My research is focused on understanding the ways in which bacteria deal with their environments. In particular, how respiration allows them to survive, adapt to, and ultimately thrive in fluctuating and often harsh environments. I am interested in how biological systems work, and so use a multi-disciplinary approach to investigate regulation of gene expression, the transport of electrons & solutes, and the enzymology of the relevant biological processes. Current projects include
Stevanin, T.M., Laver, J.R., Poole, R.K., Moir, J.W.B. and Read, R.C. (2007) Metabolism of nitric oxide by Neisseria meningitidis modifies release of NO-regulated cytokines and chemokines by human macrophages. Microbes and Infection 9: 981-987
Rock, J.D., Thomson, M.J., Read, R.C. and Moir, J.W.B. (2007) Regulation of denitrification genes in Neisseria meningitidis by nitric oxide and the repressor NsrR. J. Bacteriol. 189: 1138-1144
Huston, W.M., Harhangi, H.R., Leech, A.P., Butler, C.S., Jetten, M.S., Op den Camp, H.J., Moir, J.W.B. (2007) Expression and characterisation of a major c-type cytochrome encoded by gene kustc0563 from Kuenenia stuttgartiensis as a recombinant protein in Escherichia coli. Protein Expr Purif. 51: 28-33
Rising, T.W.D.F., Claridge, T.D.W., Davies, N., Gamblin, D.P., Moir, J.W.B. and Fairbanks, A.J. (2006) Synthesis of N-glycan oxazolines: donors for endohexosaminidase catalysed glycosylation. Carbohydr. Res. 341:1574-1596
Rising, T.W.D.F., Claridge, T.D.W., Moir, J.W.B. and Fairbanks, A.J. (2006) Endohexosaminidase M: exploring and exploiting enzyme substrate specificity. Chem. Biochem. 7: 1177-1180
Huston, W.M., Andrew, C.R., Servid, A.E., McKay, A.L., Leech, A.P., Butler, C.S. and Moir, J.W.B. (2006) Heterologous Overexpression and Purification of Cytochrome c' from Rhodobacter capsulatus and a Mutant (K42E) in the Dimerization Region. Mutation Does Not Alter Oligomerization but Impacts the Heme Iron Spin State and Nitric Oxide Binding Properties. Biochemistry 45:4388-4395
Deeudom, M., Rock, J. and Moir, J.W.B. (2006) Organization of the respiratory chain of Neisseria meningitidis. Biochem. Soc. Trans. 34: 139-142
Dyet, K. and Moir, J.W.B. (2006). Effect of combined oxidative and nitrosative stress on Neisseria meningitidis. Biochem. Soc. Trans. 34: 197-199
Tunbridge, A.J., Stevanin, T.M., Lee, M., Marriott, H.M., Moir, J.W.B., Read, R.C. and Dockrell, D.H. (2006) Inhibition of macrophage apoptosis by Neisseria meningitidis requires nitric oxide detoxification mechanisms. Inf. Immun. 74: 729-33
Rock, J.D., Mahnane, M.R., Anjum, M.F., Shaw, J.G., Read, R.C. and Moir, J.W.B. (2005) The pathogen Neisseria meningitidis requires oxygen, but supplements growth by denitrification. Nitrite, nitric oxide and oxygen control respiratory flux at genetic and metabolic levels. Mol. Microbiol. 58: 800-809
Andrew, C.R., Kemper, L.J., Busche, T.L., Tiwari, A., Croft, L., Kecskes, M.C., Stafford, J.M., Lu, S., Moënne-Loccoz, P., Huston, W., Moir, J.W.B., and Eady, R.R. (2005) Accessibility of the distal heme face, rather than Fe-His bond strength, determines the heme-nitrosyl coordination number of cytochromes c¢: evidence from spectroscopic studies. Biochemistry 44: 8664-8672
Turner, S.M., Moir, J.W.B., Griffiths, L. Smith, H., Cole, J.A. (2005) Genomic analysis of the c-type cytochromes of Neisseria gonorrhoeae: mutational and biochemical analysis of cytochrome c¢, a nitric oxide-binding lipoprotein important for adaptation to microaerobic growth and its implications for pathogenicity. Biochem. J. 388: 545-53.
Stevanin, T.M., Moir, J.W.B. and Read, R.C. (2005) Nitric oxide detoxification systems enhance survival of Neisseria meningitidis in human macrophages and in nasopharyngeal mucosa. Infect. Immun. 73: 3322-3329
Huston, W.M., Lowe, E.C., Butler, C.S. and Moir, J.W.B. (2005) Purification and characterization of cytochrome c¢ from Neisseria meningitidis. Biochem. Soc. Trans. 33: 187-189
Rock, J.D. and Moir, J.W.B. (2005) Microaerobic denitrification in Neisseria meningitidis. Biochem. Soc. Trans. 33: 134-136
Wood, N.J., Alizadeh. T., Richardson, D.J., Ferguson, S.J. and Moir, J.W.B. (2002) Two domains of a dual-function NarK protein are required for nitrate uptake, the first step of denitrification in Paracoccus pantotrophus. Mol. Microbiol. 44: 157-170
Anjum, M.F., Stevanin, T.M., Read, R.C. and Moir, J.W.B. (2002) Nitric oxide metabolism in Neisseria meningitidis. J. Bacteriol. 184: 2987-2993
Poock, S.R., Leach, E.R., Moir, J.W.B., Cole, J.A. and Richardson, D.J. (2002) Respiratory detoxification of nitric oxide by the cytochrome c nitrite reductase of Escherichia coli. J. Biol. Chem. 277: 23664-23669
Moir, J.W.B. and Wood, N.J. (2001) Nitrate and nitrite transport in bacteria. Cell. Mol. Life Sci. 58: 215-224
Cross, R., Lloyd, D., Poole, R.K. and Moir, J.W.B. (2001) Enzymatic removal of nitric oxide catalysed by cytochrome c' in Rhodobacter capsulatus. J. Bacteriol. 183: 3050-3054
Wood, N.J., Alizadeh, T., Bennett, S., Pearce, J, Ferguson, S.J., Richardson, D.J. and Moir, J.W.B. (2001) Maximal expression of membrane-bound nitrate reductase in Paracoccus is induced by nitrate via a third FNR-like regulator named NarR. J. Bacteriol. 183: 3606-3613