Overview
Background
My main research focus has been applying venom peptide pharmacology to pain pathway characterisation. This approach has led to the identification of novel pain mechanisms underlying the development of chemotherapy-induced pain, ciguatera, and burn-induced pain. In an addition, I have identified and characterised over 20 novel bioactive peptides, which includes a novel class of Nav1.7 inhibitors that is currently undergoing pre-clinical development as analgesics, and a novel class of stinging nettle toxins that act on a previously unidentified Nav1.7 interacting protein named TMEM233.
Availability
- Dr Jennifer Deuis is:
- Available for supervision
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland
Works
Search Professor Jennifer Deuis’s works on UQ eSpace
2024
Journal Article
A venom peptide-induced NaV channel modulation mechanism involving the interplay between fixed channel charges and ionic gradients
Thapa, Ashvriya, Beh, Jia Hao, Robinson, Samuel D., Deuis, Jennifer R., Tran, Hue, Vetter, Irina and Keramidas, Angelo (2024). A venom peptide-induced NaV channel modulation mechanism involving the interplay between fixed channel charges and ionic gradients. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 300 (10) 107757, 107757. doi: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.107757
2024
Journal Article
The ‘dispanins’ and related proteins in physiology and neurological disease
Deuis, Jennifer R., Klasfauseweh, Tabea, Walker, Lucinda and Vetter, Irina (2024). The ‘dispanins’ and related proteins in physiology and neurological disease. Trends in Neurosciences, 47 (8), 622-634. doi: 10.1016/j.tins.2024.06.004
2024
Journal Article
Structural basis of the bivalency of the TRPV1 agonist DkTx
Ramanujam, Venkatraman, Crawford, Theo, Cristofori‐Armstrong, Ben, Deuis, Jennifer R., Jia, Xinying, Maxwell, Michael J., Jami, Sina, Ma, Linlin, Vetter, Irina and Mobli, Mehdi (2024). Structural basis of the bivalency of the TRPV1 agonist DkTx. Angewandte Chemie, 136 (3), 1-8. doi: 10.1002/ange.202314621
2024
Journal Article
Structural basis of the bivalency of the TRPV1 agonist DkTx
Ramanujam, Venkatraman, Crawford, Theo, Cristofori-Armstrong, Ben, Deuis, Jennifer, Jia, Xinying, Maxwell, Michael, Jami, Sina, Ma, Linlin, Vetter, Irina and Mobli, Mehdi (2024). Structural basis of the bivalency of the TRPV1 agonist DkTx. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 63 (3) e202314621, 1-8. doi: 10.1002/anie.202314621
2024
Journal Article
Erythromelalgia caused by the missense mutation p.Arg220Pro in an alternatively spliced exon of SCN9A (NaV1.7)
Deuis, Jennifer R., Kumble, Smitha, Keramidas, Angelo, Ragnarsson, Lotten, Simons, Cas, Pais, Lynn, White, Susan M and Vetter, Irina (2024). Erythromelalgia caused by the missense mutation p.Arg220Pro in an alternatively spliced exon of SCN9A (NaV1.7). Human Molecular Genetics, 33 (2), 103-109. doi: 10.1093/hmg/ddad152
2024
Journal Article
Peptide toxins that target vertebrate voltage-gated sodium channels underly the painful stings of harvester ants
Robinson, Samuel D., Deuis, Jennifer R., Niu, Pancong, Touchard, Axel, Mueller, Alexander, Schendel, Vanessa, Brinkwirth, Nina, King, Glenn F., Vetter, Irina and Schmidt, Justin O. (2024). Peptide toxins that target vertebrate voltage-gated sodium channels underly the painful stings of harvester ants. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 300 (1) 105577, 1-15. doi: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105577
2023
Journal Article
Natural compounds purified from the leaves of Aristotelia chilensis: Makomakinol, a new alkaloid and the effect of aristoteline and hobartine on NaV channels
Pérez, Rebeca, Figueredo, Claudia, Burgos, Viviana, Cabrera-Pardo, Jaime R., Schmidt, Bernd, Heydenreich, Matthias, Koch, Andreas, Deuis, Jennifer R., Vetter, Irina and Paz, Cristian (2023). Natural compounds purified from the leaves of Aristotelia chilensis: Makomakinol, a new alkaloid and the effect of aristoteline and hobartine on NaV channels. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 24 (21) 15504, 1-10. doi: 10.3390/ijms242115504
2023
Journal Article
Identification of sodium channel toxins from marine cone snails of the subgenera Textilia and Afonsoconus
McMahon, Kirsten L., O’Brien, Henrik, Schroeder, Christina I., Deuis, Jennifer R., Venkatachalam, Dhananjeyan, Huang, Di, Green, Brad R., Bandyopadhyay, Pradip K., Li, Qing, Yandell, Mark, Safavi-Hemami, Helena, Olivera, Baldomero M., Vetter, Irina and Robinson, Samuel D. (2023). Identification of sodium channel toxins from marine cone snails of the subgenera Textilia and Afonsoconus. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, 80 (10) 287, 287. doi: 10.1007/s00018-023-04935-0
2023
Journal Article
Structural conformation and activity of spider-derived inhibitory cystine knot peptide Pn3a are modulated by pH
Tran, Poanna, Crawford, Theo, Ragnarsson, Lotten, Deuis, Jennifer R., Mobli, Mehdi, Sharpe, Simon J., Schroeder, Christina I. and Vetter, Irina (2023). Structural conformation and activity of spider-derived inhibitory cystine knot peptide Pn3a are modulated by pH. ACS Omega, 8 (29), 26276-26286. doi: 10.1021/acsomega.3c02664
2023
Journal Article
Changes in potency and subtype selectivity of bivalent NaV toxins are knot-specific
Tran, Poanna, Tran, Hue N. T., McMahon, Kirsten L., Deuis, Jennifer R., Ragnarsson, Lotten, Norman, Alexander, Sharpe, Simon J., Payne, Richard J., Vetter, Irina and Schroeder, Christina I. (2023). Changes in potency and subtype selectivity of bivalent NaV toxins are knot-specific. Bioconjugate Chemistry, 34 (6), 1072-1083. doi: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.3c00135
2023
Journal Article
Ant venoms contain vertebrate-selective pain-causing sodium channel toxins
Robinson, Samuel D., Deuis, Jennifer R., Touchard, Axel, Keramidas, Angelo, Mueller, Alexander, Schroeder, Christina I., Barassé, Valentine, Walker, Andrew A., Brinkwirth, Nina, Jami, Sina, Bonnafé, Elsa, Treilhou, Michel, Undheim, Eivind A. B., Schmidt, Justin O., King, Glenn F. and Vetter, Irina (2023). Ant venoms contain vertebrate-selective pain-causing sodium channel toxins. Nature Communications, 14 (1) 2977, 1-11. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-38839-1
2023
Journal Article
Pain-causing stinging nettle toxins target TMEM233 to modulate NaV1.7 function
Jami, Sina, Deuis, Jennifer R., Klasfauseweh, Tabea, Cheng, Xiaoyang, Kurdyukov, Sergey, Chung, Felicity, Okorokov, Andrei L., Li, Shengnan, Zhang, Jiangtao, Cristofori-Armstrong, Ben, Israel, Mathilde R., Ju, Robert J., Robinson, Samuel D., Zhao, Peng, Ragnarsson, Lotten, Andersson, Åsa, Tran, Poanna, Schendel, Vanessa, McMahon, Kirsten L., Tran, Hue N. T., Chin, Yanni K.-Y., Zhu, Yifei, Liu, Junyu, Crawford, Theo, Purushothamvasan, Saipriyaa, Habib, Abdella M., Andersson, David A., Rash, Lachlan D., Wood, John N. ... Vetter, Irina (2023). Pain-causing stinging nettle toxins target TMEM233 to modulate NaV1.7 function. Nature Communications, 14 (1) 2442. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-37963-2
2023
Journal Article
Pmu1a, a novel spider toxin with dual inhibitory activity at pain targets hNaV1.7 and hCaV3 voltage‐gated channels
Giribaldi, Julien, Chemin, Jean, Tuifua, Marie, Deuis, Jennifer R., Mary, Rosanna, Vetter, Irina, Wilson, David T., Daly, Norelle L., Schroeder, Christina I., Bourinet, Emmanuel and Dutertre, Sébastien (2023). Pmu1a, a novel spider toxin with dual inhibitory activity at pain targets hNaV1.7 and hCaV3 voltage‐gated channels. The FEBS Journal, 290 (14), 3688-3702. doi: 10.1111/febs.16773
2022
Journal Article
Venom composition and pain-causing toxins of the Australian great carpenter bee Xylocopa aruana
Shi, Naiqi, Szanto, Tibor G., He, Jia, Schroeder, Christina I., Walker, Andrew A., Deuis, Jennifer R., Vetter, Irina, Panyi, György, King, Glenn F. and Robinson, Samuel D. (2022). Venom composition and pain-causing toxins of the Australian great carpenter bee Xylocopa aruana. Scientific Reports, 12 (1) 22168, 1-13. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-26867-8
2022
Journal Article
Venom-derived pain-causing toxins: insights into sensory neuron function and pain mechanisms
Robinson, Samuel D., Deuis, Jennifer R., Klasfauseweh, Tabea, Schendel, Vanessa and Vetter, Irina (2022). Venom-derived pain-causing toxins: insights into sensory neuron function and pain mechanisms. Pain, 163 (S1), S46-S56. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002701
2022
Journal Article
µ-Conotoxins targeting the human voltage-gated sodium channel subtype NaV1.7
McMahon, Kirsten L., Tran, Hue N. T., Deuis, Jennifer R., Craik, David J., Vetter, Irina and Schroeder, Christina I. (2022). µ-Conotoxins targeting the human voltage-gated sodium channel subtype NaV1.7. Toxins, 14 (9) 600, 1-16. doi: 10.3390/toxins14090600
2022
Journal Article
Neurotoxic and cytotoxic peptides underlie the painful stings of the tree nettle Urtica ferox
Xie, Jing, Robinson, Samuel D., Gilding, Edward K., Jami, Sina, Deuis, Jennifer R., Rehm, Fabian B.H., Yap, Kuok, Ragnarsson, Lotten, Chan, Lai Yue, Hamilton, Brett R., Harvey, Peta J., Craik, David J., Vetter, Irina and Durek, Thomas (2022). Neurotoxic and cytotoxic peptides underlie the painful stings of the tree nettle Urtica ferox. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 298 (8) 102218, 1-12. doi: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102218
2022
Journal Article
Low potency inhibition of NaV1.7 by externally applied QX-314 via a depolarizing shift in the voltage-dependence of activation
Klasfauseweh, Tabea, Israel, Mathilde R., Ragnarsson, Lotten, Cox, James J., Durek, Thomas, Carter, David A., Leffler, Andreas, Vetter, Irina and Deuis, Jennifer R. (2022). Low potency inhibition of NaV1.7 by externally applied QX-314 via a depolarizing shift in the voltage-dependence of activation. European Journal of Pharmacology, 925 175013, 175013. doi: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2022.175013
2022
Journal Article
Structural and functional insights into inhibition of human voltage-gated sodium channels by μ‐conotoxin KIIIA disulfide isomers
Tran, Hue N. T., McMahon, Kirsten L., Deuis, Jennifer R., Vetter, Irina and Schroeder, Christina I. (2022). Structural and functional insights into inhibition of human voltage-gated sodium channels by μ‐conotoxin KIIIA disulfide isomers. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 298 (3) 101728, 1-13. doi: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.101728
2022
Journal Article
The tarantula venom peptide Eo1a binds to the domain II S3-S4 extracellular loop of voltage-gated sodium channel NaV1.8 to enhance activation
Deuis, Jennifer R., Ragnarsson, Lotten, Robinson, Samuel D., Dekan, Zoltan, Chan, Lerena, Jin, Ai-Hua, Tran, Poanna, McMahon, Kirsten L., Li, Shengnan, Wood, John N., Cox, James J., King, Glenn F., Herzig, Volker and Vetter, Irina (2022). The tarantula venom peptide Eo1a binds to the domain II S3-S4 extracellular loop of voltage-gated sodium channel NaV1.8 to enhance activation. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 12 789570, 789570. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2021.789570
Funding
Past funding
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Jennifer Deuis is:
- Available for supervision
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Supervision history
Current supervision
-
Doctor Philosophy
Using toxins as tools to understand sodium channel structure and function
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Irina Vetter
-
Doctor Philosophy
Understanding the function of sodium channel accessory proteins to develop new treatments for chronic pain
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Mehdi Mobli, Professor Irina Vetter
-
Doctor Philosophy
Investigating ion channel function and pathology using toxins as tools
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Angelo Keramidas, Professor Irina Vetter
-
Doctor Philosophy
Structure and function of ion channels in pain pathways: a toxin perspective
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Irina Vetter
-
Doctor Philosophy
Identification and characterisation of new pain-causing toxins from animal venoms
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Irina Vetter, Dr Sam Robinson
-
Master Philosophy
Using peptide toxins to understand the nociceptor signallosome
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Irina Vetter
Completed supervision
-
2023
Doctor Philosophy
Probing the mechanisms underlying physiological and pathological neuronal excitability
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Irina Vetter
-
2021
Doctor Philosophy
Development of a high-throughput pipeline for the discovery of NaV1.9 modulators from animal venoms
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Irina Vetter
-
2020
Doctor Philosophy
Engineering an optimized analgesic from the NaV1.7 selective spider venom peptide Pn3a
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Mehdi Mobli, Professor Irina Vetter
Media
Enquiries
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