Image of Dr Andrias O'Reilly

Dr Andrias O'Reilly

School of Biological and Environmental Sciences

Faculty of Science

I investigate the structure and function of ion channel membrane proteins and study how they interact with drugs, toxins and environmental pollutants. I am particularly interested in voltage-gated sodium channels and my research focuses on (i) characterising receptor sites on sodium channels that bind insecticidal compounds and (ii) understanding how mutations of sodium channels can produce human pain disorders. I also clone, express and purify small-peptide neurotoxins from scorpions, spiders and other venomous creatures, as these molecules represent excellent pharmacology probes and have enormous potential as lead compounds for novel therapeutics and insecticides.


TEACHING

Module leader: 6211NATSCI Neurobiology

3401FNDSCI Skills and Perspectives in Science 1
3406FNDSCI Anatomy and Physiology
4104BCBMOL Physiological Biochemistry
4204NATSCI Practical Skills in Zoology
4211NATSCI Physiology
5111BCBMOL Synthetic Biology & Bioengineering 1
5212NATSCI Physiology of Life
5214NATSCI Developmental Biology
5215NATSCI Comparative Animal Physiology
5216NATSCI Brain, Hormones and Behaviour
6107BCBMOL Synthetic Biology and Bioengineering 2
6109BCBMOL Recombinant Proteins
6201NATSCI Research Project
6202NATSCI Health & Disease
6203NATSCI Application of Genetics in Health and Disease
6207NATSCI Current Topics in Zoology
7100BRAIN Somatosensory Systems
7108BTBMOL Advanced Topics in Biotechnology
7109BTBMOL Research Project in Biotechnology

Degrees

2016, Liverpool John Moores University, United Kingdom, PGCert
2005, Birkbeck College, University of London, United Kingdom, PhD
1999, Birkbeck College, University of London, United Kingdom, MSc
1998, Queen's University of Belfast, Northern Ireland, BSc

Academic appointments

Lecturer / Senior Lecturer of Neurobiology, School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, 2014 - present
Marie Curie Research Fellow, Institut für Physiologie und Pathophysiologie, 2011 - 2014
Post-doctoral Researcher, Department of Crystallography, Birkbeck College, University of London, 2007 - 2011
Post-doctoral Researcher, Biological Chemistry Division, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, 2005 - 2007
Research Assistant, Computational Genome Analysis Lab, Imperial Cancer Research Fund, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, 1999 - 2000

Highlighted publications

O'Reilly AO, Williamson MS, Gonzalez-Cabrera J, Turberg A, Field LM, Wallace BA, Davies TGE. 2014. Predictive 3D modelling of the interactions of pyrethroids with the voltage-gated sodium channels of ticks and mites PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE, 70 :369-377 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

O'Reilly AO, Cole AR, Lopes JLS, Lampert A, Wallace BA. 2014. Chaperone-mediated native folding of a beta-scorpion toxin in the periplasm of Escherichia coli BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-GENERAL SUBJECTS, 1840 :10-15 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

O'Reilly AO, Eberhardt E, Weidner C, Alzheimer C, Wallace BA, Lampert A. 2012. Bisphenol A Binds to the Local Anesthetic Receptor Site to Block the Human Cardiac Sodium Channel PLoS ONE, 7 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Lampert A, O'Reilly AO, Reeh P, Leffler A. 2010. Sodium channelopathies and pain PFLUGERS ARCHIV-EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY, 460 :249-263 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

O'Reilly AO, Khambay BPS, Williamson MS, Field LM, Wallace BA, Davies TGE. 2006. Modelling insecticide-binding sites in the voltage-gated sodium channel BIOCHEMICAL JOURNAL, 396 :255-263 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Journal article

Yin C, O'Reilly AO, Liu S-N, Du T-H, Gong P-P, Zhang C-J, Wei X-G, Yang J, Huang M-J, Fu B-L, Liang J-J, Xue H, Hu J-Y, Ji Y, He C, Du H, Wang C, Zhang R, Tan Q-M, Lu H-T, Xie W, Chu D, Zhou X-G, Nauen R, Gui L-Y, Bass C, Yang X, Zhang Y-J. 2024. Dual mutations in the whitefly nicotinic acetylcholine receptor β1 subunit confer target-site resistance to multiple neonicotinoid insecticides Copenhaver GP. PLoS Genetics, 20 :e1011163 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Pan D, Xia M, Li C, Liu X, Archdeacon L, O’Reilly AO, Yuan G, Wang J, Dou W. 2023. CYP4CL2 Confers Metabolic Resistance to Pyridaben in the Citrus Pest Mite Panonychus citri Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 71 :19465-19474 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Pan D, Luo Q-J, O Reilly AO, Yuan G-R, Wang J-J, Dou W. 2023. Mutations of voltage-gated sodium channel contribute to pyrethroid resistance in Panonychus citri Insect science, :1-14 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Trissi N, Troczka BJ, Ozsanlav-Harris L, Singh KS, Mallott M, Aishwarya V, O'Reilly A, Bass C, Wilding CS. 2023. Differential regulation of the Tor gene homolog drives the red/green pigmentation phenotype in the aphid Myzus persicae. Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 153 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Duarte A, Pym A, Garrood WT, Troczka BJ, Zimmer CT, Davies TGE, Nauen R, O'Reilly AO, Bass C. 2022. P450 gene duplication and divergence led to the evolution of dual novel functions and insecticide cross-resistance in the brown planthopper Nilaparvata lugens. PLoS Genetics, 18 :e1010279 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Shi Y, Sun S, Zhang Y, He Y, Du M, ÓReilly AO, Wu S, Yang Y, Wu Y. 2022. Single amino acid variations drive functional divergence of cytochrome P450s in Helicoverpa species Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 146 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

D'Avanzo N, Miles AJ, Powl AM, Nichols CG, Wallace BA, O'Reilly AO. 2022. The T1-tetramerisation domain of Kv1.2 rescues expression and preserves function of a truncated NaChBac sodium channel FEBS Letters, DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Clarkson CS, Miles A, Harding NJ, O'Reilly AO, Weetman D, Kwiatkowski D, Donnelly MJ, Anopheles gambiae 1000 Genomes Consortium . 2021. The genetic architecture of target-site resistance to pyrethroid insecticides in the African malaria vectors Anopheles gambiae and Anopheles coluzzii. Molecular Ecology, DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Shi Y, O'Reilly AO, Sun S, Qu Q, Yang Y, Wu Y. 2020. Roles of the variable P450 substrate recognition sites SRS1 and SRS6 in esfenvalerate metabolism by CYP6AE subfamily enzymes in Helicoverpa armigera Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 127 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Thull S, Neacsu C, O'Reilly AO, Bothe S, Hausmann R, Huth T, Meents J, Lampert A. 2020. Dataset of electrophysiological patch-clamp recordings of the effect of the compounds deltamethrin, ATx-II and β4-peptide on human cardiac Nav1.5 sodium channel gating properties Data in Brief, 31 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Thull S, Neacsu C, O'Reilly AO, Bothe S, Hausmann R, Huth T, Meents J, Lampert A. 2020. Mechanism underlying hooked resurgent-like tail currents induced by an insecticide in human cardiac Nav1.5 Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology, 397 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Grau-Bové X, Tomlinson S, O'Reilly AO, Harding NJ, Miles A, Kwiatkowski D, Donnelly MJ, Weetman D, Anopheles gambiae 1000 Genomes Consortium . 2020. Evolution of the insecticide target Rdl in African Anopheles is driven by interspecific and interkaryotypic introgression. Molecular Biology & Evolution, 37 :2900-2917 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

O'Reilly AO, Hofmann G, Mettke-Hofmann C. 2019. Gouldian finches are followers with black-headed females taking the lead PLoS One, 14 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Samantsidis GR, O'Reilly AO, Douris V, Vontas J. 2019. Functional validation of target-site resistance mutations against sodium channel blocker insecticides (SCBIs) via molecular modeling and genome engineering in Drosophila Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 104 :73-81 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Wang X, O'Reilly AO, Williamson MS, Puinean AM, Yang Y, Wu S, Wu Y. 2018. Function and pharmacology of glutamate-gated chloride channel exon 9 splice variants from the diamondback moth Plutella xylostella INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY, 104 :58-64 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Kist AM, Lampert A, O'Reilly AO. 2018. DIsulfide Mapping PLanner Software Tool Journal of Computaional Biology, 25 :430-434 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Harms E, Stoetzer C, Stueber T, O'Reilly AO, Leffler A. 2017. Investigation into the role of an extracellular loop in mediating proton-evoked inhibition of voltage-gated sodium channels Neuroscience Letters, 661 :5-10 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Field LM, Davies TGE, O'Reilly AO, Williamson MS, Wallace BA. 2017. Voltage-gated sodium channels as targets for pyrethroid insecticides European Biophysics Journal, 46 :675-679 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

O'Reilly AO, Lattrell A, Miles AJ, Klinger AB, Nau C, Wallace BA, Lampert A. 2017. Mutagenesis of the NaChBac sodium channel discloses a functional role for a conserved S6 asparagine European Biophysics Journal, 46 :665-674 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Wang X, Puinean AM, O'Reilly AO, Williamson MS, Smelt CLC, Millar NS, Wu Y. 2017. Mutations on M3 helix of Plutella xylostella glutamate-gated chloride channel confer unequal resistance to abamectin by two different mechanisms Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 86 :50-57 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Maile CA, Hingst JR, Mahalingan KK, O'Reilly AO, Cleasby ME, Mickelson JR, McCue ME, Anderson SM, Hurley TD, Wojtaszewski JFP, Piercy RJ. 2017. A highly prevalent equine glycogen storage disease is explained by constitutive activation of a mutant glycogen synthase Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - General Subjects, 1861 :3388-3398 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Hampl M, Eberhardt E, O'Reilly AO, Lampert A. 2016. Sodium channel slow inactivation interferes with open channel block Scientific Reports, 6 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Wang X, Wang R, Yang Y, Wu S, O'Reilly AO, Wu Y. 2016. A point mutation in the glutamate-gated chloride channel of Plutella xylostella is associated with resistance to abamectin INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY, 25 :116-125 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Stadler T, O'Reilly AO, Lampert A. 2015. Erythromelalgia Mutation Q875E Stabilizes the Activated State of Sodium Channel Nav1.7 JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY, 290 :6316-6325 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Amey JS, O'Reilly AO, Burton MJ, Puinean AM, Mellor IR, Duce IR, Field LM, Wallace BA, Williamson MS, Davies TGE. 2015. An evolutionarily-unique heterodimeric voltage-gated cation channel found in aphids FEBS LETTERS, 589 :598-607 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

O'Reilly AO, Williamson MS, Gonzalez-Cabrera J, Turberg A, Field LM, Wallace BA, Davies TGE. 2014. Predictive 3D modelling of the interactions of pyrethroids with the voltage-gated sodium channels of ticks and mites PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE, 70 :369-377 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Eberhardt M, Nakajima J, Klinger AB, Neacsu C, Huehne K, O'Reilly AO, Kist AM, Lampe AK, Fischer K, Gibson J, Nau C, Winterpacht A, Lampert A. 2014. Inherited Pain SODIUM CHANNEL NAV1.7 A1632T MUTATION CAUSES ERYTHROMELALGIA DUE TO A SHIFT OF FAST INACTIVATION JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY, 289 :1971-1980 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

O'Reilly AO, Cole AR, Lopes JLS, Lampert A, Wallace BA. 2014. Chaperone-mediated native folding of a beta-scorpion toxin in the periplasm of Escherichia coli BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-GENERAL SUBJECTS, 1840 :10-15 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Schulze V, Stoetzer C, O'Reilly AO, Eberhardt E, Foadi N, Ahrens J, Wegner F, Lampert A, de la Roche J, Leffler A. 2014. The opioid methadone induces a local anaesthetic-like inhibition of the cardiac Na+ channel, Na(v)1.5 BRITISH JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY, 171 :427-437 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

O'Reilly AO, Eberhardt E, Weidner C, Alzheimer C, Wallace BA, Lampert A. 2012. Bisphenol A Binds to the Local Anesthetic Receptor Site to Block the Human Cardiac Sodium Channel PLoS ONE, 7 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Erdmanis L, O'Reilly AO, Williamson MS, Field LM, Turberg A, Wallace BA. 2012. Association of Neonicotinoid Insensitivity with a Conserved Residue in the Loop D Binding Region of the Tick Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor BIOCHEMISTRY, 51 :4627-4629 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Amey JS, Burton MJ, O'Reilly AO, Williamson MS, Mellor IR, Wallace BA, Field LM, Davies TGE. 2011. Molecular Characterisation of the Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel from Aphids BIOPHYSICAL JOURNAL, 100 :425-425 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

O'Reilly AO, Powl AM, Wallace BA. 2011. An Alternative Tetramerisation Domain Restores Expression of the NAChBac Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel BIOPHYSICAL JOURNAL, 100 :422-423 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Powl AM, O'Reilly AO, Miles AJ, Wallace BA. 2010. Synchrotron radiation circular dichroism spectroscopy-defined structure of the C-terminal domain of NaChBac and its role in channel assembly PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 107 :14064-14069 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Lampert A, O'Reilly AO, Reeh P, Leffler A. 2010. Sodium channelopathies and pain PFLUGERS ARCHIV-EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY, 460 :249-263 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Charalambous K, O'Reilly AO, Bullough PA, Wallace BA. 2009. Thermal and chemical unfolding and refolding of a eukaryotic sodium channel BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES, 1788 :1279-1286 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

O'Reilly AO, Davies TGE, Usherwood PNR, Mellor IR, Williamson MS, Field LM, Wallace BA. 2009. Insecticide Binding to Voltage-gated Sodium Channels BIOPHYSICAL JOURNAL, 96 :14A-14A DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Davies TGE, O'Reilly AO, Field LM, Wallace BA, Williamson MS. 2008. Knockdown resistance to DDT and pyrethroids: from target-site mutations to molecular modelling PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE, 64 :1126-1130 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Lampert A, O'Reilly AO, Dib-Hajj SD, Tyrrell L, Wallace BA, Waxman SG. 2008. A pore-blocking hydrophobic motif at the cytoplasmic aperture of the closed-state Na(v)1.7 channel is disrupted by the erythromelalgia-associated F1449V mutation JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY, 283 :24118-24127 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Nurani G, Radford M, Charalambous K, O'Reilly AO, Cronin NB, Haque S, Wallace BA. 2008. Tetrameric bacterial sodium channels: Characterization of structure, stability, and drug binding BIOCHEMISTRY, 47 :8114-8121 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

O'Reilly AO, Charalambous K, Nurani G, Powl AM, Wallace BA. 2008. G219S mutagenesis as a means of stabilizing conformational flexibility in the bacterial sodium channel NaChBac MOLECULAR MEMBRANE BIOLOGY, 25 :670-676 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Usherwood PNR, Davies TGE, Mellor IR, O'Reilly AO, Peng F, Vais H, Khambay BPS, Field LM, Williamson MS. 2007. Mutations in DIIS5 and the DIIS4-S5 linker of Drosophila melanogaster sodium channel define binding domains for pyrethroids and DDT FEBS LETTERS, 581 :5485-5492 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Bendahhou S, O'Reilly AO, Duclohier H. 2007. Role of hydrophobic residues in the voltage sensors of the voltage-gated sodium channel BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES, 1768 :1440-1447 DOI Author Url

O'Reilly AO, Khambay BPS, Williamson MS, Field LM, Wallace BA, Davies TGE. 2006. Modelling insecticide-binding sites in the voltage-gated sodium channel BIOCHEMICAL JOURNAL, 396 :255-263 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Cronin NB, O'Reilly A, Duclohier H, Wallace BA. 2005. Effects of deglycosylation of sodium channels on their structure and function BIOCHEMISTRY, 44 :441-449 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

O'Reilly AO, Wallace BA. 2003. The peptaibol antiamoebin as a model ion channel: Similarities to bacterial potassium channels JOURNAL OF PEPTIDE SCIENCE, 9 :769-775 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Cronin NB, O'Reilly A, Duclohier H, Wallace BA. 2003. Binding of the anticonvulsant drug lamotrigine and the neurotoxin batrachotoxin to voltage-gated sodium channels induces conformational changes associated with block and steady-state activation JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY, 278 :10675-10682 DOI Author Url Publisher Url

O'Reilly AO. Role of hydrophobic residues in the voltage sensors of the voltage-gated sodium channel. Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta, DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Grau-Bové X, Tomlinson S, O’Reilly AO, Harding NJ, Miles A, Kwiatkowski D, Donnelly MJ, Weetman D. Evolution of the insecticide targetRdlin AfricanAnophelesis driven by interspecific and interkaryotypic introgression Molecular Biology and Evolution, DOI Publisher Url

Conference publication

Thull S, Naecsu C, O'Reilly A, Huth T, Meents J, Lampert A. 2016. Pyrethroid insecticide induces resurgent-like currents in human sodium channel Nav1.5 ACTA PHYSIOLOGICA, 216 Author Url

O'Reilly AO, Cole AR, Lampert A, Wallace BA. 2013. Functional Expression of a beta-Scorpion Toxin in the E. Coli Periplasm: A Tool for Exploring Sodium Channel/Ligand Interactions BIOPHYSICAL JOURNAL, 57th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical-Society 104 :401A-401A DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Lampert A, O'Reilly A, Eberhardt E. 2013. Mutagenesis Studies Investigating Slow Inactivation of Sodium Channel Nav1.6 BIOPHYSICAL JOURNAL, 57th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical-Society 104 :134A-135A DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Amey JS, Burton MJ, O'Reilly A, Williamson MS, Mellor IR, Wallace BA, Field LM, Davies TGE. 2011. Molecular Characterisation of the Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel from Aphids Biophysical Journal, Biophysical Society 55th Annual Meeting 100 :425-425

Lampert A, O'Reilly AO, Wallace BA, Alzheimer C. 2010. From Plastic-Bottle-Toxin to Sodium Channel Blocker: A New Role for Bisphenol A BIOPHYSICAL JOURNAL, 98 :114A-114A DOI Author Url Publisher Url

O'Reilly AO, Charalambous K, Nurani G, Wallace BA. 2009. Design, Production and Characterisation of a Thermally-stable Mutant of the Bacterial Voltage Gated Sodium Channel Nachbac BIOPHYSICAL JOURNAL, 96 :253A-253A DOI Author Url Publisher Url

O'Reilly A, Davies TGE, Usherwood PNR, Mellor IR, Williamson MS, Field LM, Wallace BA. Insecticide Binding to Voltage-gated Sodium Channels Biophysical Journal, Biophysical Society 53rd Annual Meeting 96 :14A-14A DOI

O'Reilly A, Powl AM, Wallace BA. An Alternative Tetramerisation Domain Restores Expression of the NaChBac Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel Biophysical Journal, Biophysical Society 55th Annual Meeting 100 :422-423

Chapters

Wallace BA, Snook CF, Duclohier H, O'Reilly AO. 2000. Antiamoebin: A polypeptide ion carrier and channel Fields GB, Tam JP, Barany G. :733-735 SPRINGER DOI Author Url Publisher Url

Research Grants Awarded:

Medical Research Council, A Functional Analysis of Resistance to Pyrethroid Insecticides in the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae, Dr Tony Nolan (PI), Prof Martin Donnelly and Dr Linda Grigoraki at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Grant value (£): 1,034,517, Duration of research project: 3 years. 2022

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