Research Interests
Biochemistry and Cell Biology Brain Cancer Cell Biology Cellular Nervous System Gene Expression Protein Trafficking Proteins and Peptides Proteomics and Intermolecular Interactions Receptors and Membrane Biology Genomics and transcriptomics Bioinformatics and computational biology Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Molecular TargetsAPrf Pirjo Apaja
School of Biological Sciences
College of Sciences
A/Prof Apaja is a principal investigator of Organelle Proteostasis Diseases laboratory in Molecular and Cellular Sciences and SA Health and Medical Research Institute,Conditions such as inflammation and cell stress insults cause a short or long-term dysbalance in protein homeostasis (proteostasis) reflecting their impact across complex cell regulatory layers.The research is focused on finding ways to reprogram proteostasis stress and inflammation pathways in human diseases, specifically through post-translational signalling and proteostasis responses.The focus is on decoding proteostasis network alteration and their impact across cell regulatory layers, and key post-translational modification signals in inflammation-related diseases, specifically connected to membrane organelle/protein targets in cancer, and brain diseases.The research combines screenings, multi-omics, computational modelling and protein networks into testing of targeted compounds, and membrane organelles with biochemical/molecular assays in disease models.
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Ben, W. B., & Pirjo, A. M. (2025). ATG8 in single membranes: Fresh players of endocytosis and acidic organelle quality control in cancer, neurodegeneration, and inflammation. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 749, 8 pages. WoS1 |
| 2025 | Wang, B. B., & Apaja, P. M. (2025). Corrigendum to “ATG8 in single membranes: Fresh players of endocytosis and acidic organelle quality control in cancer, neurodegeneration, and inflammation” [Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 749 (2025) 151384] (Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications (2025) 749, (S0006291X25000981), (10.1016/j.bbrc.2025.151384)). Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 755, 1 page. |
| 2023 | Rashidieh, B., Bain, A. L., Tria, S. M., Sharma, S., Stewart, C. A., Simmons, J. L., . . . Khanna, K. K. (2023). Alpha-B-Crystallin overexpression is sufficient to promote tumorigenesis and metastasis in mice. Experimental Hematology & Oncology, 12(1, article no. 4), 1-19. Scopus5 WoS5 Europe PMC5 |
| 2022 | Wang, B. B., Xu, H., Isenmann, S., Huang, C., Elorza-Vidal, X., Rychkov, G. Y., . . . Apaja, P. M. (2022). Ubr1-induced selective endophagy/autophagy protects against the endosomal and Ca²⁺-induced proteostasis disease stress. Cellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS, 79(3), 167-1-167-22. Scopus9 WoS7 Europe PMC9 |
| 2022 | Wang, B. B., & Apaja, P. M. (2022). Reprogramming endo-lysosomal proteostasis disease stress by UBR1- and arginylation-driven endophagy and autophagy protein quality control. Autophagy Reports, 1(1), 260-263. Scopus1 |
| 2021 | Xu, H., Isenmann, S., López-Hernández, T., Estévez, R., Lukacs, G. L., & Apaja, P. M. (2021). Control of membrane protein homeostasis by a chaperone-like glial cell adhesion molecule at multiple subcellular locations.. Scientific Reports, 11(1), 18435-1-18435-17. Scopus8 WoS8 Europe PMC9 |
| 2021 | Kazan, J. M., Desrochers, G., Martin, C. E., Jeong, H., Kharitidi, D., Apaja, P. M., . . . Pause, A. (2021). Endofin is Required for HD-PTP and ESCRT-0 Interdependent Endosomal Sorting of Ubiquitinated Transmembrane Cargoes.. iScience, 24(11), 103274-1-103274-27. Scopus10 WoS10 Europe PMC11 |
| 2019 | Kazan, J. M., Lukacs, G. L., Apaja, P. M., & Pause, A. (2019). Single Cell Fluorescence Ratio Image Analysis for Studying ESCRT Function in Receptor Trafficking. Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.), 1998, 93-103. Scopus5 Europe PMC8 |
| 2018 | Okiyoneda, T., Veit, G., Sakai, R., Aki, M., Fujihara, T., Higashi, M., . . . Lukacs, G. L. (2018). Chaperone-Independent Peripheral Quality Control of CFTR by RFFL E3 Ligase. Developmental Cell, 44(6), 694-708.e7. Scopus62 WoS63 Europe PMC58 |
| 2017 | Bagdany, M., Veit, G., Fukuda, R., Avramescu, R. G., Okiyoneda, T., Baaklini, I., . . . Lukacs, G. L. (2017). Chaperones rescue the energetic landscape of mutant CFTR at single molecule and in cell. Nature Communications, 8(1), 15 pages. Scopus54 WoS56 Europe PMC53 |
| 2017 | Gaitán-Peñas, H., Apaja, P., Arnedo, T., Castellanos, A., Elorza-Vidal, X., Soto, D., . . . Estévez, R. (2017). Leukoencephalopathy-causing CLCN2 mutations are associated with impaired Cl− channel function and trafficking. Journal of Physiology, 595(22), 6993-7008. Scopus31 WoS31 Europe PMC30 |
| 2017 | Hein, L., Apaja, P., Hattersley, K., Grose, R., Xie, J., Proud, C., & Sargeant, T. (2017). A novel fluorescent probe reveals starvation controls the commitment of amyloid precursor protein to the lysosome. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - Molecular Cell Research, 1864(10), 1554-1565. Scopus22 WoS20 Europe PMC21 |
| 2016 | Veit, G., Oliver, K., Apaja, P., Perdomo, D., Bidaud-Meynard, A., Lin, S., . . . Lukacs, G. (2016). Ribosomal stalk protein silencing partially corrects the ΔF508-CFTR functional expression defect. PLoS Biology, 14(5), e1002462-1-e1002462-32. Scopus47 Europe PMC47 |
| 2016 | Veit, G., Oliver, K., Apaja, P. M., Perdomo, D., Bidaud-Meynard, A., Lin, S. -T., . . . Lukacs, G. L. (2016). Ribosomal Stalk Protein Silencing Partially Corrects the ΔF508-CFTR Functional Expression Defect. PLOS BIOLOGY, 14(5), 32 pages. WoS48 |
| 2015 | Kharitidi, D., Apaja, P. M., Manteghi, S., Suzuki, K., Malitskaya, E., Roldan, A., . . . Pause, A. (2015). Interplay of Endosomal pH and Ligand Occupancy in Integrin α5β1 Ubiquitination, Endocytic Sorting, and Cell Migration. Cell Reports, 13(3), 599-609. Scopus53 WoS54 Europe PMC58 |
| 2014 | Veit, G., Avramescu, R. G., Perdomo, D., Phuan, P. W., Bagdany, M., Apaja, P. M., . . . Lukacs, G. L. (2014). Cystic fibrosis: Some gating potentiators, including VX-770, diminish ΔF508-CFTR functional expression. Science Translational Medicine, 6(246), 13 pages. Scopus276 WoS271 Europe PMC245 |
| 2014 | Chu, C. Y., King, J., Berrini, M., Rumley, A. C., Apaja, P. M., Lukacs, G. L., . . . Cordat, E. (2014). Degradation mechanism of a Golgi-retained distal renal tubular acidosis mutant of the kidney anion exchanger 1 in renal cells. American Journal of Physiology - Cell Physiology, 307(3), C296-C307. Scopus13 WoS12 Europe PMC9 |
| 2014 | Apaja, P. M., & Lukacs, G. L. (2014). Protein homeostasis at the plasma membrane. Physiology, 29(4), 265-277. Scopus41 WoS36 Europe PMC34 |
| 2013 | Apaja, P. M., Foo, B., Okiyoneda, T., Valinsky, W. C., Barriere, H., Atanasiu, R., . . . Shrier, A. (2013). Ubiquitination-dependent quality control of hERG K+ channel with acquired and inherited conformational defect at the plasma membrane. Molecular Biology of the Cell, 24(24), 3787-3804. Scopus43 WoS41 Europe PMC44 |
| 2013 | Capdevila-Nortes, X., López-Hernández, T., Apaja, P. M., de Heredia, M. L., Sirisi, S., Callejo, G., . . . Estévez, R. (2013). Insights into MLC pathogenesis: GlialCAM is an MLC1 chaperone required for proper activation of volume-regulated anion currents. Human Molecular Genetics, 22(21), 4405-4416. Scopus51 WoS51 Europe PMC53 |
| 2012 | Apaja, P. M., Okiyondea, T., Barriere, H., Lam, H., Atanasiu, R., Foo, B., . . . Shrier, A. (2012). hERG Quality Control at the Plasma Membrane. BIOPHYSICAL JOURNAL, 102(3), 677A. |
| 2011 | Okiyoneda, T., Apaja, P. M., & Lukacs, G. L. (2011). Protein quality control at the plasma membrane. Current Opinion in Cell Biology, 23(4), 483-491. Scopus70 WoS66 Europe PMC61 |
| 2011 | Barrière, H., Apaja, P., Okiyoneda, T., & Lukacs, G. L. (2011). Endocytic Sorting of CFTR Variants Monitored by Single-Cell Fluorescence Ratiometric Image Analysis (FRIA) in Living Cells. Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.), 741, 301-317. Scopus13 Europe PMC14 |
| 2010 | Apaja, P. M., Xu, H., & Lukacs, G. L. (2010). Quality control for unfolded proteins at the plasma membrane. Journal of Cell Biology, 191(3), 553-570. Scopus52 WoS51 Europe PMC48 |
| 2007 | Tuusa, J. T., Markkanen, P. M. H., Apaja, P. M., Hakalahti, A. E., & Petäjä-Repo, U. E. (2007). The Endoplasmic Reticulum Ca2+-pump SERCA2b Interacts with G Protein-coupled Receptors and Enhances their Expression at the Cell Surface. Journal of Molecular Biology, 371(3), 622-638. Scopus19 WoS18 Europe PMC19 |
| 2006 | Apaja, P. M., Tuusa, J. T., Pietilä, E. M., Rajaniemi, H. J., & Petäjä-Repo, U. E. (2006). Luteinizing hormone receptor ectodomain splice variant misroutes the full-length receptor into a subcompartment of the endoplasmic reticulum. Molecular Biology of the Cell, 17(5), 2243-2255. Scopus45 WoS42 Europe PMC40 |
| 2005 | Pietilä, E. M., Tuusa, J. T., Apaja, P. M., Aatsinki, J. T., Hakalahti, A. E., Rajaniemi, H. J., & Petäjä-Repo, U. E. (2005). Inefficient maturation of the rat luteinizing hormone receptor: A putative way to regulate receptor numbers at the cell surface. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 280(28), 26622-26629. Scopus67 WoS63 Europe PMC59 |
| 2005 | Apaja, P. M., Aatsinki, J. T., Rajaniemi, H. J., & Petäjä-Repo, U. E. (2005). Expression of the mature luteinizing hormone receptor in rodent urogenital and adrenal tissues is developmentally regulated at a posttranslational level. Endocrinology, 146(8), 3224-3232. Scopus40 WoS31 Europe PMC27 |
| 2004 | Apaja, P. M., Harju, K. T., Aatsinki, J. T., Petäjä-Repo, U. E., & Rajaniemi, H. J. (2004). Identification and Structural Characterization of the Neuronal Luteinizing Hormone Receptor Associated with Sensory Systems. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 279(3), 1899-1906. Scopus84 WoS66 Europe PMC60 |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2014 | Foo, B., Apaja, P., Okiyoneda, T., Barriere, H., Ficker, E., Lukacs, G., & Shrier, A. (2014). A peripheral protein quality control machinery involved in acquired and inherited LQT syndrome. In BIOCHEMISTRY AND CELL BIOLOGY-BIOCHIMIE ET BIOLOGIE CELLULAIRE Vol. 92 (pp. 581). CANADIAN SCIENCE PUBLISHING, NRC RESEARCH PRESS. |
| 2014 | Avramescu, R. G., Perdomo, D., Phuan, P. W., Bagdany, M., Apaja, P. M., Borot, F., . . . Veit, G. (2014). Exposure to some gating potentiators, including VX-770, diminishes dF508-CFTR correction efficiency. In BIOCHEMISTRY AND CELL BIOLOGY-BIOCHIMIE ET BIOLOGIE CELLULAIRE Vol. 92 (pp. 580). CANADIAN SCIENCE PUBLISHING, NRC RESEARCH PRESS. |
| 2010 | Lukacs, G. L., & Apaja, P. (2010). Membrane protein quality control in post-Golgi compartments. In BIOCHEMISTRY AND CELL BIOLOGY-BIOCHIMIE ET BIOLOGIE CELLULAIRE Vol. 88 (pp. 406). NATL RESEARCH COUNCIL CANADA-N R C RESEARCH PRESS. |
| 2009 | Apaja, P., & Lukacs, G. L. (2009). Membrane protein quality control in post-Golgi compartments. In FASEB JOURNAL Vol. 23 (pp. 1 page). FEDERATION AMER SOC EXP BIOL. DOI |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2015 | Veit, G., Oliver, K. E., Apaja, P. M., Perdomo, D., Lin, S., Guo, J., . . . Lukacs, G. L. (2015). RIBOSOMAL STALK PROTEIN SILENCING CORRECTS THE ΔF508-CFTR FUNCTIONAL EXPRESSION DEFECT. Poster session presented at the meeting of PEDIATRIC PULMONOLOGY. WILEY-BLACKWELL. |
| 2014 | Veit, G., Avramescu, R. G., Perdomo, D., Phuan, P., Bagdany, M., Apaja, P. M., . . . Lukacs, G. L. (2014). SOME GATING POTENTIATORS, INCLUDING VX-770, DIMINISH ΔF508-CFTR FUNCTIONAL EXPRESSION. Poster session presented at the meeting of PEDIATRIC PULMONOLOGY. WILEY-BLACKWELL. |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Wang, B. B., & Apaja, P. M. (2025). ATG8 in Single Membranes: Fresh players of Endocytosis and Acidic Organelle Quality Control in Cancer, Neurodegeneration, and Inflammation. DOI |
| 2025 | Rashidieh, B., Yang, Y., Bain, A. L., Theron, P., Vosloo, C., Ahangar, P., . . . Khanna, K. K. (2025). Genetic Ablation and Multi-Omics Profiling Reveal CEP55 as a Key Driver of Tumorigenesis in Diverse Cancer Models. DOI |
| 2022 | Rashidieh, B., Bain, A. L., Tria, S. M., Sharma, S., Stewart, C. A., Simmons, J. L., . . . Khanna, K. K. (2022). Alpha-B-Crystallin overexpression is sufficient to promote tumorigenesis and metastasis in mice. DOI |
| 2021 | Wang, B., Xu, H., Isenmann, S., Huang, C., Elorza-Vidal, X., Rychkov, G., . . . Apaja, P. (2021). Ubr1-induced selective endo-phagy/autophagy protects against the endosomal and Ca<sup>2+</sup>-induced proteostasis disease stress. DOI |
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