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Charlotte Billington

Research Fellow, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences

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Research Summary

My major research interests are based in signalling networks in human airway smooth muscle (hASM) within the context of airway disease. I am particularly interested in G-protein coupled… read more

Recent Publications

Current Research

My major research interests are based in signalling networks in human airway smooth muscle (hASM) within the context of airway disease. I am particularly interested in G-protein coupled receptor-mediated signalling as described in my review co-authored with Prof. Raymond Penn (2nd most highly accessed Respiratory Research journal article of all time with >34,000 accesses; Res. Res. 2003, (4), 2).

Over the past 3 years I have increasingly used fluorescent probes / tagged proteins coupled with high speed confocal microscopy to investigate both contractile and relaxant signalling pathways in hASM cells. This allows temporal, spatial and pharmacological effects to be both visualised and quantified at the single cell level. My current body of work utilises fluorescent-tagged proteins to investigate pro-contractile signalling via store-operated calcium channels in hASM cells.

In the Therapeutics and Molecular Medicine Imaging Suite I oversee training and usage of a Spinning Disk Confocal Microscope. In addition to its standard confocal capabilities, the spinning disk (unlike commonly used laser scanning microscopes) is particulary well suited to real time Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET). Particularly when both fluorophores are present on the same molecule, FRET-based emission ratio imaging can be easily quantified in real time in live cells. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you are interested in using this equipment (charlotte.billington@nottingham.ac.uk).

Past Research

Prior to re-joining Prof. Hall's group in August 2003, I worked as a post-doctoral fellow in Prof. Ray Penn / Prof. Jeff Benovic's laboratory in Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, USA, a position I took up immediately following graduation in July 2001. Whilst in the US I investigated the observation that chronically exposing human airway smooth muscle (hASM) cells to epidermal growth factor (EGF) and thrombin (both potent mitogens) results in a synergistic increase in hASM growth. This is highly relevant as hASM cell hyperplasia and hypertrophy are key factors in the airway remodelling observed in patients with chronic asthma. Artwork I produced showing receptor signalling was chosen for a cover of the American Thoracic Society's journal for respiratory research (American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology) and was also used in 2002 and 2003 to advertise the journal at the American Thoracic Society's International Conference attended by ~ 15 000 delegates.

Due to Prof. Penn securing a new position within Thomas Jefferson University in July 2002, I was very fortunate in spending one year working closely with Prof. Jeff Benovic and his group surrounded by highly-focused, high quality basic science and one year in the Dept. Pulmonary Medicine being exposed to cellular and clinical research with airway disease being the unifying bond. In addition to developing many new skills and improving upon previously learnt techniques, I benefited enormously from interacting with many excellent international scientists with whom I continue to converse and collaborate.

  • BILLINGTON CK and HALL IP, 2011. Novel Cyclic Amp Signalling Paradigms: Therapeutic Implications For Airway Disease. British Journal Of Pharmacology. (In Press.)
  • SINGH, SHAILENDRA R, BILLINGTON, CHARLOTTE K, SAYERS, IAN and HALL, IAN P, 2010. Can lineage specific markers be identified to characterize mesenchyme-derived cell populations in the human airways? American journal of physiology. Lung cellular and molecular physiology.
  • SAYERS,, HAWLEY,, STEWART,, BILLINGTON,, HENRY,, LEIGHTON-DAVIES,, CHARLTON, and HALL,, 2009. Pharmacogenetic characterization of indacaterol, a novel beta(2)-adrenoceptor agonist. British journal of pharmacology.
  • BILLINGTON, CHARLOTTE K, LE JEUNE, IVAN R, YOUNG, KENNETH W and HALL, IAN P, 2008. A major functional role for phosphodiesterase 4D5 in human airway smooth muscle cells. American journal of respiratory cell and molecular biology. 38(1), 1-7
  • KONG, KOK CHOI, BILLINGTON, CHARLOTTE K, GANDHI, UMA, PANETTIERI, REYNOLD A and PENN, RAYMOND B, 2006. Cooperative mitogenic signaling by G protein-coupled receptors and growth factors is dependent on G(q/11). FASEB Journal. 20(9), 1558-60
  • BILLINGTON, CHARLOTTE K, KONG, KOK C, BHATTACHARYYA, RAJA, WEDEGAERTNER, PHILIP B, PANETTIERI, REYNOLD A, CHAN, TUNG O and PENN, RAYMOND B, 2005. Cooperative regulation of p70S6 kinase by receptor tyrosine kinases and G protein-coupled receptors augments airway smooth muscle growth. Biochemistry. 44(44), 14595-605
  • NAIK, S., BILLINGTON, C. K., PASCUAL, R. M., DESHPANDE, D. A., STEFANO, F. P., KOHOUT, T. A., ECKMAN, D. M., BENOVIC, J. L. and PENN, R. B., 2005. Regulation of Cysteinyl Leukotriene Type 1 Receptor Internalization and Signaling Journal of Biological Chemistry. VOL 280(NUMB 10), 8722-8732
  • FREYER, A.M., BILLINGTON, C.K., PENN, R.B. and HALL, I.P., 2004. Extracellular matrix modulates β2-adrenergic receptor signaling in human airway smooth muscle cells. American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology. 31(4), 440-445
  • FENECH, ANTHONY G, BILLINGTON, CHARLOTTE K, SWAN, CAROLINE, RICHARDS, SUSAN, HUNTER, THERESE, EBEJER, MARTIN J, FELICE, ALEX E, ELLUL-MICALLEF, ROGER and HALL, IAN P, 2004. Novel polymorphisms influencing transcription of the human CHRM2 gene in airway smooth muscle. American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology. 30(5), 678-86
  • GONCHAROVA, ELENA A, BILLINGTON, CHARLOTTE K, IRANI, CARLA, VOROTNIKOV, ALEXANDER V, TKACHUK, VSEVOLOD A, PENN, RAYMOND B, KRYMSKAYA, VERA P and PANETTIERI, REYNOLD A, 2003. Cyclic AMP-mobilizing agents and glucocorticoids modulate human smooth muscle cell migration. American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology. 29(1), 19-27
  • BILLINGTON, CHARLOTTE K and PENN, RAYMOND B, 2003. Signaling and regulation of G protein-coupled receptors in airway smooth muscle. Respiratory Research. 4, 2
  • BILLINGTON, CHARLOTTE K and PENN, RAYMOND B, 2002. m3 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor regulation in the airway. American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology. 26(3), 269-72
  • PASCUAL, R.M., BILLINGTON, C.K., HALL, I.P., PANETTIERI, R.A., FISH, J.E., PETERS, S.P. and PENN, R.B., 2001. Mechanisms of cytokine effects on G protein-coupled receptor-mediated signaling in airway smooth muscle American Journal of Physiology. Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology. 281(6), L1425-35
  • BILLINGTON, C K, PASCUAL, R M, HAWKINS, M L, PENN, R B and HALL, I P, 2001. Interleukin-1beta and rhinovirus sensitize adenylyl cyclase in human airway smooth-muscle cells. American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology. 24(5), 633-9
  • BILLINGTON, C K, HALL, I P, MUNDELL, S J, PARENT, J L, PANETTIERI, R A, BENOVIC, J L and PENN, R B, 1999. Inflammatory and contractile agents sensitize specific adenylyl cyclase isoforms in human airway smooth muscle. American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology. 21(5), 597-606
  • BILLINGTON, C K, JOSEPH, S K, SWAN, C, SCOTT, M G, JOBSON, T M and HALL, I P, 1999. Modulation of human airway smooth muscle proliferation by type 3 phosphodiesterase inhibition. American Journal of Physiology. 276(3 Pt 1), L412-9
  • JOBSON, T M, BILLINGTON, C K and HALL, I P, 1998. Regulation of proliferation of human colonic subepithelial myofibroblasts by mediators important in intestinal inflammation. Journal of Clinical Investigation. 101(12), 2650-7

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