Professor Elizabeth Smythe

School of Biosciences

Professor of Cell Biology

Director, Centre for Membrane Interactions and Dynamics

e.smythe@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 4635

Full contact details

Professor Elizabeth Smythe
School of Biosciences
C09 Florey Building
Firth Court
Western Bank
91Ö±²¥
S10 2TN
Profile
  • 2002-present: Professor of Molecular Cell Biology, University of 91Ö±²¥
  • 1992-2002: MRC Senior Fellow and Principal Investigator, Wellcome Trust BioCentre, University of Dundee
  • 1989-1992: NATO/SERC postdoctoral fellow, The Scripps Research Institute, California
  • 1986-1989: Postdoctoral research assistant, University of Dundee.
  • 1986: PhD, Trinity College, Dublin
  • 1982: B.A. (Mod), Trinity College, Dublin
Research interests

Our lab is interested in the molecular mechanisms of cargo sorting along the endocytic pathway with particular emphasis on the regulation of the clathrin coated vesicle cycle by rab5 and reversible phosphorylation. We are also interested in the interplay between endocytic trafficking and signaling pathways.

Functions of membrane microdomains on the endocytic pathway: integration of endocytosis and signalling

We are interested in the assembly and dynamics of membrane microdomains that are specialised for signalling on the endocytic pathway. Clathrin coated pits are microdomains responsible for the uptake of a wide variety of cargo. Using live-cell microscopy we are exploring how signalling cargo modulates clathrin coated pit dynamics via posttranslational modifications of the clathrin coat and how this impacts on downstream signalling.

The small GTPase, rab5, regulates many events on the early endocytic  pathway including cargo selection, vesicle uncoating, endosomal fusion, and signalling. Guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) convert rab5 to its active GTP-bound ‘on’ state and they are also proposed to drive the spatial and temporal assembly of rab5 functional domains. We are using a variety of biochemical and morphological approaches to explore the function of Rme-6, a GEF that acts early in the endocytic pathway to integrate trafficking and signalling.

During embryonic development a surprisingly small number of signals are used repeatedly to form a whole organism. These same signals are also used in homeostasis. This means that cells need to respond to signals in a context specific manner. We are exploring how endocytosis contributes to context specific signalling using JAK/STAT signalling in Drosophila cells as a paradigm.

In addition to the molecular cell biology approaches discussed above we wish to understand how biophysical properties of membranes, in particular membrane tension, contributes to the regulation of microdomain formation. In the longer term our aim is to translate our findings into 3-D systems and ultimately whole organisms to understand the relationship between endocytosis and signalling.

Publications

Show: Featured publications All publications

Journal articles

  • Dang P, Smythe E & Furley AJW (2012) . J Neurosci, 32(30), 10370-10382. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Ferreira F, Foley M, Cooke A, Cunningham M, Smith G, Woolley R, Henderson G, Kelly E, Mundell S & Smythe E (2012) . Curr Biol, 22(15), 1361-1370. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Semerdjieva S, Shortt B, Maxwell E, Singh S, Fonarev P, Hansen J, Schiavo G, Grant BD & Smythe E (2008) . J Cell Biol, 183(3), 499-511. RIS download Bibtex download

All publications

Journal articles

  • Smythe E (2022) . Journal of Cell Biology, 221(4). RIS download Bibtex download
  • Naik S, Wood AR, Ongenaert M, Saidiyan P, Elstak ED, Lanz HL, Stallen J, Janssen R, Smythe E & Erdmann KS (2021) . International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 22(10). RIS download Bibtex download
  • Moore R, Vogt K, Acosta-Martin A, Shire P, Zeidler M & Smythe E (2020) . Journal of Cell Science, 133. RIS download Bibtex download
  • King JS & Smythe E (2020) . Science, 367(6475), 246-247. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Maib H, Ferreira F, Vassilopoulos S & Smythe E (2018) . The Journal of Cell Biology, 217(12), 4253-4266. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Moore R, Pujol MG, Zhu Z & Smythe E (2018) , 181-202. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Maib H, Smythe E & Ayscough KR (2017) . Molecular Biology of the Cell, 28(7), 843-847. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Smythe E (2015) , 283-293. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Fürthauer M & Smythe E (2014) . Traffic, 15(3), 338-346. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Dang P, Smythe E & Furley AJW (2012) . J Neurosci, 32(30), 10370-10382. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Ferreira F, Foley M, Cooke A, Cunningham M, Smith G, Woolley R, Henderson G, Kelly E, Mundell S & Smythe E (2012) . Curr Biol, 22(15), 1361-1370. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Ferreira FJ, Foley M, Cooke A, Cunningham M, Henderson G, Kelly E, Mundell S & Smythe E (2012) Phosphorylation of clathrin light chain b regulates GPCR trafficking.. MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF THE CELL, 23. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Wright VM, Vogt KL, Smythe E & Zeidler MP (2011) . Cell Signal, 23(5), 920-927. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Wright VM, Vogt KL, Smythe E & Zeidler MP (2011) . Cellular Signalling, 23(5), 920-927. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Montagnac G, de Forges H, Smythe E, Gueudry C, Romao M, Salamero J & Chavrier P (2011) Decoupling of Activation and Effector Binding Underlies ARF6 Priming of Fast Endocytic Recycling. Current Biology. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Montagnac G, De Forges H, Smythe E, Gueudry C, Romao M, Salamero J & Chavrier P (2011) . Current Biology, 21(7), 574-579. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Vidal OM, Stec W, Bausek N, Smythe E & Zeidler MP (2010) . Development, 137(21), e2107-e2107. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Vidal OM, Stec W, Bausek N, Smythe E & Zeidler MP (2010) . J Cell Sci, 123(Pt 20), 3457-3466. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Robertson AS, Smythe E & Ayscough KR (2009) . Cell Mol Life Sci, 66(13), 2049-2065. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Semerdjieva S, Shortt B, Maxwell E, Singh S, Fonarev P, Hansen J, Schiavo G, Grant BD & Smythe E (2008) . J Cell Biol, 183(3), 499-511. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Parker LC, Prestwich EC, Ward JR, Smythe E, Berry A, Triantafilou M, Triantafilou K & Sabroe I (2008) . J Immunol, 181(8), 5606-5617. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Smythe E & Ayscough KR (2006) . J Cell Sci, 119(Pt 22), 4589-4598. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Zhang CX, Engqvist-Goldstein AEY, Carreno S, Owen DJ, Smythe E & Drubin DG (2005) . TRAFFIC, 6(12), 1103-1113. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Osborne A, Flett A & Smythe E (2005) . Current Protocols in Cell Biology, 27(1), 11.18.1-11.18.24. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Flett A, Semerdjieva S, Jackson AP & Smythe E (2005) . Biochem Soc Symp(72), 65-70. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Smythe E (2004) . NATURE, 431(7009), 641-642. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Jackson AP, Flett A, Smythe C, Hufton L, Wettey FR & Smythe E (2003) . J Cell Biol, 163(2), 231-236. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Smythe E (2003) . Biochem Soc Trans, 31(Pt 3), 736-739. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Smythe E & Ayscough KR (2003) . EMBO Rep, 4(3), 246-251. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Smythe E (2002) . Trends Cell Biol, 12(8), 352-354. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Smythe E (2002) . Mol Cell, 9(2), 205-206. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Hill E, Olusanya O, van der Kaay J, Downes CP, Andrews PD, Swedlow JR & Smythe E (2001) . Biochem Soc Trans, 29(Pt 4), 375-377. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Olusanya O, Andrews PD, Swedlow JR & Smythe E (2001) . Curr Biol, 11(11), 896-900. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Smythe E, Olusanya O, Hill EV & Osborne A (2001) . Biochemical Society Transactions, 29(3), A45-A45. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Hill E, van Der Kaay J, Downes CP & Smythe E (2001) . J Cell Biol, 152(2), 309-323. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Gagescu R, Gruenberg J & Smythe E (2000) . Traffic, 1(1), 84-89. RIS download Bibtex download
  • McLauchlan H, Newell J, Morrice N, Osborne A, West M & Smythe E (1998) . Curr Biol, 8(1), 34-45. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Smythe E (1996) . Subcell Biochem, 27, 51-92. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Smythe E, Smith PD, Jacob SM, Theobald J & Moss SE (1994) . Journal of Cell Biology, 124(3), 301-306. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Smythe E, Carter LL & Schmid SL (1992) . Journal of Cell Biology, 119(5), 1163-1171. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Smythe E, Pypaert M, Lucocq J & Warren G (1989) . J Cell Biol, 108(3), 843-853. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Warren G, Woodman P, Pypaert M & Smythe E (1988) . Trends in Biochemical Sciences, 13(12), 462-465. RIS download Bibtex download

Conference proceedings papers

  • Giralt-Pujol M & Smythe E (2017) . Heart, Vol. 103(Suppl 5) (pp A110-A110) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Brown S, Smythe E, Strutt D, Whitworth A & Zeidler M (2009) . MECHANISMS OF DEVELOPMENT, Vol. 126 (pp S290-S290) RIS download Bibtex download
Grants
  • MRC
  • BHF
  • EU
Teaching activities

Undergraduate and postgraduate taught modules

Undergraduate:

  • BMS109 Cell & Molecular
  • BMS6082 Practical Cell Biology (Coordinator)
  • Level 3 Practical and Dissertation Modules

Masters (MSc):

  • BMS6082 Practical Cell Biology (Coordinator)
Professional activities and memberships

Member of:

  • the Faculty of 1000 (2001-)
  • the Editorial Board of the Biochemical Journal (2004-2007) Renewed (2007-2011)
  • the MRC College of Experts (2006-2010)
  • Executive Secretary of the British Society for Cell Biology (2006-2011)