Biography
Dr. Mariangela Dionysopoulou studied Agricultural Biotechnology in Athens, Greece. She was honored with a scholarship from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, enabling her to attain a PhD in Molecular Microbiology from the Biology Department in Athens, Greece, with a focus on membrane protein trafficking. In addition, during her Erasmus+ traineeship at the University of Aldo Moro in Bari, Italy, Mariangela actively engaged in radiolabelled uptake assays on proteoliposomes. Following the completion of her doctoral studies, Mariangela transitioned to the UK, where she joined the Astbury Centre at the University of Leeds. In this capacity, she conducted research on mechanosensitive channels, employing electrophysiology as a key methodology. Presently, she holds a position as a postdoctoral researcher within the group of Prof. Edmund Kunji at the MBU. In her current role, she applies radiolabelled uptake assays and thermostability shift assays as integral methods for drug discovery.
Research Interests
Dr. Mariangela Dionysopoulou is presently engaged in the research of the Mitochondrial Pyruvate Carrier (MPC) as a promising pharmaceutical target for various metabolic and neurodegenerative disorders. The primary objective of her ongoing research endeavours is the identification of novel inhibitors targeting the MPC. This investigation holds the potential to not only elucidate novel aspects of the binding cavity within the protein but also to provide enhanced understanding of the protein's structure.
Selected Publications
Dionysopoulou M., Yan N., Wang B., Pliotas C & Diallinas G. (2022)
Genetic and cellular characterization of MscS-like putative channels in the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans
Channels 16, 148–158
Dimou S.*, Dionysopoulou M.*, Sagia G. M., Diallinas G. (2022)
*Equal contribution
Golgi-Bypass Is a Major Unconventional Route for Translocation to the Plasma Membrane of Non-Apical Membrane Cargoes in Aspergillus nidulans
Front Cell Dev Biol 10:852028
Dionysopoulou M., Diallinas G. (2021)
Impact of Membrane Lipids on UapA and AzgA Transporter Subcellular Localization and Activity in Aspergillus nidulans
J Fungi (Basel) 7:514