Biochemistry

Research Interests:

Lipoprotein(a)

My laboratory is interested in the biochemistry and genetics of molecules involved in heart disease. A major class of molecule involved in heart disease that we study in both humans and animals is the plasma lipoproteins. We have a broad research programme investigating the regulation of lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)], an atherogenic lipoprotein formed in human plasma. Projects within this programme include the purification and measurement of Lp(a) in clinical samples and the investigation of novel Lp(a)-lowering compounds. Other research projects in my laboratory include investigation of the effects of New Zealand Red wine on lipoprotein oxidation and atherosclerosis, studying gene expression profiles in animal models of early atherosclerosis, and studies of families with abnormal lipoprotein levels.

Our research is funded by the Marsden Fund, Lottery Health, the National Heart Foundation and Otago University Research Grants

Recent Publications:

Euan J Rodger, Rachel J Suetani, Gregory T Jones, Torsten Kleffmann, Alan Carne, Michael Legge, Sally PA McCormick.  (2011) Proteomic Analysis of Aortae from Human Lipoprotein (a) Transgenic Mice Shows an Early Metabolic Response Independent of Atherosclerosis. PLoS ONE:e30383

von Zychlinski A, Kleffmann T, Williams MJA and McCormick SPA. (2011) Proteomics of Lipoprotein(a) Identifies a Protein Complement Associated with Response to Wounding. J. Proteomics. 74:2881-2891.

Suetani RJ, Sorrenson B, Tyndall JDA, Williams, MJA and McCormick SPA. (2011) Homology modeling and functional testing of an ABCA1 mutation causing Tangier Disease. Atherosclerosis. 218:404-410.

Roberts RL, Van Rij AM, Phillips LV, Young S, McCormick SPA, Merriman TR, Jones GT. (2011) Interaction of the inflammasome genes CARD8 and NLRP3 in abdominal aneurysms. Atherosclerosis.  218:123-126.

Dickerhof N,  Kleffmann T,  Jack, R, and McCormick, SPA. (2011) Bacitracin inhibits the reductive activity of protein disulfide isomerase by forming a disulfide bond with free cysteines in the substrate binding domain.  FEBS J. 278:2034-2043

Sorrenson B, Suetani RJ, Bickley VM, George PM, Williams MJ, Scott RS, McCormick SPA. (2011) An ABCA1 truncation shows no dominant negative effect in a familial hypobetalipoproteinemia pedigree with three ABCA1 mutations.  Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm. 409:400-5

Rachel J. Brace, Brie Sorrenson, Dmitri Sviridov and Sally P. A. McCormick. (2010)
A gel-based method for purification of apolipoprotein A-I from small volumes of plasma. J. Lipid. Res. 51: 3370-3376

Pedersen, TX, McCormick, SPA, Tsimikas, S, Bro, S and Nielsen, LB. (2010)
Lipoprotein(a) binds oxidized phospholipids and accelerates atherosclerosis in uremic mice. J. Lipid. Res. 51:2967-2975.

Jones GT, Deng M,,Hammond-Tooke GD, McCormick SPA, van Rij AM (2009). Increased plasma Lp(a) found in large artery atherosclerotic, but not small artery occlusive, stroke.  Clin. Chem. 55:1888-1890

Wang, YT, von Zychlinski, A and McCormick SPA. (2009) Dimyristoylphosphotidycholine induces conformational changes in apoB that lowers lipoprotein(a). J. Lipid. Res. In Press

Murphy, AJ, Woollard KJ, Hoang, A, Mukhamedova, N, Stirzaker, RA, McCormick, SPA, Remaley, AT, Sviridov, D, and Chin-Dusting, J. (2008) High-density lipoprotein reduces the human monocyte inflammatory response. Atherio. Thromb. Vasc. Biol. 28:2071-2077.

Slatter, TL, Jones, GT, Williams, MJA, van Rij, AM and McCormick SPA. (2008) Novel rare mutations and promoter haplotypes in ABCA1 contribute to low HDL cholesterol levels. Clin. Genet. 73: 179-184

Jones, GT, van Rij, AM, Cole, J, Williams, MJA, Bateman EH, Marcovina, SM, Deng, M and McCormick SPA. (2007) Plasma Lipoprotein(a) Level Indicates Risk for Four Distinct Forms of Vascular Disease. Clin. Chem. 53:679-685.

Slatter, TA, Williams, MJ, Frikke-Schmidt, R, Tybjærg-Hansen, A, Morison, I and McCormick SPA. (2006) Promoter haplotype modulates phenotypic expression of familial hypoalphalipoproteinemia in a novel case of Tangier disease. Atherosclerosis. 187:393-400.

Jones GT, Jiang F, McCormick SPA, Dusting GJ. (2005) Elastic lamina defects are an early feature of aortic lesions in the apolipoprotein E knockout mouse. Journal of Vascular Research. 42:237-246

Sharp, R.J., Perugini, M., Marcovina, S.M., and McCormick, S.P.A. (2004). Structural features of an apolipoprotein B synthetic peptide that inhibits lipoprotein(a) assembly. J. Lipid. Res. 45:2227-2234.

Liu, C. Y. Y., Broadhurst, R., Marcovina, S. M., and McCormick, S. P. A. (2004). Mutation of lysine residues in apolipoprotein B100 causes defective lipoprotein(a) formation. J. Lipid Res. 45:63-70.

Sharp, R.J., Perugini, M., Marcovina, S.M., and McCormick, S.P.A. (2003). A synthetic peptide that inhibits lipoprotein(a) assembly. Arterio.Thromb. Vasc. Biol. 23:502-507.

McCormick, S. P. A., Liu, C. Y-Y., Young, S. G., & Nielsen, L. B. (2003). Manipulating large insert clones for transgenesis. In M. H. Hofker & J. van Deursen (Eds.), Methods in molecular biology: Transgenic mouse methods and protocols (pp. 105-123). Totowa, NJ: Humana Press.