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Epithelial Biochemistry Laboratory Professor Antony Burgess BSc(Hons), PhD, FAA Director, Melbourne branch Head of the Epithelial Biochemistry Laboratory

Tony Burgess has had a long interest in the molecules that contribute to the tumourigenic state and/or serve as potential targets for therapeutic intervention in cancers. In particular, he and the members of his lab have an interest in growth factor and cytokine signal transduction pathways in normal and neoplastic cells.

In particular, Tony has been studying the structure, activation and signaling from the EGF receptor and its family in both normal and neplastic cells. The EGF receptor is a potential target for cancer therapy: knowledge of its structure, activation mechanisms, the ramifications of its signaling actions and the effects of antagonists and inhibitors should help to improve cancer treatment. The laboratory has developed several cell systems to facilitate the analysis of EGF receptor signaling, but there is a considerable focus on the biochemistry and biology of colonic cell production, differentiation, migration, adherence, and transformation. This has led to signaling research in the areas of apc, laminin-10, TGF-ß receptor and the biochemistry of the ephrin/eph system.

Publication Snapshot:
Crystal structure of a truncated epidermal growth factor receptor extracellular domain bound to transforming growth factor alpha
Garrett TPJ, McKern NM, Lou M, Elleman TC, Adams TE, Lovrecz GO, Zhu H-J, Walker F, Frenkel MJ, Hoyne PA, Jorissen RN, Nice EC, Burgess AW, Ward CW.
Cell. 110: 763-773 (2002). [Medline entry]

Rapid microscale enzymic semisynthesis of epidermal growth factor (EGF) analogues.
Nice EC, Domagala T, Fabri L, Nerriea M, Walker F, Jorissen RN, Burgess AW, Cui DF, Zhang YS.
Growth Factors. 20: 71-80 (2002). [Medline entry]

Large scale identification of human hepatocellular carcinoma-associated antigens by autoantibodies.
Wang Y, Han KJ, Pang XW, Vaughan HA, Qu W, Dong XY, Peng JR, Zhao HT, Rui JA, Leng XS, Cebon J, Burgess AW, Chen WF.
J Immunol. 169: 1102-1109 (2002). [Medline entry]

Modeling the epidermal growth factor -- epidermal growth factor receptor L2 domain interaction: implications for the ligand binding process.
Jorissen RN, Treutlein HR, Epa VC, Burgess AW.
J Biomol Struct Dyn. 19: 961-972 (2002). [Medline entry]

The use of coiled-coil interactions for the analysis and micropreparative isolation of adenomatous polyposis coli protein complexes.
Catimel B, Faux MC, Nerrie M, Rothacker J, Otvos LJ, Wade JD, Nice EC, Burgess AW.
J Pept Res. 58: 493-503 (2001). [Medline entry]

Effects of thioamide substitutions on the conformation and stability of alpha- and 3(10)-helices.
Tran TT, Zeng J, Treutlein H, Burgess AW.
J Am Chem Soc. 124: 5222-5230 (2002). [Medline entry]

Novel monoclonal antibody specific for the de2-7 epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) that also recognizes the EGFR expressed in cells containing amplification of the EGFR gene.
Johns TG, Stockert E, Ritter G, Jungbluth AA, Huang HJ, Cavenee WK, Smyth FE, Hall CM, Watson N, Nice EC, Gullick WJ, Old LJ, Burgess AW, Scott AM.
Int J Cancer. 98: 398-408 (2002). [Medline entry]

Expression of the MAGE-1 gene in human hepatocellular carcinomas.
Chen H, Cai S, Wang Y, Zhao H, Peng J, Pang X, Zhu J, Cong X, Rui J, Leng X, Du R, Wang Y, Vaughan H, Cebon J, Burgess AW, Chen W.
Chin Med J (Engl). 113: 1112-1118 (2000). [Medline entry]

Conformational analysis of thiopeptides: free energy calculations on the effects of thio-substitutions on the conformational distributions of alanine dipeptides.
Tran TT, Burgess AW, Treutlein H, Zeng J.
J Mol Graph Model. 20: 245-256 (2001). [Medline entry]

Regulation of Transforming Growth Factor-beta Signaling.
Zhu HJ, Burgess AW.
Mol Cell Biol Res Commun. 4: 321-330 (2001). [Medline entry]

Specific targeting, biodistribution, and lack of immunogenicity of chimeric anti-GD3 monoclonal antibody KM871 in patients with metastatic melanoma: results of a phase I trial.
Scott AM, Lee FT, Hopkins W, Cebon JS, Wheatley JM, Liu Z, Smyth FE, Murone C, Sturrock S, MacGregor D, Hanai N, Inoue K, Yamasaki M, Brechbiel MW, Davis ID, Murphy R, Hannah A, Lim-Joon M, Chan T, Chong G, Ritter G, Hoffman EW, Burgess AW, Old LJ.
J Clin Oncol. 19: 3976-3987. (2001). [Medline entry]

Structural and biosensor analyses of a synthetic biotinylated peptide probe for the isolation of adenomatous polyposis coli tumor suppressor protein complexes.
Wade JD, Catimel B, Faux MC, Burgess AW, Nice E, Otvos L.
J Pept Res. 58: 204-212. (2001). [Medline entry]

Human glioblastoma xenografts overexpressing a tumor-specific mutant epidermal growth factor receptor sensitized to cisplatin by the AG1478 tyrosine kinase inhibitor.
Nagane M, Narita Y, Mishima K, Levitzki A, Burgess AW, Cavenee WK, Huang HJ.
J Neurosurg. 95: 472-479. (2001). [Medline entry]

Identification of a determinant of epidermal growth factor receptor ligand-binding specificity using a truncated, high-affinity form of the ectodomain.
Elleman TC, Domagala T, McKern NM, Nerrie M, Lonnqvist B, Adams TE, Lewis J, Lovrecz GO, Hoyne PA, Richards KM, Howlett GJ, Rothacker J, Jorissen RN, Lou M, Garrett TPJ, Burgess AW, Nice EC, Ward CW.
Biochemistry. 40: 8930-8939. (2001). [Medline entry]

Monoclonal antibody 806 inhibits the growth of tumor xenografts expressing either the de2-7 or amplified epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) but not wild-type EGFR.
Luwor RB, Johns TG, Murone C, Huang HJ, Cavenee WK, Ritter G, Old LJ, Burgess AW, Scott AM.
Cancer Res. 61: 5355-5361. (2001). [Medline entry]

Synthesis, X-ray crystallographic structures of thio substituted N-acetyl N'-methylamide alanine and evaluation of sp sulfur parameters of the CFF91 force field.
Tran TT, Burgess AW, Treutlein H, Perich J.
J Pept Res. 58: 67-78 (2001). [Medline entry]

Specific localization, gamma camera imaging, and intracellular trafficking of radiolabelled chimeric anti-G(D3) ganglioside monoclonal antibody KM871 in SK-MEL-28 melanoma xenografts.
Lee FT, Rigopoulos A, Hall C, Clarke K, Cody SH, Smyth FE, Liu Z, Brechbiel MW, Hanai N, Nice EC, Catimel B, Burgess AW, Welt S, Ritter G, Old LJ, Scott AM.
Cancer Res. 61: 4474-4482 (2001). [Medline entry]

Laminin-10 mediates basal and EGF-stimulated motility of human colon carcinoma cells via alpha(3)beta(1) and alpha(6)beta(4) integrins.
Pouliot N, Nice EC, Burgess AW.
Exp Cell Res. 266: 1-10 (2001). [Medline entry]

High-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of the tyrphostin AG1478, a specific inhibitor of the epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase, in mouse plasma.
Ellis AG, Nice EC, Weinstock J, Levitzki A, Burgess AW, Webster LK.
J Chromatogr B Biomed Sci Appl. 754: 193-9 (2001). [Medline entry]

Design of inhibitors of Ras--Raf interaction using a computational combinatorial algorithm.
Zeng J, Nheu T, Zorzet A, Catimel B, Nice E, Maruta H, Burgess AW, Treutlein HR.
Protein Eng. 14: 39-45 (2001). [Medline entry]

Colon cancer cells adhesion and spreading on autocrine laminin-10 is mediated by multiple integrin receptors and modulated by EGF receptor stimulation.
Pouliot N, Connolly LM, Moritz RL, Simpson RJ, Burgess AW.
Exp Cell Res. 261: 360-371 (2000). [Medline entry]

Characterization of mouse A33 antigen, a definitive marker for basolateral surfaces of intestinal epithelial cells.
Johnstone CN, Tebbutt NC, Abud HE, White SJ, Stenvers KL, Hall NE, Cody SH, Whitehead RH, Catimel B, Nice EC, Burgess AW, Heath JK.
Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol. 279: G500-G510 (2000). [Medline entry]

Construction, production, and characterization of humanized anti-Lewis Y monoclonal antibody 3S193 for targeted immunotherapy of solid tumors.
Scott AM, Geleick D, Rubira M, Clarke K, Nice EC, Smyth FE, Stockert E, Richards EC, Carr FJ, Harris WJ, Armour KL, Rood J, Kypridis A, Kronina V, Murphy R, Lee FT, Liu Z, Kitamura K, Ritter G, Laughton K, Hoffman E, Burgess AW, Old LJ.
Cancer Res. 60: 3254-3261 (2000). [Medline entry]

Multiple autocrine factors including an extracellular matrix protein are required for the proliferation and spreading of human colon carcinoma cells in vitro.
Pouliot N, Burgess AW.
Growth Factors. 18: 31-49 (2000). [Medline entry]

Stoichiometry, kinetic and binding analysis of the interaction between epidermal growth factor (EGF) and the extracellular domain of the EGF receptor.
Domagala T, Konstantopoulos N, Smyth F, Jorissen RN, Fabri L, Geleick D, Lax I, Schlessinger J, Sawyer W, Howlett GJ, Burgess AW, Nice EC.
Growth Factors. 18: 11-29 (2000). [Medline entry]

Characterization of a comparative model of the extracellular domain of the epidermal growth factor receptor. Jorissen RN, Epa VC, Treutlein HR, Garrett TP, Ward CW, Burgess AW. Protein Sci. 9: 310-324 (2000). [Medline entry]

[possibility of putting in selected papers]

Activation of the Ras/mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway by kinase-defective epidermal growth factor receptors results in cell survival but not proliferation.
Walker F, Kato A, Gonez LJ, Hibbs ML, Pouliot N, Levitzki A, Burgess AW.
Mol Cell Biol. 1998 Dec;18(12):7192-204. [Medline entry]

Growth control mechanisms in normal and transformed intestinal cells.
Burgess AW.
Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 1998 Jun 29;353(1370):903-9. [Medline entry]

The human A33 antigen is a transmembrane glycoprotein and a novel member of the immunoglobulin superfamily.
Heath JK, White SJ, Johnstone CN, Catimel B, Simpson RJ, Moritz RL, Tu GF, Ji H, Whitehead RH, Groenen LC, Scott AM, Ritter G, Cohen L, Welt S, Old LJ, Nice EC, Burgess AW.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1997 Jan 21;94(2):469-74. [Medline entry]

Synergy between Apc min and an activated ras mutation is sufficient to induce colon carcinomas.
D'Abaco GM, Whitehead RH, Burgess AW.
Mol Cell Biol. 1996 Mar;16(3):884-91. [Medline entry]

Regulation of the Ras signalling network.
Maruta H, Burgess AW.
Bioessays. 1994 Jul;16(7):489-96. [Medline entry]

Designing amino acids to determine the local conformations of peptides.
Burgess AW.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1994 Mar 29;91(7):2649-53. [Medline entry]

Platelet-derived growth factor stimulates the release of protein kinase A from the cell membrane.
deBlaquiere J, Walker F, Michelangeli VP, Fabri L, Burgess AW.
J Biol Chem. 1994 Feb 18;269(7):4812-8. [Medline entry]

Structure-function relationships for the EGF/TGF-alpha family of mitogens.
Groenen LC, Nice EC, Burgess AW.
Growth Factors. 1994;11(4):235-57. [Medline entry]

Anti-sense transforming growth factor alpha oligonucleotides inhibit autocrine stimulated proliferation of a colon carcinoma cell line.
Sizeland AM, Burgess AW.
Mol Biol Cell. 1992 Nov;3(11):1235-43. [Medline entry]

Solution structure of murine epidermal growth factor determined by NMR spectroscopy and refined by energy minimization with restraints.
Montelione GT, Wuthrich K, Burgess AW, Nice EC, Wagner G, Gibson KD, Scheraga HA.
Biochemistry. 1992 Jan 14;31(1):236-49. [Medline entry]

The proliferative and morphologic responses of a colon carcinoma cell line (LIM 1215) require the production of two autocrine factors.
Sizeland AM, Burgess AW.
Mol Cell Biol. 1991 Aug;11(8):4005-14. [Medline entry]

Reconstitution of the high affinity epidermal growth factor receptor on cell-free membranes after transmodulation by platelet-derived growth factor.
Walker F, Burgess AW.
J Biol Chem. 1991 Feb 15;266(5):2746-52. [Medline entry]

Resistance to receptor-mediated degradation of a murine epidermal growth factor analogue (EGF-Val-47) potentiates its mitogenic activity.
Walker F, Nice E, Fabri L, Moy FJ, Liu JF, Wu R, Scheraga HA, Burgess AW.
Biochemistry. 1990 Nov 27;29(47):10635-40. [Medline entry]

Life after LIF?
Burgess AW.
Bioessays. 1989 May;10(5):166-9. [Medline entry]

Epidermal growth factor and transforming growth factor alpha.
Burgess AW.
Br Med Bull. 1989 Apr;45(2):401-24. [Medline entry]

Murine epidermal growth factor: structure and function.
Burgess AW, Lloyd CJ, Smith S, Stanley E, Walker F, Fabri L, Simpson RJ, Nice EC.
Biochemistry. 1988 Jul 12;27(14):4977-85. [Medline entry]

Selective amplification of the cytoplasmic domain of the epidermal growth factor receptor gene in glioblastoma multiforme.
Malden LT, Novak U, Kaye AH, Burgess AW.
Cancer Res. 1988 May 15;48(10):2711-4. [Medline entry]

Solution structure of murine epidermal growth factor: determination of the polypeptide backbone chain-fold by nuclear magnetic resonance and distance geometry.
Montelione GT, Wuthrich K, Nice EC, Burgess AW, Scheraga HA.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1987 Aug;84(15):5226-30. [Medline entry]

Growth factors and their receptors: specific roles in development.
Burgess AW.
Bioessays. 1987 Feb;6(2):79-81. [Medline entry]

Purification and properties of bacterially synthesized human granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor.
Burgess AW, Begley CG, Johnson GR, Lopez AF, Williamson DJ, Mermod JJ, Simpson RJ, Schmitz A, DeLamarter JF.
Blood. 1987 Jan;69(1):43-51. [Medline entry]

Identification of two anti-parallel beta-sheet conformations in the solution structure of murine epidermal growth factor by proton magnetic resonance.
Montelione GT, Wuthrich K, Nice EC, Burgess AW, Scheraga HA.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1986 Nov;83(22):8594-8. [Medline entry]

Growth factors, receptors and cancer.
Burgess AW.
Bioessays. 1986 Jul;5(1):15-8. [Medline entry]

Hierarchical down-modulation of hemopoietic growth factor receptors.
Walker F, Nicola NA, Metcalf D, Burgess AW.
Cell. 1985 Nov;43(1):269-76. [Medline entry]

Specific binding of radioiodinated granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor to hemopoietic cells.
Walker F, Burgess AW.
EMBO J. 1985 Apr;4(4):933-9. [Medline entry]

Molecular cloning of cDNA encoding a murine haematopoietic growth regulator, granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor.
Gough NM, Gough J, Metcalf D, Kelso A, Grail D, Nicola NA, Burgess AW, Dunn AR.
Nature. 1984 Jun 28-Jul 4;309(5971):763-7. [Medline entry]

Effects of 12-0-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) on the proliferation of granulocyte-macrophage colony-forming cells.
Burgess AW, Nicola NA.
Blood. 1983 Mar;61(3):575-9. [Medline entry]

Colony-forming cell proliferation: a rapid and sensitive assay system for murine granulocyte and macrophage colony-stimulating factors.
Burgess AW, Nicola NA, Johnson GR, Nice EC.
Blood. 1982 Nov;60(5):1219-23. [Medline entry]

Two forms of murine epidermal growth factor: rapid separation by using reverse-phase HPLC.
Burgess AW, Knesel J, Sparrow LG, Nicola NA, Nice EC.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1982 Oct;79(19):5753-7. [Medline entry]

Clonal analysis of progenitor cell commitment of granulocyte or macrophage production.
Metcalf D, Burgess AW.
J Cell Physiol. 1982 Jun;111(3):275-83. [Medline entry]

Isolation of murine fetal hemopoietic progenitor cells and selective fractionation of various erythroid precursors.
Nicola NA, Metcalf D, von Melchner H, Burgess AW.
Blood. 1981 Aug;58(2):376-86. [Medline entry]

The nature and action of granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factors.
Burgess AW, Metcalf D.
Blood. 1980 Dec;56(6):947-58. [Medline entry]

Direct stimulation by purified GM-CSF of the proliferation of multipotential and erythroid precursor cells.
Metcalf D, Johnson GR, Burgess AW.
Blood. 1980 Jan;55(1):138-47. [Medline entry]

Separation of functionally distinct human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factors.
Nicola NA, Metcalf D, Johnson GR, Burgess AW.
Blood. 1979 Sep;54(3):614-27. [Medline entry]

Stimulation by human placental conditioned medium of hemopoietic colony formation by human marrow cells.
Burgess AW, Wilson EM, Metcalf D.
Blood. 1977 Apr;49(4):573-83. [Medline entry]

Assessment of some problems associated with prediction of the three-dimensional structure of a protein from its amino-acid sequence.
Burgess AW, Scheraga HA.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1975 Apr;72(4):1221-5. [Medline entry]

A new approach to empirical intermolecular and conformational potential energy functions. II. Applications to crystal packing, rotational barriers, and conformational analysis.
Burgess AW, Shipman LL, Scheraga HA.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1975 Mar;72(3):854-8. [Medline entry]

Conformational analysis of thyrotropin releasing factor.
Burgess AW, Momany FA, Scheraga HA.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1973 May;70(5):1456-60. [Medline entry]