Background

Dr Ling Juan Wu is a Senior Research Associate and a Research Co-Investigator in the Biosciences Institute f at Newcastle University.

Areas of expertise

• Bacterial genetics, bacterial cell division & chromosome segregation, sporulation, antimicrobial mode-of action, bacterial conjugation. L-form bacteria.
• Cell biology

Google scholar: Click here.

Teaching

Lecture for Master's module Molecular Microbiology (MMB8016)

Supervision of PhD students and Masters and undergraduate project students.

Publications

• Articles

  • Emami K, Banks P, Wu LJ, Errington J. Repurposing drugs with specific activity against L-form bacteria. Frontiers in Microbiology 2023, 14, 1097413.
  • Miguel-Arribas A, Martin-Maria A, Alaerds ECW, Val-Calvo J, Yuste L, Rojo F, Abia D, Wu LJ, Meijer WJJ. Extraordinary long-stem confers resistance of intrinsic terminators to processive antitermination. Nucleic Acids Research 2023, 51(12), 6073-6086.
  • Kepplinger B, Wen X, Tyler AR, Kim BY, Brown J, Banks P, Dashti Y, Mackenzie ES, Wills C, Kawai Y, Waldron KJ, Allenby NEE, Wu LJ, Hall MJ, Errington J. Mirubactin C rescues the lethal effect of cell wall biosynthesis mutations in Bacillus subtilis. Frontiers in Microbiology 2022, 13, 1004737.
  • Dashti Y, Tajabadi FM, Wu LJ, Sumang FA, Escasinas A, Allenby NEE, Errington J. Discovery of Demurilactone A: A Specific Growth Inhibitor of L-Form Bacillus subtilis. ACS Infectious Diseases 2022, 8(11), 2253-2258.
  • Miguel-Arribas A, Wu LJ, Michaelis C, Yoshida K-I, Grohmann E, Meijer WJJ. Conjugation Operons in Gram-Positive Bacteria with and without Antitermination Systems. Microorganisms 2022, 10(3), 587.
  • Roberts DM, Anchimiukb A, Kloostermana TG, Murray H, Wu LJ, Gruber S, Errington J. Chromosome remodelling by SMC/Condensin in B. subtilis is regulated by Soj/ParA during growth and sporulation. Proceedings National Academy of Sciences 2022, 119(41), e2204042119.
  • Jalal ASB, Tran NT, Wu LJ, Ramakrishnan K, Rejzek M, Gobbato G, Stevenson CEM, Lawson DM, Errington J, Le TBK. CTP regulates membrane-binding activity of the nucleoid occlusion protein Noc. Molecular Cell 2021, 81(17), 3623-3636.e6.
  • Zhao Y, Zang G, Yin T, Ma X, Zhou L, Wu L, Daniel R, Wang Y, Qiu J, Wang G. A novel mechanism of inhibiting in-stent restenosis with arsenic trioxide drug-eluting stent: Enhancing contractile phenotype of vascular smooth muscle cells via YAP pathway. Bioactive Materials 2021, 6(2), 375-385.
  • Miguel-Arribas A, Val-Calvo J, Gago-Cordoba C, Izquierdo JM, Abia D, Wu LJ, Errington J, Meijer WJJ. A novel bipartite antitermination system widespread in conjugative elements of Gram-positive bacteria. Nucleic acids research 2021, 49(10), 5553-5567.
  • Gago-Cordoba C, Val-Calvo J, Abia D, Diaz-Talavera A, Miguel-Arribas A, Suarez RA, van Dijl JM, Wu LJ, Meijer WJJ. A Conserved Class II Type Thioester Domain-Containing Adhesin Is Required for Efficient Conjugation in Bacillus subtilis. mBio 2021, 12(2), e00104-21.
  • Wu LJ, Lee S, Park S, Eland LE, Wipat A, Holden S, Errington J. Geometric principles underlying the proliferation of a model cell system. Nature Communications 2020, 11(1), 4149.
  • Li T, Safitri M, Zhang K, Wang Y, Huang L, Zhu Y, Daniel R, Wu LJ, Qiu J, Wang G. Downregulation of G3BP2 reduces atherosclerotic lesions in ApoE–/– mice. Atherosclerosis 2020, 310, 64-74.
  • Willis C, Errington J, Wu LJ. Cohesion of sister chromosome termini during the early stages of sporulation in Bacillus subtilis. Journal of Bacteriology 2020, 202(20).
  • Emami K, Wu LJ, Errington J. A Small Molecule Inhibitor of CTP Synthetase Identified by Differential Activity on a Bacillus subtilis Mutant Deficient in Class A Penicillin-Binding Proteins. Frontiers in Microbiology 2020, 11, 2001.
  • Gago-Cordoba C, Val-Calvo J, Miguel-Arribas A, Serrano E, Singh PK, Abia D, Wu LJ, Meijer WJJ. Surface exclusion revisited: Function Related to Differential Expression of the Surface Exclusion System of Bacillus subtilis Plasmid pLS20. Frontiers in Microbiology 2019, 10, 1502.
  • Lee S, Wu LJ, Errington J. Microfluidic time-lapse analysis and reevaluation of the Bacillus subtilis cell cycle. MicrobiologyOpen 2019, 8(10), e876.
  • Val-Calvo J, Luque-Ortega JR, Crespo I, Miguel-Arribas A, Abia D, Sanchez-Hevia DL, Serrano E, Gago-Cordoba C, Ares S, Alfonso C, Rojo F, Wu LJ, Boer DR, Meijer WJJ. Novel regulatory mechanism of establishment genes of conjugative plasmids. Nucleic Acids Research 2018, 46(22), 11910-11926.
  • Miguel-Arribas A, Hao J-A, Luque-Ortega JR, Ramachandran G, Val-Calvo J, Gago-Cordoba C, Gonzalez-alvarez D, Abia D, Alfonso C, Wu LJ, Meijer WJJ. The Bacillus subtilis conjugative plasmid pLS20 encodes two ribbon-helix-helix type auxiliary relaxosome proteins that are essential for conjugation. Frontiers in Microbiology 2017, 8(NOV).
  • Emami K, Guyet A, Kawai Y, Devi J, Wu LJ, Allenby N, Daniel RA, Errington J. RodA as the missing glycosyltransferase in Bacillus subtilis and antibiotic discovery for the peptidoglycan polymerase pathway. Nature Microbiology 2017, 2, 16253.
  • Ramachandran G, Miguel-Arribas A, Abia D, Singh PK, Crespo I, Gago-Cordoba C, Hao JA, Luque-Ortega JR, Alfonso C, Wu LJ, Boer DR, Meijer WJJ. Discovery of a new family of relaxases in Firmicutes bacteria. PLoS Genetics 2017, 13(2), e1006586.
  • Rampley CPN, Davison PA, Qian P, Preston GM, Hunter CN, Thompson IP, Wu LJ, Huang WE. Development of SimCells as a novel chassis for functional biosensors. Scientific Reports 2017, 7(1), 7261.
  • Kloosterman TG, Lenarcic R, Willis CR, Roberts DM, Hamoen LW, Errington J, Wu LJ. Complex polar machinery required for proper chromosome segregation in vegetative and sporulating cells of Bacillus subtilis. Molecular Microbiology 2016, 101(2), 333-350.
  • Adams DW, Wu LJ, Errington J. A benzamide-dependent ftsZ mutant reveals residues crucial for Z-ring assembly. Molecular Microbiology 2016, 99(6), 1028-1042.
  • Adams DW, Wu LJ, Errington J. Nucleoid occlusion protein Noc recruits DNA to the bacterial cell membrane. EMBO Journal 2015, 34(4), 491-501.
  • Kawai Y, Mercier R, Wu LJ, Dominguez-Cuevas P, Oshima T, Errington J. Cell Growth of Wall-Free L-Form Bacteria Is Limited by Oxidative Damage. Current Biology 2015, 25(12), 1613-1618.
  • Ramachandran G, Singh PK, Luque-Ortega JR, Yuste L, Alfonso C, Rojo F, Wu LJ, Meijer WJJ. A Complex Genetic Switch Involving Overlapping Divergent Promoters and DNA Looping Regulates Expression of Conjugation Genes of a Gram-positive Plasmid. PLOS Genetics 2014, 10(10), 1004733.
  • Singh PK, Ramachandran G, Ramos-Ruiz R, Peiro-Pastor R, Abia D, Wu LJ, Meijer WJJ. Mobility of the Native Bacillus subtilis Conjugative Plasmid pLS20 Is Regulated by Intercellular Signaling. PLoS Genetics 2013, 9(10), e1003892.
  • Singh PK, Ramachandran G, Duran-Alcalde L, Alonso C, Wu LJ, Meijer WJJ. Inhibition of Bacillus subtilis natural competence by a native, conjugative plasmid-encoded comK repressor protein. Environmental Microbiology 2012, 14(10), 2812-2825.
  • Adams DW, Wu LJ, Czaplewski LG, Errington J. Multiple effects of benzamide antibiotics on FtsZ function. Molecular Microbiology 2011, 80(1), 68-84.
  • Wu LJ, Ishikawa S, Kawai Y, Oshima T, Ogasawara N, Errington J. Noc protein binds to specific DNA sequences to coordinate cell division with chromosome segregation. EMBO Journal 2009, 28(13), 1940-1952.
  • Lenarcic R, Halbedel S, Visser L, Shaw M, Wu LJ, Errington J, Marenduzzo D, Hamoen LW. Localisation of DivIVA by targeting to negatively curved membranes. EMBO Journal 2009, 28(15), 2272-2282.
  • Eberhardt A, Wu LJ, Errington J, Vollmer W, Veening J-W. Cellular localization of choline-utilization proteins in Streptococcus pneumoniae using novel fluorescent reporter systems. Molecular Microbiology 2009, 74(2), 395-408.
  • Meile J-C, Wu LJ, Ehrlich SD, Errington J, Noirot P. Systematic localisation of proteins fused to the green fluorescent protein in Bacillus subtilis: identification of new proteins at the DNA replication factory. Proteomics 2006, 6(7), 2135-2146.
  • Errington J, Murray H, Wu LJ. Diversity and redundancy in bacterial chromosome segregation mechanisms. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 2005, 360(1455), 497-505.
  • Wu LJ. Structure and segregation of the bacterial nucleoid. Current Opinion in Genetics & Development 2004, 14(2), 126-132.
  • Wu LJ, Errington J. Coordination of Cell Division and Chromosome Segregation by a Nucleoid Occlusion Protein in Bacillus subtilis. Cell 2004, 117(7), 915-925.
  • Wu LJ, Errington J. RacA and the Soj-Spo0J system combine to effect polar chromosome segregation in sporulating Bacillus subtilis. Molecular Microbiology 2003, 49(6), 1463-1475.
  • Noirot-Gros MF, Dervyn E, Wu LJ, Mervelet P, Errington J, Ehrlich SD, Noirot P. An expanded view of bacterial DNA replication. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2002, 99(12), 8342-8347.
  • Wu LJ, Errington J. A large dispersed chromosomal region required for chromosome segregation in sporulating cells of Bacillus subtilis. EMBO Journal 2002, 21(15), 4001-4011.
  • Errington J, Bath J, Wu LJ. Bacterial DNA transport. Nature Reviews Molecular Cellular Biology 2001, 2(7), 538-545.
  • Bath J, Wu LJ, Errington J, Wang JC. Role of Bacillus subtilis SpoIIIE in DNA transport across the mother cell-prespore division septum. Science 2000, 290(5493), 995-997.
  • Wu LJ, Errington J. Identification and characterization of a new prespore-specific regulatory gene, rsfA, of Bacillus subtilis. Journal of Bacteriology 2000, 182(2), 418-424.
  • Wu LJ, Errington J. Use of asymmetric cell division and spoIIIE mutants to probe chromosome orientation and organization in Bacillus subtilis. Molecular Microbiology 1998, 27(4), 777-786.
  • Wu LJ, Feucht A, Errington J. Prespore-specific gene expression in Bacillus subtilis is driven by sequestration of SpoIIE phosphatase to the prespore side of the asymmetric septum. Genes and Development 1998, 12(9), 1371-1380.
  • Lewis PJ, Wu LJ, Errington J. Establisment of prespore-specific gene expression in Bacillus subtilis: localisation of SpoIIE phosphatase and initiation of compartment-specific proteolysis. Journal of Bacteriology 1998, 180(13), 3276-3284.
  • Wu LJ, Errington J. Septal localization of the SpoIIIE chromosome partitioning protein in Bacillus subtilis. EMBO Journal 1997, 16(8), 2161-2169.
  • Wu LJ, Lewis PJ, Allmansberger R, Hauser PM, Errington J. A conjugation-like mechanism for prespore chromosome partitioning during sporulation in Bacillus subtilis. Genes and Development 1995, 9(11), 1316-1326.
  • Wu LJ, Errington J. Bacillus subtilis SpoIIIE protein required for DNA segregation during asymmetric cell division. Science 1994, 264(5158), 572-575.

• Book Chapters

  • Errington J, Wu LJ. Cell cycle machinery in Bacillus subtilis. In: Lowe J; Amos LA, ed. Prokaryotic Cytoskeletons. Springer New York, 2017, pp.67-101.
  • Eland LE, Wipat A, Lee S, Park S, Wu LJ. Microfluidics for bacterial imaging. In: Harwood, C, ed. Methods in Microbiology. London, UK: Elsevier, 2016, pp.69-111.

• Conference Proceedings (inc. Abstract)

  • Errington J, Daniel RA, Feucht A, Lewis PJ, Wu LJ. Regulation of prespore-specific transcription during sporulation in Bacillus subtilis. In: Molecular Microbiology. 1998, Birmingham, UK: Berlin Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag.

• Editorial

  • Wu LJ. It takes two DNA translocases to untangle chromosomes from the division septum. Molecular Microbiology 2009, 74(4), 773-776.

• Notes

  • Zhao Y, Zang G, Yin T, Ma X, Zhou L, Wu L, Daniel R, Wang Y, Qiu J, Wang G. Corrigendum to “A novel mechanism of inhibiting in-stent restenosis with arsenic trioxide drug-eluting stent: Enhancing contractile phenotype of vascular smooth muscle cells via YAP pathway” [Bioact. Mater. 6 2 (February 2021) 375–385]. Bioactive Materials 2022, 8, 574.
  • Wu LJ, Errington J. Cell biology: DNA versus membrane. Nature 2008, 451(7181), 900-901.

• Reviews

  • Errington J, Mickiewicz K, Kawai Y, Wu LJ. L-form bacteria, chronic diseases and the origins of life. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 2016, 371(1707).
  • Adams DW, Wu LJ, Errington J. Cell cycle regulation by the bacterial nucleoid. Current Opinion in Microbiology 2014, 22, 94-101.
  • Wu LJ, Errington J. Nucleoid occlusion and bacterial cell division. Nature Reviews Microbiology 2012, 10(1), 8-12.