Dr Leandro Jose De Assis
Profiles

Dr Leandro Jose De Assis

Research Fellow

Peninsula Medical School (Faculty of Health)

Biography

Biography

Cancer metabolism is based on alterations of metabolic activities compared to normal cells, one of the most observed metabolic alterations in several cancers is the increased uptake of glucose to support growth by energy production and the formation of precursors such as nucleotides, amino acids, and lipids. The primary experience of the researcher is in biochemistry, genetics, and metabolism, more specifically, in the characterization of carbon source metabolism. Tumour progression requires a metabolic rewiring of cancer cells, providing enough energy for metabolism and cellular growth and increasing cancer cells' fitness for proliferation and survival. The Researcher is working on carbohydrate metabolism supporting brain tumour progression and signalling pathways responsible for meningioma development, the most common brain tumours, classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) according to aggressiveness and recurrence as grade 1, 2 atypical, and 3 anaplastic. 

Qualifications

2021 – current Research Fellow, Brain Tumour Centre, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK.
2021 – 2021 Independent Fellowship Marie Skłodowska-Curie, Fungal Genetics, and Secondary Metabolism Laboratory, Maynooth University, Ireland.
2020 – 2021 Postdoctoral Fellow Research Associated, University of Exeter, UK.
2018 – 2019 Postdoctoral Fellow, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, University of São Paulo, Brazil
2018 – 2018 Postdoctoral Fellow, Microbiology and Genetics, Georg-August-University of Gottingen, Germany 
2017 – 2017 Postdoctoral Fellow, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, University of São Paulo, Brazil
2016 – 2016 Postdoctoral fellow, Fungal Genetics and Secondary Metabolism Laboratory, Maynooth University, Ireland
2013 – 2016 Postdoctoral Fellow, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, University of São Paulo, Brazil
2009 – 2013 Ph.D., Institute of Medical Biochemistry, University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2005 – 2009 BSc, Department of Biology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2003 – 2005 BSc, Department of Microbiology, Federal University of Lavras, Brazil.

Professional membership

Dr Alistair J. P. Brown, MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, University of Exeter, UK.
Dr Neil Andrew Brown, Department of Biology & Biochemistry, University of Bath, UK.
Dr Thomas Kruger, Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Germany.
Dr Gerhard H. Braus, Microbiology, and Genetics, Gottingen, Georg-August-University of Gottingen, Germany.
Dr Bayram Ozgur, Fungal Genetics and Secondary Metabolism Laboratory, Department of Biology, Maynooth University, Ireland.
Dr Daysuke Hogawara, Medical Mycology Research Centre (MMRC), Chiba University, Japan.
Dr Gustavo H. Goldman, Molecular Biology, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, University of São Paulo, Brazil.
 

Roles on external bodies

Review editor Cancer Metabolism: Frontiers in Oncology
Journal reviewer:
mBio
Biotechnology for Biofuels  
Spectrum Microbiology 
Fungal Genetics and Biology
Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 
Research

Research

Grants & contracts

2020 Marie-Curie Individual Fellowship H2020-MSCA-IF-2019 proposal number 883325 title: “Nuclear Regulators of Fungal Enzymes” - National University of Ireland - Maynooth, score 94.4% and budget € 196,590.72.
2023. Peninsula Medical School Pump Priming 2023 title: "The effect of HK2 depletion on gene expression in low-grade and higher-grades meningiomas" - University of Plymouth, budget £6,000.00.
Publications

Publications

Journals
Avelar GM, Pradhan A, Ma Q, Hickey E, Leaves I, Liddle C, Rodriguez Rondon A V., Kaune A, Shaw S, Maufrais C, Sertour N, Bain JM, Larcombe DE, de Assis LJ, Netea MG, Munro CA, Childers DS, Erwig LP, Brown GD, Gow NAR, Bougnoux M-E, D’Enfert C, Brown AJP. 2024. A CO 2 sensing module modulates β-1,3-glucan exposure in Candida albicans. MBio. 2024  https://doi.org/10.1128/mbio.01898-23

Larcombe, D., Bohovych, I.M., Pradhan, A., Ma, Q., Hickey, E., Leaves, I., Cameron, G., Avelar, G.M., de Assis, L.J., Childers, D.S., Bain, J.M., Lagree, K., Mitchell, A.P., Netea, M.G., Erwig, L.P., Gow, N.A.R., Brown, A.J.P. Glucose-enhanced oxidative stress resistance – a protective anticipatory response that enhances the fitness of Candida albicans during systemic infection. PLoS Pathogens. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1011505

Bayram ÖS, Bayram Ö, Karahoda B, Meister C, Köhler AM, Thieme S, Elramli N, Frawley D, McGowan J, Fitzpatrick DA, Schmitt K, Assis LJ de, Valerius O, Goldman GH, Braus GH. F-box receptor-mediated control of substrate stability and subcellular location organizes fungal development of Aspergillus nidulans.PLoS Genetics. 2022. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1010502

de Assis LJ, Bain JM, Liddle C, Leaves I, Hacker C, da Silva RP, Yuecel R, Bebes A, Stead David, Childers DS, Pradhan A, Mackenzie K, Lagree K, Larcombe DE, Ma Q, Avelar GM, Netea MG, Erwig LP, Mitchell AP, Brown GD, Gow NAR, Brown AJP. The nature of β-1,3-glucan exposing features on theCandida albicanscell wall and their modulation. mBio. 2022. http://doi.org/10.1128/mbio.02605-22

de Assis LJ, Silva LP, Bayram O, Dowling P, Kniemeyer O, Brakhage AA, Chen Y, Dong L, Tan K, Wong KH, Ries LNA, Goldman GH: Carbon Catabolite Repression in Filamentous Fungi is Regulated by Phosphorylation of the Transcription Factor CreA.mBio. 2021. https://doi.org/10.1128/mBio.03146-20

Pradhan, A., Ma, Q., de Assis, L.J., Leaves, I., Larcombe, D.E., Rodriguez Rondon, A. V., Nev, O.A., and Brown, A.J.P. Anticipatory Stress Responses and Immune Evasion in Fungal Pathogens. Trends Microbiol. 2021, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tim.2020.09.010

Silva, L.P., Frawley, D., de Assis, L.J., Tierney, C., Fleming, A.B., Bayram, O., and Goldman, G.H. Putative Membrane Receptors Contribute to Activation and Efficient Signaling of Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Cascades during Adaptation of Aspergillus fumigatus to Different Stressors and Carbon Sources.mSphere. 2020. 5, 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1128/mSphere.00818-20.

Assis LJ, Silva LP, Liu L, Schmitt K, Valerius O, Braus GH, Ries LNA and Goldman GH. The High Osmolarity Glycerol Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase regulates glucose catabolite repression in filamentous fungi. Plos Genetics, 2020, 16:e1008996. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1008996

Ries LNA, Pardeshi L, Dong Z, Tan K, Steenwyk JL, Colabardini AC, Ferreira Filho JA, de Castro PA, Silva LP, Preite NW, Almeida F, de Assis LJ, dos Santos RAC, Bowyer P, Bromley M, Owens RA, Doyle S, Demasi M, Hernández DCR, Netto LES, Pupo MT, Rokas A, Loures FV, Wong KH, Goldman GH. The Aspergillus fumigatus transcription factor RglT is important for gliotoxin biosynthesis and self-protection, and virulence.PLOS Pathog, 2020, 16:e1008645. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1008645

Prusky D, de Assis LJ, Baroncelli R, Benito EP, del Castillo VC, Chaya T, Covo S, Díaz-Mínguez JM, Donofrio NM, Espeso E, Fernandes TR, Goldman GH, Judelson H, Nordzieke D, Di Pietro A, Sionov E, Sukno SA, Thon MR, Todd RB, Voll L, Xu JR, Horwitz BA, Wilson RA. 2020. Nutritional factors modulating plant and fruit susceptibility to pathogens: BARD workshop, Haifa, Israel, February 25–26,Phytoparasitica, 2020, 48:317–333. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12600-020-00803-w

Ribeiro MS, Paula RG De, Voltan AR, Castro RG De, Jos L, Assis D, Jos C, Monteiro VN. Trichoderma harzianumParticipates in Cell Wall Biogenesis but Is Not Essential for Antagonism Against Plant Pathogens.Biomolecules2019, 9:1–17. https://doi.org/10.3390/biom9120781

Horta, M. A. C.; Thieme, N.; Gao, Y.; Burnum-Johnson, K. E.; Nicora, C. D.; Gritsenko, M. A.; Lipton, M.; Mohanraj, K.; Assis, LJ; Lin, L.; Tian, C.; Braus, G. H.; Borkovich, K. A.; Schmoll, M.; Larrondo, L. F.; Samal, A.; Goldman, G. H.; Benz, J. P. Broad substrate-specific phosphorylation events are associated with the initial stage of plant cell wall recognition in Neurospora crassa. Frontiers in Microbiology, 2019. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2019.02317

Antonieto, A. C. C. ; Nogueira, K. M. V. ; Paula, R. G. ; Nora, L. C. ; Cassiano, M. H. A. ; Guazzaroni, M. ; Almeida, F. B. R. ; Silva, T. A. ; Ries, L. N. A. ; de Assis, L. J. ; Goldman, G. H. ; Silva, R. N. ; Silva-Rocha, R: A novel Cys2His2 zinc-finger homolog of AZF1 modulates holocellulase expression in Trichoderma reesei.mSystems, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1128/mSystems.00161-19.

Ribeiro, L. ; Chelius, C. ; Boppidi, K. ; Naik, N. ; Hossain, S. ; Ramsey, J. ; Kumar, J. ; Ribeiro, L. ; Ostermeier, M. ; Tran, B. ; Goo, Y. ; de Assis, L. J. ; Ulas, M. ; Bayram, O. ; Goldman, G. H. ; Lincoln, S. ; Srivastava, R. ; Harris, S. ; Marten, M. Comprehensive analysis of Aspergillus nidulans PKA phosphorylome identifies a novel mode of CreA regulation.mBio, 2019.

https://doi.org/10.1128/mBio.02825-18

Ries, L. A. N. ; de Castro, P. A. ; de Lima, P. B. A. ; Manfiolli, A. O. ; de Assis, L. J. ; Hagiwara, D. ; Goldman, G. H. Nutritional Heterogeneity Among Aspergillus fumigatus Strains Has Consequences For Virulence In a Strain- And Host-Dependent Manner.Front Microbiol, 2019. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2019.00854

Manfioli, A. ; Mattos, E. ; de Assis, L. J. ; Silva, L. P. ; Ulas, M. ; Brown, N. A. ; Bayram, O. ; Goldman, G. H. Aspergillus fumigatus high osmolarity glycerol mitogen activated protein kinases SakA and MpkC physically interact during osmotic and cell wall stresses.Front Microbiol, 2019. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2019.00918

Manfiolli, A ; Siqueira, F. ; Reis, T. ; Dijck, P. V. ; Schrevens, S. ; Hoefgen, S. ; Foge, M. ; Strassburger, M. ; de Assis, L.J. ; Heinekamp, T. ; Rocha, M. ; Janevska, S. ; Brakhage, A. ; Malavazi, I. ; Goldman, G. H. ; Valiante, V. Mitogen activated protein kinase cross-talk interaction modulates the production of melanins in Aspergillus fumigatus.mBio, 2019; 10(2), e00215-19. https://doi.org/10.1128/mBio.00215-19.

de Assis LJ, Manfiolli A, Mattos E, Fabri JHTM, Malavazi I, Jacobsen ID, Brock M, Cramer RA, Thammahong A, Hagiwara D, Ries LNA, Goldman GH. 2018. Protein Kinase A and High-Osmolarity Glycerol Response Pathways Cooperatively Control Cell Wall Carbohydrate Mobilization in Aspergillus fumigatus. mBio. 2018; 9, e01952-18. https://doi.org/10.1128/mBio.01952-18.

de Assis LJ, Ulas M, Ries LAN, Ramli NAME, Sarikaya-Bayram O, et al. Regulation of Aspergillus nidulans CreA-mediated catabolite repression by the F-box proteins Fbx23 and Fbx47.mBio. 2018; 9, e00840-18. https://doi.org/10.1128/mBio.00840-18.

Ries LAN, de Assis LJ, Rodrigues FJS, Caldana C, Rocha MC, Malavazi I, et al. The Aspergillus nidulans pyruvate dehydrogenase kinases are essential to integrate carbon source metabolism.G3 Genes/Genome/Genetics. 2018; g3.200411.2018. https://doi.org/10.1534/g3.118.200411

Manfiolli A, Fernanda Dos Reis T, de Assis LJ, Pereira Silva L, Hori JI, Walker L, et al. Mitogen-activated kinases (MAPK) and protein phosphatases are involved in Aspergillus fumigatus adhesion and biofilm formation.Cell Surf.2018; 1, 43-56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tcsw.2018.03.002

Ries LNA, Rocha M, de Castro P, Silva-Rocha R, Silva R, Freitas F, de Assis LJ, Bertolini MC, Malavazi I and Goldman GH.The Aspergillus fumigatus CrzA transcription factor activates chitin synthase gene expression during the caspofungin paradoxical effect. mBio2017;8:e00705-17. https://doi.org/10.1128/mBio.00705-17.

dos Reis TF, Nitsche BM, de Lima PBA, de Assis LJ, Mellado L, Harris SD, et al. The low-affinity glucose transporter HxtB is also involved in glucose signaling and metabolism in Aspergillus nidulans. Sci Reports Nature2017;7:45073. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep45073

de Oliveira Bruder Nascimento ACM, dos Reis TF, de Castro PA, Hori JI, Bom VLP, de Assis LJ, Ramalho LNZ, Rocha MC, Malavazi I, Brown NA, Valiante V, Brakhage AA, Hagiwara D, Goldman GH: Mitogen-activated protein kinases SakA HOG1 and MpkC collaborate for Aspergillus fumigatus virulence. Mol Microbiol2016; 100:841-859. https://doi.org/10.1111/mmi.13354

de Assis LJ, Ries LNA, Savoldi M, dos Reis TF, Brown NA, Goldman GH: Aspergillus nidulans protein kinase A plays an important role in cellulase production. Biotechnol Biofuels2015, 8:213–223. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13068-015-0401-1

de Assis LJ, Ries LNA, Savoldi M, Dinamarco TM, Goldman GH, Brown N a.: Multiple Phosphatases Regulate Carbon Source Dependent Germination and Primary Metabolism in Aspergillus nidulans. G3 Genes/Genome/Genetics2015, 5:1–17. https://doi.org/10.1534/g3.115.016667

de Assis LJ, Zingali RB, Masuda CA, Rodrigues SP, Montero-Lomelí M: Pyruvate decarboxylase activity is regulated by the Ser/Thr protein phosphatase Sit4p in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.FEMS Yeast Res2013, 13:518–28. https://doi.org/10.1111/1567-1364.12052

Masuda C a., Previato JO, Miranda MN, de Assis LJ, Penha LL, Mendonça-Previato L, Montero-Lomelí M: Overexpression of the aldose reductase GRE3 suppresses lithium-induced galactose toxicity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. FEMS Yeast Res2008, 8:1245–1253. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1567-1364.2008.00440.x

Tomizawa MM, Dias ES, de Assis LJ, Gomide PHO, Dos Santos JB: Genetic variability of mushroom strains Agaricus blazei by RAPD markers. Cienc Agrotec2007, 31:1242–1249.


Conference Papers
Patents
2014 Engineered yeast strain that reduces the production of foam during fermentation processes, Patent number: BR10201400268, National Institute of Intellectual Property, Brazil

Other Publications
Awards

Cover Illustration mBio November/December Volume 9, N˚ 6 (de Assis et al., mBio 9 e01952-18, 2018), American Society of Microbiology (ASM). https://mbio.asm.org/content/9/6.cover-expansion

Cover Illustration Plos Genetics August Volume 16, N˚ 8 (de Assis et al., Plos Genetics e1008996, 2020), Plos.

https://journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/article/figure?id=10.1371/image.pgen.v16.i08.g001

Special collection on resilience Trends in Microbiology May Volume 29, N˚5 (Pradham, A et al., Trends in Microbiology, Cell Press, 2021) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tim.2020.09.010