Conner SJ, Machado-Oliveira GS, Chen Y, Kirkman-Brown JC, Afnan MA, Publicover SJ, Ford WC, Barratt CL. (2007) Counting sperm does not add up any more: time for a new equation? Reproduction. 133:675-84

Publicover, SJ, Harper CV, Barratt, CLR (2007) [Ca2+]i signalling in sperm - making the most of what you've got. Nature Cell Biol 9:235-42

K Bedu-Addo, CLR Barratt, J.C. Kirkman-Brown, SJ Publicover (2007) Patterns of [Ca2+]i mobilization and cell response in human spermatozoa exposed to progesterone. Developmental Biology 302:324-32

Conner SJ, Lefievre, L., Kirkman-Brown, J, Michelangeli, F, Jimenez-Gonzalez, C, Machado-Oliveira, GSM, Pixton, KL, Brewis, IA, Barratt, CLR, Publicover SJ (2007) Understanding the physiology of pre-fertilsation events in human spermatozoa - a necessary prerequisite to developing rational therapy. Soc Reprod Fertil Suppl. 63:237-55.

Harper CV, Barratt CL, Publicover S, Kirkman-Brown JC. (2006) Kinetics of the progesterone-induced acrosome reaction and its relation to intracellular calcium responses in individual human spermatozoa. Biol Reprod. 75:933-9.

Billington RA, Harper C, Bellomom Sc EA, Publicover S, Barratt CL, Genazzani AA (2006) Characterization of cyclic adenine dinucleotide phosphate ribose levels in human spermatozoa. Fertil Steril. 86:891-8.

Jimenez-Gonzalez C, Michelangeli F, Harper CV, Barratt CL, Publicover SJ. (2006) Calcium signalling in human spermatozoa: a specialized 'toolkit' of channels, transporters and stores. Hum Reprod Update. 12:253-67

Hughes S, Magnay J, Foreman M, Publicover SJ, Dobson JP, El Haj AJ. (2006) Expression of the mechanosensitive 2PK+ channel TREK-1 in human osteoblasts. J Cell Physiol. 206:738-48

Foreman MA, Smith J, Publicover SJ. (2006) Characterisation of serum-induced intracellular Ca2+ oscillations in primary bone marrow stromal cells. J Cell Physiol. 206:664-71

Brewis IA, Van Gestel RA, Gadella BM, Jones R, Publicover SJ, Roldan ER, Frayne J, Barratt CL. (2005) The spermatozoon at fertilisation: current understanding and future research directions. Hum Fertil (Camb). 8:241-51

Bedu-Addo K, Lefievre L, Moseley FL, Barratt CL, Publicover SJ. (2005) Bicarbonate and bovine serum albumin reversibly 'switch' capacitation-induced events in human spermatozoa. Mol Hum Reprod. 11:683-91

Moseley FL, Jha KN, Bjorndahl L, Brewis IA, Publicover SJ, Barratt CL, Lefievre L. (2005) Protein tyrosine phosphorylation, hyperactivation and progesterone-induced acrosome reaction are enhanced in IVF media: an effect that is not associated with an increase in protein kinase A activation. Mol Hum Reprod. 11,523-529.

Harper C, Wootton L, Michelangeli F, Lefievre L, Barratt C, Publicover S. (2005) Secretory pathway Ca2+-ATPase (SPCA1) Ca2+ pumps, not SERCAs, regulate complex [Ca2+]i signals in human spermatozoa. J Cell Sci. 118,:1673-1685.

Harper CV, Publicover SJ. (2005) Reassessing the role of progesterone in fertilization--compartmentalized calcium signalling in human spermatozoa? Hum Reprod. 20, 2675-80

M Foreman, Y Gu, J Howl, S Jones and S. Publicover. (2005). Group III metabotropic glutamate receptors are expressed in bone marrow stromal cells and are negatively coupled to nitric oxide synthase. J Cell Physiol 204, 704-713

C Kirkman-Brown, CLR Barratt , SJ Publicover. (2004) Slow calcium oscillations in human spermatozoa Biochem J 378, 827-832

Y Gu, J C Kirkman-Brown, Y Korchev, CLR Barratt, SJ Publicover (2004) Multi-state, 4-aminopyridine-sensitive ion channels in human spermatozoa. Dev Biol 274, 308-317

Harper CV, Barratt CL, Publicover SJ. (2004) Stimulation of human spermatozoa with progesterone gradients to simulate approach to the oocyte. Induction of [Ca2+]i oscillations and cyclical transitions in flagellar beating. J Biol Chem. 279, 46315-25

JC Kirkman-Brown, CLR Barratt SJ Publicover (2003). Nifedipine reveals the existence of two discrete components of the progesterone-induced [Ca2+]i transient in human spermatozoa. Dev Biol 259, 71-82

Claire V Harper, Jackson C.Kirkman-Brown, Christopher LR Barratt & Stephen J Publicover (2003) Encoding of progesterone stimulus-intensity by [Ca2+]i in human spermatozoa. Biochem J 372, 407-417