Newcastle University

Research Interests

Calcium signals
Cell cycle control
Early embryogenesis
Fluorescence imaging

• Kisielewska J, Whitaker M. Regulation of DNA synthesis at the first cell cycle in the sea urchin in vivo. In: Methods in Molecular Biology. Humana Press, Inc, 2013. In Press.
• Foley L, Whitaker M. Concise Review: Cell Therapies: The Route to Widespread Adoption. Stem Cells Translational Medicine 2012, 1(5), 438-447.
• Herriott A, Sweeney M, Whitaker M, Taggart M, Huang JY. Kinetochore localized Mad2 and Cdc20 is itself insufficient for triggering the mitotic checkpoint when Mps1 is low in Drosophila melanogaster neuroblasts. Cell Cycle 2012, 11(24), 4650-4660.
• Whitaker M, Foley L. An academic perspective on the adoption of cell therapies. regen Magazine 2011, (2), 14-15.
• Whitaker M. Genetically encoded probes for measurement of intracellular calcium. In: Whitaker, M, ed. Calcium in Living Cells. Amsterdam; London: Academic Press, 2010, pp.153-182.
• Herriott A, Whitaker M, Huang JY. Investigation into spindle assembly checkpoint function in Drosophila melanogaster. In: Meeting on The Cell Cycle. 2010, Cold Spring Harbor, New York: National Cancer Institute.
• Li D, Morley G, Whitaker M, Huang JY. Recruitment of Cdc20 to the kinetochore requires BubR1, but not Mad2 in Drosophila melanogaster. Molecular and Cellular Biology 2010, 30(13), 3384-3395.
• Kisielewska J, Philipova R, Huang JY, Whitaker M. MAP kinase dependent cyclinE/cdk2 activity promotes DNA replication in early sea urchin embryos. Developmental Biology 2009, 334(2), 383-394.
• Whitaker M. Calcium signalling in early embryos. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 2008, 363(1495), 1401-1418.
• Ross K, Parker G, Whitaker M, Reynolds NJ. Inhibition of calcium-independent phospholipase A impairs agonist-induced calcium entry in keratinocytes. British Journal of Dermatology 2008, 158(1), 31-37.
• Whitaker M, Smith J. Introduction. Calcium signals and developmental patterning. Philosophical Transactions of The Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 2008, 363(1495), 1307-1310.
• Ross K, Whitaker M, Reynolds NJ. Agonist-induced calcium entry correlates with STIM1 translocation. Journal of Cellular Physiology 2007, 211(3), 569-576.
• Wood CD, Nishigaki T, Tatsu Y, Yumoto N, Baba SA, Whitaker M, Darszon A. Altering the speract-induced ion permeability changes that generate flagellar Ca2+ spikes regulates their kinetics and sea urchin sperm motility. Developmental Biology 2007, 306(2), 525-537.
• Li D, Karess R, Whitaker M, Huang J-Y. BubR1, but not Mad2, is required for recruiting and localizing of Fzy to the kinetochores in D. melanogaster. In: 48th Annual Drosophila Research Conference. 2007, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: The Genetics Society of America.
• Huang J-Y, Morley G, Li D, Whitaker M. Cdk1 phosphorylation sites on Cdc27 are required for correct chromosomal localisation and APC/C function in syncytial Drosophila embryos. Journal of Cell Science 2007, 120(12), 1990-1997.
• Whitaker M. Calcium at fertilization and in early development. Physiological Reviews 2006, 86(1), 25-88.
• Whitaker M. Calcium microdomains and cell cycle control. Cell Calcium 2006, 40(5-6), 585-592.
• Whitaker M. ITP. Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology 2006, 17(2), 230-232.
• Philipova R, Whitaker M. Active ERK1 is dimerized in vivo: Bisphosphodimers generate peak kinase activity and monophosphodimers maintain basal ERK1 activity. Journal of Cell Science 2005, 118(24), 5767-5776.
• Philipova R, Kisielewska J, Lu P, Larman M, Huang J-Y, Whitaker M. ERK1 activation is required for S-phase onset and cell cycle progression after fertilization in sea urchin embryos. Development 2005, 132(3), 579-589.
• Kisielewska J, Lu P, Whitaker M. GFP-PCNA as an S-phase marker in embryos during the first and subsequent cell cycles. Biology of the Cell 2005, 97(3), 221-229.
• Philipova R, Larman MG, Leckie CP, Harrison PK, Groigno L, Whitaker M. Inhibiting MAP kinase activity prevents calcium transients and mitosis entry in early sea urchin embryos. Journal of Biological Chemistry 2005, 280(26), 24957-24967.
• Parry H, McDougall AD, Whitaker MJ. Microdomains bounded by endoplasmic reticulum segregate cell cycle calcium transients in syncytial Drosophila embryos. The Journal of Cell Biology 2005, 171(1), 47-59.
• Whitaker M. Calcium imaging. In: Charles A. Ettensohn, Gregory A. Wray, and Gary M. Wessel, ed. Development of Sea Urchins, Ascidians, and Other Invertebrate Deuterostomes: Experimental Approaches. London: Elsevier Academic Press, 2004, pp.443-468.
• Whitaker M. Calcium pathways. JCS 2003, 2, 6-9.
• Carroll M, Levasseur M, Wood C, Whitaker M, Jones KT, McDougall A. Exploring the mechanism of action of the sperm-triggered calcium-wave pacemaker in ascidian zygotes. Journal of Cell Science 2003, 116(24), 4997-5004.
• Wood CD, Darszon A, Whitaker MJ. Speract induces calcium oscillations in the sperm tail. The Journal of Cell Biology 2003, 161(1), 89-101.
• Leckie C, Empson R, Becchetti A, Thomas J, Galione A, Whitaker M. The NO pathway acts late during the fertilization response in sea urchin eggs. Journal of Biological Chemistry 2003, 278(14), 12247-12254.
• Gorelik J, Gu YC, Spohr HA, Shevchuk AI, Lab MJ, Harding SE, Edwards CRW, Whitaker M, Moss GWJ, Benton DCH, Sanchez D, Darszon A, Vodyanoy I, Klenerman D, Korchev YE. Ion channels in small cells and subcellular structures can be studied with a smart patch-clamp system. Biophysical Journal 2002, 83(6), 3296-3303.
• Harrison PK, Falugi C, Angelini C, Whitaker MJ. Muscarinic signalling affects intracellular calcium concentration during the first cell cycle of sea urchin embryos. Cell Calcium 2002, 31(6), 289-297.
• Whitaker MJ, Larman M. Calcium and mitosis. Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology 2001, 12(1), 53-58.
• Whitaker M, Larman MG. Calcium and mitosis. Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology 2001, 12(1), 53-58.
• Suprynowicz FA, Groigno L, Whitaker M, Miller FJ, Sluder G, Sturrock J, Whalley T. Activation of protein kinase C alters p34(cdc2) phosphorylation state and kinase activity in early sea urchin embryos by abolishing intracellular Ca2+ transients. Biochemical Journal 2000, 349(2), 489-499.
• Whitaker M. Calcium and cell cycle control in oocytes and embryos. In: BIOLOGY OF REPRODUCTION. 2000.
• Whitaker M. Calcium signalling mechanisms in the cell division cycle. In: Journal of Physiology. 2000.
• Whitaker M. Fluorescent tags of protein function in living cells. BioEssays 2000, 22(2), 180-187.
• Kawahara H, Philipova R, Yokosawa H, Patel R, Tanaka K, Whitaker M. Inhibiting proteasome activity causes overreplication of DNA and blocks entry into mitosis in sea urchin embryos. Journal of Cell Science 2000, 113(15), 2659-2670.
• McDougall A, Shearer J, Whitaker M. The initiation and propagation of the fertilization wave in sea urchin eggs. Biology of the Cell 2000, 92(3-4), 205-214.
• Shmukler YB, Buznikov GA, Whitaker MJ. Action of serotonin antagonists on cytoplasmic calcium levels in early embryos of sea urchin Lytechinus pictus. International Journal of Developmental Biology 1999, 43(2), 179-182.
• Chanturia A, Whitaker MJ, Zimmerberg J. Calcium-induced fusion of sea urchin secretory vesicles with planar phospholipid bilayer membranes. Molecular Membrane Biology 1999, 16(1), 89-94.
• Patel R, Holt M, Philipova R, Moss S, Schulman H, Hidaka H, Whitaker M. Calcium/calmodulin-dependent phosphorylation and activation of human Cdc25-C at the G2/M phase transition in HeLa cells. Journal of Biological Chemistry 1999, 274(12), 7958-7968.
• Stricker SA, Whitaker M. Confocal laser scanning microscopy of calcium dynamics in living cells. Microscopy Research and Technique 1999, 46(6), 356-369.
• Aanstad P, Whitaker M. Predictability of dorso-ventral asymmetry in the cleavage stage zebrafish embryo: an analysis using lithium sensitivity as a dorso-ventral marker. Mechanisms of Development 1999, 88(1), 33-41.
• Shearer J, De Nadai C, Emily-Fenouil F, Gache C, Whitaker M, Ciapa B. Role of phospholipase C gamma at fertilization and during mitosis in sea urchin eggs and embryos. Development 1999, 126(10), 2273-2284.
• Whitaker M.J. Ways of looking at calcium. Microsc. Res. Tech 1999, 46, 342-347.
• Whitaker M. Ways of looking at calcium. Microscopy Research and Technique 1999, 46(6), 342-347.
• Larman MG, Whitaker MJ. A vesicular calcium store in sea urchin embryos. Molecular Biology of the Cell 1998, 9, 1455.
• L. Groigno and M. Whitaker. An anaphase calcium signal controls chromosome disjunction in early sea urchin embryos. Cell 1998, 92, 193-204.
• Whitaker M. Fluorescence imaging in living cells. Cell Biology: a laboratory handbook 2nd edition 1998, 3, 121-126.
• K. Torok, M. Wilding, L. Groigno, R. Patel and M. Whitaker. Imaging the spatial dynamics of calmodulin activation during mitosis. Current Biology 1998, 8, 692-699.
• Philipova R. and Whitaker M. MAP kinase activity increases during mitosis in early sea urchin embryos. J Cell Sci 1998, 111, 2497-2505.
• G. A. Buznikov, T. L. Marshak, L. A. Malchenko, L. A. Nikitina, Y. B. Shmukler, A. G. Buznikov, L. Rakic and M. J. Whitaker. Serotonin and acetylcholine modulate the sensitivity of early sea urchin embryos to protein kinase C activators. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology a-Molecular and Integrative Physiology 1998, 120, 457-462.
• Patel R, Wright EM, Whitaker M. Caffeine overrides the S-phase cell cycle block in sea urchin embryos. Zygote 1997, 5(2), 127-138.
• J. Avery, A. Hodel and M. Whitaker. In vitro exocytosis in sea urchin eggs requires a synaptobrevin-related protein. Journal of Cell Science 1997, 110, 1555-1561.
• A. Becchetti and M. Whitaker. Lithium blocks cell cycle transitions in the first cell cycles of sea urchin embryos, an effect rescued by myo-inositol. Development 1997, 124, 1099-1107.
• G. A. Buznikov, L. N. Koikov, Y. B. Shmukler and M. J. Whitaker. Nicotinic antagonists (piperidines and quinuclidines) reduce the susceptibility of early sea urchin embryos to agents evoking calcium shock. General Pharmacology 1997, 29, 49-53.
• Y. Lawrence, M. Whitaker and K. Swann. Sperm-egg fusion is the prelude to the initial Ca2+ increase at fertilization in the mouse. Development 1997, 124, 233-241.
• Whitaker M.J. Control of meiotic arrest. Reviews in Reproduction 1996, 1, 127-135.
• Wilding M., Wright E.M., Patel R., Ellis-Davies G. and Whitaker M.J. Local perinuclear calcium signals associate with mitosis-entry in early sea urchin embryos. Journal of Cell Biology 1996, 135, 191-200.
• M. Wilding, E. M. Wright, R. Patel, G. EllisDavies and M. Whitaker. Local perinuclear calcium signals associated with mitosis-entry in early sea urchin embryos. Journal of Cell Biology 1996, 135, 191-199.