Prof Maurice Elphick
Professor of Animal Physiology and Neuroscience
School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences
Queen Mary University of London
Queen Mary University of London
Research
Neuropeptide, Evolution, Neurobiology, Echinoderm, Physiology
Interests
Neuropeptides and peptide hormones have fundamental roles in controlling, regulating and integrating physiological and behavioural processes in humans and other animals. I am interested in reconstructing the evolutionary history of neuropeptide signalling systems and investigating how neuropeptides are utilised to co-ordinate physiological processes and behaviour in animals. The primary focus of my neuropeptide research is on echinoderms (e.g. starfish, sea urchins), which are of special interest for a number of reasons. As deuterostomes, echinoderms are more closely related to vertebrates than the majority of invertebrates, and therefore research on echinoderms can shed light on the evolutionary origins of vertebrate neuropeptides. Echinoderms also have many remarkable morphological and physiological characteristics – they are typically five-sided and have a unique ability to rapidly change (under neural control) the stiffness of their body wall collagenous tissue; they also have amazing powers of regeneration, which makes them of great interest from a medical perspective. Facilitated by the recent advances in transcriptome and genome sequencing and using the common European starfish Asterias rubens and other echinoderms as experimental animals, our research is providing “missing links” in our understanding of neuropeptide biology, bridging the huge evolutionary gap between protostome invertebrates (e.g. Drosophila, C. elegans) and the vertebrates. For example, our paper published recently in PNAS has provided important new insights into the evolutionary history of somatostatin, a hormone that regulates growth in humans.Publications of specific relevance to the Centre for Molecular Cell Biology
2024
Tinoco A, Kirupakaran V, Capatina D, Egertová M and Elphick M (2024). Discovery of a neuropeptide that acts as an autotomy-promoting factor. Current Biology, Cell Press 29-08-2024
Mercurio S, Gattoni G, Scarì G, Ascagni M, Barzaghi B, Elphick MR, Croce JC, Schubert M, Benito-Gutiérrez E and Pennati R (2024). A feather star is born: embryonic development and nervous system organization in the crinoid Antedon mediterranea. Open Biology, The Royal Society vol. 14 (8), 240115-240115. 21-08-2024
Piñon Gonzalez V, Feng Y, Egertová M and Elphick M (2024). Neuropeptide expression and action in the reproductive system of the starfish Asterias rubens. The Journal of Comparative Neurology, Wiley 27-01-2024
2023
Elphick MR (2023). Neuropeptide Signaling in Echinoderms: From “Physiologic Activity of Nerve Extracts” to Neuropeptidomics and Beyond. Frontiers in Invertebrate Physiology: A Collection of Reviews 433-484. 08-12-2023
Mita M, Feng Y, Piñon-Gonzalez VM, Elphick MR and Katayama H (2023). Gonadotropic activity of a second relaxin-type peptide in starfish. General and Comparative Endocrinology, Elsevier vol. 343, 114369-114369. 22-08-2023
Feng Y, Piñon Gonzalez VM, Lin M, Egertová M, Mita M and Elphick MR (2023). Localization of relaxin-like gonad-stimulating peptide expression in starfish reveals the gonoducts as a source for its role as a regulator of spawning. J Comp Neurol 22-05-2023
Smith MK, Rotgans BA, Lang T, Johnston R, Wang T, Suwansa-ard S, Bose U, Satoh N, Egertova M, Hall MR, Byrne M, Elphick MR, Motti CA and Cummins SF (2023). Author Correction: Structure and proteomic analysis of the crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster sp.) radial nerve cord. Scientific Reports, Springer Nature vol. 13 (1), 7650-7650. 11-05-2023
Abood M, Alexander SPH, Barth F, Bonner TI, Bradshaw H, Cabral G, Casellas P, Cravatt BF, Devane WA, Di Marzo V, Elphick MR, Felder CC, Greasley P, Herkenham M, Howlett AC, Kunos G, Mackie K, Mechoulam R, Pertwee RG and Ross RA (2023). Cannabinoid receptors in GtoPdb v.2023.1. IUPHAR/BPS Guide to Pharmacology CITE, University of Edinburgh vol. 2023 (1) 26-04-2023
Smith MK, Rotgans BA, Lang T, Johnston R, Wang T, Suwansa-ard S, Bose U, Satoh N, Egertova M, Hall MR, Bryne M, Elphick MR, Motti CA and Cummins SF (2023). Structure and proteomic analysis of the crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster sp.) radial nerve cord. Scientific Reports, Springer Science and Business Media LLC vol. 13 (1) 27-02-2023
Tinoco AB, Egertová M and Elphick MR (2023). Immunohistochemical localisation of vasopressin/oxytocin-type, corazonin-type and luqin-type neuropeptide expression in the starfish Asterias rubens using antibodies to the C-terminal region of precursor proteins. Cell and Tissue Research, Springer Science and Business Media LLC 19-01-2023
2022
Aleotti A, Wilkie IC, Yañez-Guerra LA, Gattoni G, Rahman TA, Wademan RF, Ahmad Z, Ivanova DA, Semmens DC, Delroisse J, Cai W, Odekunle E, Egertová M, Ferrario C, Sugni M, Bonasoro F and Elphick MR (2022). Discovery and functional characterization of neuropeptides in crinoid echinoderms. Frontiers in Neuroscience, Frontiers Media SA vol. 16 13-12-2022
Escudero Castelán N, Semmens DC, Guerra LAY, Zandawala M, dos Reis M, Slade SE, Scrivens JH, Zampronio CG, Jones AM, Mirabeau O and Elphick MR (2022). Receptor deorphanization in an echinoderm reveals kisspeptin evolution and relationship with SALMFamide neuropeptides. BMC Biology, BioMed Central vol. 20 (1) 24-08-2022
Zhang Y, Yanez-Guerra LA, Tinoco AB, Escudero Castelán N, Egertová M and Elphick M (2022). Somatostatin-type and allatostatin-C–type neuropeptides are paralogous and have opposing myoregulatory roles in an echinoderm. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of USA, National Academy of Sciences vol. 119 (7, e2113589119), 1-12. 10-02-2022
2021
Tinoco AB, Barreiro-Iglesias A, Yañez Guerra LA, Delroisse J, Zhang Y, Gunner EF, Zampronio CG, Jones AM, Egertová M and Elphick MR (2021). Ancient role of sulfakinin/cholecystokinin-type signalling in inhibitory regulation of feeding processes revealed in an echinoderm. eLife, eLife Sciences Publications Ltd vol. 10 07-09-2021
Elphick M (2021). The Mutable Collagenous Tissue of Echinoderms: From Biology to Biomedical Applications. Soft Matter for Biomedical Applications, Royal Society of Chemistry 11-06-2021
Mita M, Elphick MR and Katayama H (2021). A specific and sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for measurement of relaxin-like gonad-stimulating peptide in the starfish Asterias rubens. General and Comparative Endocrinology, Elsevier BV, 113831-113831. 04-06-2021
Carter HF, Thompson JR, Elphick MR and Oliveri P (2021). The development and neuronal complexity of bipinnaria larvae of the sea star Asterias rubens. Integr Comp Biol 27-05-2021
Cai W, Egertová M, Zampronio CG, Jones AM and Elphick MR (2021). Molecular identification and cellular localisation of a corticotropin-releasing hormone type neuropeptide in an echinoderm. Neuroendocrinology: international journal for basic and clinical studies on neuroendocrine relationships, Karger Publishers 07-05-2021
2014
Jones CE, Otara CB, Younan ND, Viles JH and Elphick MR (2014). Bioactivity and structural properties of chimeric analogs of the starfish SALMFamide neuropeptides S1 and S2. Biochim Biophys Acta vol. 1844 (10), 1842-1850. 01-10-2014
Otara CB, Jones CE, Younan ND, Viles JH and Elphick MR (2014). Structural analysis of the starfish SALMFamide neuropeptides S1 and S2: the N-terminal region of S2 facilitates self-association. Biochim Biophys Acta vol. 1844 (2), 358-365. 01-02-2014
2005
Otara CB, Jones CE, Melarange R, Viles JH and Elphick MR (2005). Tertiary structure and activity of SALMFamide neuropeptides. COMP BIOCHEM PHYS A vol. 141 (3), S161-S161. 01-07-2005
Grants
Grants of specific relevance to the Centre for Molecular Cell BiologyDiscovering missing links in neuropeptide evolution and functionMaurice Elphick and Arianna Fornili
£576,040 BBSRC Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (01-06-2023 - 31-05-2026)
A confocal microscope for multidisciplinary dynamic studies of complex biological systemsConrad Mullineaux, Caroline Brennan, Alexandre De Mendoza Soler, Viji Draviam Sastry, Maurice Elphick, Christoph Engl, Maria Isabel Palacios De Castro, Matteo Palma, Marina Resmini, Alexander Ruban, Peter Thorpe, Angelika Stollewerk, Jose Martin Duran, Paulo Baptista Ribeiro, Susana Alves Godinho, Richard Grose, Stephanie Kermorgant, Peter McCormick and Tyson Sharp
£390,834 BBSRC Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (01-08-2022 - 31-07-2023)