- Dr Michelle Munro Lecturer
Research interests
I am interested in how the cardiac ultrastructure impacts the function of the heart, in particular the organisation of specialised structures known as the dyad and transverse tubules. I am investigating how these structures are remodelled in atrial fibrillation and heart failure, and whether specific proteins can be targeted to restore cardiac organisation and function in heart disease.
Projects
- Restoration of calcium balance by calsequestrin in atrial fibrillation
Current funding
- 2019–2022: Heart Foundation of New Zealand Research Fellowship
- 2020–2022: Health Research Council Emerging Researcher First Grant
Previous funding
- Heart Foundation of New Zealand small project grant
Publications
Munro, M. L., & Jones, P. P. (2020). Too much of a good thing? Establishing a role of excessive RyR2 dephosphorylation in heart disease. Journal of Physiology, 598(6), 1115-1116. doi: 10.1113/jp279569
Chakraborty, A. D., Gonano, L. A., Munro, M. L., Smith, L. J., Thekkedam, C., Staudacher, V., Gamble, A. B., … Jones, P. P. (2019). Activation of RyR2 by class I kinase inhibitors. British Journal of Pharmacology, 176, 773-786. doi: 10.1111/bph.14562
Hinton, L., Jones, P., & Munro, M. (2019, September). Role protein kinase CK2 in regulation of the cardiac Ryanodine Receptor. Poster session presented at the Medical Sciences Congress (MedSci), Queenstown, New Zealand.
Munro, M. L., van Hout, I., Sugunesegran, R., Bhagwat, K., Davis, P. J., Bunton, R. W., Coffey, S., … Jones, P. P. (2019, September). Resolving the role of dyadic organisation in cardiac dysfunction. Verbal presentation at the Medical Sciences Congress (MedSci), Queenstown, New Zealand.
Munro, M. L., Shen, X., Ward, M., Ruygrok, P. N., Crossman, D. J., & Soeller, C. (2018). Highly variable contractile performance correlates with myocyte content in trabeculae from failing human hearts. Scientific Reports, 8(1), 2957. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-21199-y
Journal - Research Article
Chakraborty, A. D., Gonano, L. A., Munro, M. L., Smith, L. J., Thekkedam, C., Staudacher, V., Gamble, A. B., … Jones, P. P. (2019). Activation of RyR2 by class I kinase inhibitors. British Journal of Pharmacology, 176, 773-786. doi: 10.1111/bph.14562
Munro, M. L., Shen, X., Ward, M., Ruygrok, P. N., Crossman, D. J., & Soeller, C. (2018). Highly variable contractile performance correlates with myocyte content in trabeculae from failing human hearts. Scientific Reports, 8(1), 2957. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-21199-y
Crossman, D. J., Shen, X., Jüllig, M., Munro, M., Hou, Y., Middleditch, M., … Soeller, C. (2017). Increased collagen within the transverse tubules in human heart failure. Cardiovascular Research, 113(8), 879-891. doi: 10.1093/cvr/cvx055
Munro, M. L., & Soeller, C. (2016). Early transverse tubule development begins in utero in the sheep heart. Journal of Muscle Research & Cell Motility, 37(6), 195-202. doi: 10.1007/s10974-016-9462-4
Munro, M. L., Jayasinghe, I. D., Wang, Q., Quick, A., Wang, W., Baddeley, D., … Soeller, C. (2016). Junctophilin-2 in the nanoscale organisation and functional signalling of ryanodine receptor clusters in cardiomyocytes. Journal of Cell Science, 129, 4388-4398. doi: 10.1242/jcs.196873
Jayasinghe, I. D., Clowsley, A. H., Munro, M., Hou, Y., Crossman, D. J., & Soeller, C. (2015). Revealing T-tubules in striated muscle with new optical super-resolution microscopy techniques. European Journal of Translational Myology, 25(1), 15-26. doi: 10.4081/ejtm.2015.4747
Wang, W., Landstrom, A. P., Wang, Q., Munro, M. L., Beavers, D., Ackerman, M. J., … Wehrens, X. H. T. (2014). Reduced junctional Na+/Ca2+-exchanger activity contributes to sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ leak in junctophilin-2-deficient mice. American Journal of Physiology: Heart & Circulatory Physiology, 307(9), H1317-H1326. doi: 10.1152/ajpheart.00413.2014
Jayasinghe, I. D., Munro, M., Baddeley, D., Launikonis, B. S., & Soeller, C. (2014). Observation of the molecular organization of calcium release sites in fast- and slow-twitch skeletal muscle with nanoscale imaging. Journal of the Royal Society Interface, 11(99), 20140570. doi: 10.1098/rsif.2014.0570
Journal - Research Other
Munro, M. L., & Jones, P. P. (2020). Too much of a good thing? Establishing a role of excessive RyR2 dephosphorylation in heart disease. Journal of Physiology, 598(6), 1115-1116. doi: 10.1113/jp279569
Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract
Munro, M. L., Shen, X., Ward, M., Crossman, D. J., & Soeller, C. (2016). Relationship between multi-scale cardiomyocyte organization and function in trabeculae of the failing human heart. Biophysical Journal, 110(3, Suppl. 1), (pp. 598a). doi: 10.1016/j.bpj.2015.11.3195
Munro, M. L., Shen, X., Ward, M., Crossman, D. J., & Soeller, C. (2015). The relationship between function and cellular organization in the failing human heart. Journal of Molecular & Cellular Cardiology, 86(Suppl.), (pp. S63). doi: 10.1016/j.yjmcc.2015.07.025
Munro, M. L., Jayasinghe, I. D., Wang, W., Baddeley, D., Wehrens, X. H. T., & Soeller, C. (2015). Nanoscale changes in ryanodine receptor organization in JPH2 transgenic mice. Journal of Molecular & Cellular Cardiology, 86(Suppl.), (pp. S65). doi: 10.1016/j.yjmcc.2015.07.025
Munro, M., Wang, W., Baddeley, D., Wehrens, X., & Soeller, C. (2014). Nanoscale changes in the organisation of junctional proteins in JPH2 transgenic mice. Biophysical Journal, 106(2, Suppl. 1), (pp. 448a). doi: 10.1016/j.bpj.2013.11.2537
Jayasinghe, I. D., Munro, M., Baddeley, D., Launikonis, B. S., & Soeller, C. (2014). Resolving the calcium release machinery of mammalian fast- and slow-twitch skeletal muscle. Biophysical Journal, 106(2, Suppl. 1), (pp. 123a-124a). doi: 10.1016/j.bpj.2013.11.736
Munro, M., Wang, W., Baddeley, D., Wehrens, X., & Soeller, C. (2013). The organisation of T-tubules and junctional proteins in JPH2 transgenic mice. Heart, Lung & Circulation, 22(Suppl. 1), (pp. S9). doi: 10.1016/j.hlc.2013.05.019
Munro, M. L., Wang, W., Baddeley, D., Beavers, D., Wehrens, X. H. T., & Soeller, C. (2013). The organisation of calcium handling and junctional proteins in JPH2 transgenic mice. Journal of Molecular & Cellular Cardiology, 65(Suppl.), (pp. S133). doi: 10.1016/j.yjmcc.2013.10.011
Munro, M. L., Baddeley, D., & Soeller, C. (2012). Distribution of Gαs and co-localisation with calcium handling proteins in rat cardiomyocytes. Heart, Lung & Circulation, 21(12), (pp. 862). doi: 10.1016/j.hlc.2012.08.029
Conference Contribution - Poster Presentation (not in published proceedings)
Hinton, L., Jones, P., & Munro, M. (2019, September). Role protein kinase CK2 in regulation of the cardiac Ryanodine Receptor. Poster session presented at the Medical Sciences Congress (MedSci), Queenstown, New Zealand.
Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs
Munro, M. L., van Hout, I., Sugunesegran, R., Bhagwat, K., Davis, P. J., Bunton, R. W., Coffey, S., … Jones, P. P. (2019, September). Resolving the role of dyadic organisation in cardiac dysfunction. Verbal presentation at the Medical Sciences Congress (MedSci), Queenstown, New Zealand.
Okolo, C. A., McLay, J. C., McLachlan, J. J., Munro, M., Tanner, C., Chakraborty, A. D., Erickson, J. R., & Jones, P. P. (2018, August). Regulation of RyR2 by O-linked glycosylation. Verbal presentation at the Medical Sciences Congress (MedSci), Queenstown, New Zealand.
Munro, M. L., Jayasinghe, I. D., Crossman, D. J., Baddeley, D., Soeller, C., & Jones, P. P. (2018, August). Super resolved calcium channel organisation in the heart. Verbal presentation at the Medical Sciences Congress (MedSci), Queenstown, New Zealand.
Munro, M. L., Jayasinghe, I. D., Shen, X., Wang, W., Ward, M., Baddeley, D., … Soeller, C. (2016, August). Multi-scale cardiomyocyte organisation as a determinant of cardiac function. Verbal presentation at the Medical Sciences Congress (MedSci), Nelson, New Zealand.
Munro, M. L., Jayasinghe, I. D., Shen, X., Wang, W., Ward, M., Baddeley, D., … Soeller, C. (2015, August-September). The role of cardiomyocyte organisation in the cardiac structure-function relationship. Verbal presentation at the Medical Sciences Congress (MedSci), Queenstown, New Zealand.
Awarded Doctoral Degree
Munro, M. L. (2016). Multi-scale cardiomyocyte organisation as a determinant of cardiac function (PhD). University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/2292/29358
