Science, Technology and Engineering

• Areas of study
• Research
• Your study experience
• Professional and community connections
• About the Faculty
  • Our staff
    • Advanced search
  • Our campuses
  • Schools and departments
  • Alumni
  • News
  • Events
  • Faculty publications
  • Dean's Public Lectures
• Contact us

I lecture to second year and third year science undergraduates and to 4th year (honours) students.

Subjects taught:

MIC2MI - Introductory Microbiology

MIC3AM - Advanced Microbiology

MICHNA - Honours Microbiology

MICHNB - Honours Microbiology

• Fisher, P.R. & Annesley, S.J. (2006). Slug phototaxis, thermotaxis and spontaneous turning behaviour. In “Dictyostelium discoideum Protocols”. Methods in Molecular Biology. 346, 137-170. Ed. L. Eichinger & F. Rivero. Humana Press.
• Fisher, P.R. & Wilczynska, Z. (2006). The ER contribution to cytosolic Ca2+ signals in Dictyostelium depends upon extracellular Ca2+. FEMS Letters 257, 268-277. (IF=2.27)
• Ahmed A.U., Gilson, P.R., Lay, S.T., Beech, P.L. & Fisher, P.R. (2006). Import-associated translational inhibition – novel in vivo evidence for cotranslational protein import into Dictyostelium mitochondria. Eukaryotic Cell 5, 1314-1327. (IF=3.64)
• Bandala-Sanchez, E., Annesley, S.J. & Fisher, P.R. (2006). A phototaxis signalling complex in Dictyostelium discoideum. European Journal of Cell Biology. 85, 1099-1106. (IF=3.51)
• Bokko, P.B., Francione, L., Ahmed, A.U., Bandala-Sanchez, E., Annesley, S.J., Huang, X., Khurana, T., Kimmel, A.R. & Fisher, P.R. (2007). Diverse cytopathologies in mitochondrial disease are caused by AMP-activated protein kinase signaling. Molecular Biology of the Cell. 18, 1874-1886. (IF=5.95)
• Annesley, S.J., Bandala-Sanchez, E., Ahmed, A.U. & Fisher, P.R. (2007). Filamin repeat segments required for photosensory signalling in Dictyostelium discoideum. BMC Cell Biology. 8, 48. (IF=3.02)
• Barth, C., Le, P. & Fisher, P.R. (2007). Mitochondrial biology and disease in Dictyostelium. Int. Rev. Cytology 263, 207-252. (IF=6.02)
• Ludlow, M.J., Traynor, D., Fisher, P.R. & Ennion, S.J. (2008). Purinergic-mediated Ca2+ influx in Dictyostelium discoideum. Cell Calcium. 44, 567-579.  (IF=4.17)
• Annesley, S.J. & Fisher, P.R. (2009) Scaffolding proteins that regulate the actin cytoskeleton in cell movement. In “Cell Movement: New Research Trends.” Eds. T. Abreu and G. Silva. Nova Science Publishers. Hauppauge NY, USA. Chapter 1. pp. 1-50. ISBN: 978-1-60692-570-6.
• Francione, L., Smith, P.K., Accari, S.L., Taylor, P.E., Bokko, P.B., Bozzarro, S., Beech, P.L. & Fisher, P.R. (2009). Legionella pneumophila multiplication is enhanced by chronic AMPK signalling in mitochondrially diseased Dictyostelium cells. Disease Models and Mechanisms. 2, 479-489. (IF=4.58)
• Ahmed, A.U. & Fisher, P.R. (2009). Import of nuclear-encoded mitochondrial proteins: a cotranslational perspective. International Review of Cell and Molecular Biology 273, 49-68. (IF=4.95)
• Annesley, S.J. & Fisher, P.R. (2009). Dictyostelium slug phototaxis. In “Chemotaxis”. Ed. T. Jin and D. Hereld. Methods in Molecular Biology 571, 67-76.
• Allan, C. & Fisher, P.R. (2009). In Vivo Measurements of Cytosolic Calcium in Dictyostelium discoideum.  In “Chemotaxis”. Methods in Molecular Biology. Ed. T. Jin and D. Hereld. 571, 291-308.
• Annesley, S.J. & Fisher, P.R. (2009). Dictyostelium discoideum – a model for many reasons. Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry 329, 73-91. (IF=1.96)
• Le, P., Fisher, P.R. & Barth, C. (2009). Transcription of the Dictyostelium discoideum mitochondrial genome occurs from a single initiation site. RNA 15, 2321-2330. (IF=5.49)
• Francione, L. & Fisher, P.R. (2010). Cytopathological Mechanisms in Mitochondrial Disease. Current Chemical Biology 4, 32-48. Bentham Science Publishers.
• Carilla-Latorre, S., Gallardo, M.E., Annesley, S.J.  Calvo-Garrido, J., Graña, O., Accari, S.L., Smith, P.K., Valencia, A., Garesse, R., Fisher, P.R. & Escalante, R. (2010). MidA is a putative mitochondrial methyltransferase required for mitochondrial complex I function. J. Cell Sci. 123, 1674-1683. (IF=6.73)
• Fisher, P.R. (2010). Donald Graham MacPhee: In memoriam. Mutation Research-Reviews in Mutation Research 705, 2-2. (IF=8.264).
• Francione, L.M., Annesley, S.J., Carilla-Latorre, S., Escalante, R. & Fisher, P.R. (2011) The Dictyostelium model for mitochondrial disease. Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology. 22, 120-130.  (IF=6.22)
• Barth, C., Kennedy, L.A. & Fisher, P.R. (2011) Mitochondrial gene expression and dysfunction in model protozoa. In “Organelle Genetics : Evolution of organelle genomes and gene expression”. Chap. 10. Pp. 241-269. Ed. Charles Bullerwell. Springer-Verlag Publishers. Berlin.
• Blagg, S.L., Battom, S., Annesley, S.J., Keller, T., Parkinson, K., Wu M-F., Fisher, P.R. and Thompson, C.R.L. (2011). Cell type specific filamin complex regulation by a novel class of HECT ubiquitin ligase is required for normal cell motility and patterning.  Development. 138, 1583-1593. (IF=6.90)
• Kicak, S., Shen, Z.X., Annesley, S.J., Fisher, P.R., Lee, S., Briggs, S. & Firtel, R.A. (2011). The LRRK2-related Roco kinase Roco2 is is regulated by Rab1A and controls the actin cytoskeleton. Molecular Biology of the Cell. 22, 2198-2211.   (IF=5.95)
• Sugden, C., Ross, S., Annesley S.J., Cole, C., Bloomfield, G., Ivens, A., Skelton, J., Fisher, P.R., Barton, G. and Williams, J.G. (2011) A Dictyostelium SH2 domain adaptor protein required for correct DIF-1 signaling and pattern formation. Developmental Biology. 353, 290-301. (IF=4.42)
• Annesley, S.J., Bago, R., Mehta, A. and Fisher, P.R. (2011) A genetic interaction between NDPK and AMPK in Dictyostelium discoideum that affects motility, growth and development. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg Archives of Pharmacology. 384, 341-349.  (IF=2.36)
• Francione, L.M. and Fisher, P.R. (2011) Heteroplasmic mitochondrial disease in Dictyostelium discoideum. Biochem. Pharmacol. 82, 1510-1520. (IF=4.56)
• Annesley, S.J., Bago, R., Bosnar, M.H., Filic, V., Marinović, M., Weber, I., Mehta, A. & Fisher, P.R. (2011). Dictyostelium discoideum nucleoside diphosphate kinase C plays a negative regulatory role in phagocytosis, macropinocytosis and exocytosis.  PLoS ONE 6(10): e26024. (IF=4.61)
• Allan, C.Y. & Fisher, P.R. (2011) Phototaxis: microbial. In: Encyclopedia of Life Sciences. http://www.els.net/.
• Ilievska, J., Bishop, N.E., Annesley, S.J. & Fisher, P.R. (2012). The roles of ESCRT proteins in healthy cells and in disease. Chapter 20 in “Current Frontiers and Perspectives in Cell Biology”. Ed. by Stevo Najman . ISBN 978-953-51-0544-2. InTech, Croatia.
• Aziz, A.,  Ilievska, J., Fisher, P.R. & Bishop, N.E. (2012) An evolutionary biology approach to understanding complex human genetic disease. Chapter 1 in “Protein Structure”. ISBN 978-953-51-0555-8. InTech, Croatia.
• Fisher, P.R. (2012). The millenium bugs. Microbiology Australia. 33, 119-124.
• Accari, J.E., Manna, S., Fisher, P.R. & Barth, C. (2013). Analysis of mitochondrial gene expression. In “Dictyostelium discoideum Protocols II”. Methods in Molecular Biology 983, 325-344. Ed. L. Eichinger & F. Rivero. Humana Press.
• Annesley, S.J.,  Carilla-Latorre, S., Escalante, R. & Fisher, P.R. (2013) Mitochondrial respiratory complex function and the phenotypic consequences of dysfunction. In “Dictyostelium discoideum Protocols II”. Methods in Molecular Biology 983, 345-366. Ed. L. Eichinger & F. Rivero. Humana Press.
• Carilla-Latorre, S., Annesley, S.J., Muñoz-Braceras, S., Fisher, P.R. & Escalante,R. (2013) Ndufaf5 deficiency in the Dictyostelium model: new roles in autophagy and development. Mol. Biol. Cell. In press.

Articles in scholarly journals and books (review articles and chapters asterisked)

• Pemberton, J. M. and Fisher, P.R. (1977). 2,4-D plasmids and persistence. Nature 268, 732-733 (IF=35.2).
• Fisher, P.R., Appleton, J. and Pemberton, J.M. (1978). Isolation and characterization of the pesticide-degrading plasmid pJP1 from Alcaligenes paradoxus. J. Bacteriol. 135, 798-804 (IF=3.82).
• Williams, K.L., Fisher, P.R., MacWilliams, H.K. and Bonner, J.T. (1981).  Cell patterning in Dictyostelium discoideum. Differentiation 18, 61-63 (IF=3.30).
• Fisher, P.R., Smith E. and Williams K.L. (1981). An extracellular chemical signal controlling phototactic behaviour by D. discoideum slugs. Cell 23, 799-807 (IF=34.93).
• Fisher, P.R. and Williams, K.L. (1981). Bidirectional phototaxis by Dictyostelium discoideum slugs. FEMS Microbiol. Letters 12, 87-89 (IF=2.27).
• Fisher, P.R. and Williams K.L. (1981). Activated charcoal and orientation behaviour by Dictyostelium discoideum slugs. J. Gen. Microbiol. 126, 519-523 (IF=3.31).
• Smith, E., Fisher, P.R., Grant, W.N. and Williams, K.L. (1982). Sensory behaviour in Dictyostelium discoideum slugs: phototaxis and thermotaxis are not mediated by a change in slug speed. J. Cell Sci. 54, 329-339 (IF=6.73).
• Fisher, P.R. and Williams, K.L. (1982). Thermotactic behaviour by Dictyostelium discoideum slug phototaxis mutants. J. Gen. Microbiol. 128, 965-971 (IF=3.31).
• Claviez, M., Pagh, K., Maruta, H., Baltes, W., Fisher, P. and Gerisch, G. (1982). Electron microscopic mapping of monoclonal antibodies on the tail region of Dictyostelium myosin. EMBO Journal 1, 1017-1022 (IF=9.37).
• Häder, D.-P., Williams, K.L. and Fisher, P.R. (1983). Phototactic orientation by amoebae of Dictyostelium discoideum slug phototaxis mutants. J. Gen. Microbiol. 129, 1617-1621 (IF=3.31).
• Fisher, P.R., Dohrmann, U., Grant, W.N. and Williams, K.L. (1983). Spontaneous turning behaviour by Dictyostelium discoideum slugs. J. Cell Sci. 62, 161-170 (IF=6.73).
• Fisher, P.R., Bourier, S. and Bozzaro, S. (1983). Disaggregation of Dictyostelium discoideum cells incubated on immobilized sugars involves negative chemotaxis. J. Biol. Chem. 258, 13898-13899 (IF=5.50).
• Dohrmann, U., Fisher, P.R., Brüderlein, M. and Williams, K.L. (1984). Transitions in Dictyostelium discoideum behaviour: influence of calcium and fluoride on slug phototaxis and thermotaxis. J. Cell Sci. 65, 111-121 (IF=6.73).
• *Fisher, P.R., Dohrmann, U. and Williams, K.L. (1984). Signal processing in Dictyostelium discoideum slugs. Modern Cell Biology: A Review Series. Vol 3. pp.197-248.
• Dohrmann, U., Fisher, P.R., Brüderlein, M., Lackner, B. and Williams, K.L. (1984). Arachidonic acid and related molecules affect the behaviour of Dictyostelium discoideum slugs. J. Gen. Microbiol. 130, 2685-2698 (IF=3.31).
• Fisher, P.R., Häder, D-P. and Williams, K.L. (1985). Multidirectional phototaxis by Dictyostelium discoideum amoebae. FEMS Microbiol. Letters 29, 43-47 (IF=2.27).
• Segall, J.E., Fisher, P.R. and Gerisch, G. (1987). Selection of chemotaxis mutants of Dictyostelium discoideum. J. Cell Biol. 104, 151-161 (IF=10.12).
• Fisher, P.R. and Rosenberg, L.T. (1988). Chemiluminescence in Dictyostelium discoideum. FEMS Microbiol. Letters. 50, 157-161 (IF=2.27).
• Fisher, P.R., Merkl, G. and Gerisch, G. (1989). Quantitative analysis of cell motility and chemotaxis in Dictyostelium discoideum using an image processing system and a novel chemotaxis chamber providing stationary chemical gradients. J. Cell Biol. 108, 973-984 (IF=10.12).
• Darcy, P.K. and Fisher, P.R. (1989). A role for G-proteins and inositol phosphate signalling in Dictyostelium discoideum slug behaviour. J. Gen. Microbiol. 135, 1909-1915 (IF=3.31).
• Darcy, P.K. and Fisher, P.R. (1990). Pharmacological evidence for a role for cAMP signalling in Dictyostelium discoideum slug behaviour. J. Cell Sci. 96, 661-667 (IF=6.73).
• *Fisher, P.R. (1990). Pseudopodium activation and inhibition signals in chemotaxis by Dictyostelium discoideum amoebae. Seminars in Cell Biology 1, 87-97 (IF=6.22).
• Fisher, P.R. (1991). The role of gaseous metabolites in phototaxis by Dictyostelium discoideum slugs. FEMS Microbiol. Letters. 77, 117-120 (IF=2.27).
• Fisher, P.R., Karampetsos, P.D., Wilczynska, Z., and Rosenberg, L. (1991). Oxidative metabolism and heat shock enhanced chemiluminescence in Dictyostelium discoideum. J. Cell Sci. 99, 741-750 (IF=6.73).
• Darcy, P.K., Wilczynska, Z. & Fisher, P.R. (1993). Phototaxis genes on linkage group V in Dictyostelium discoideum. FEMS Microbiol. Letters. 111, 123-128 (IF=2.27).
• Haus, U., Trommler, P., Fisher, P.R., Hartmann, H., Lottspeich, F., Noegel, A.A. & Schleicher, M. (1993). The heat shock cognate protein from Dictyostelium affects actin polymerization through interaction with the actin-binding protein cap32/34. EMBO J. 12, 3763-3771 (IF=9.37).
• *Fisher, P.R. (1994). “Responding to Signals”. Invited chapter in first year university biology text. Chapter 7 in “Biology”. Eds. R.B. Knox, P.Y.Ladiges, B.K. Evans. McGraw Hill Book Company Australia Pty. Ltd.
• Darcy, P.K., Wilczynska, Z. & Fisher, P.R. (1994). The role of cGMP in photosensory and thermosensory transduction in Dictyostelium discoideum. Microbiology 140, 1619-1632 (IF=3.31).
• Darcy, P.K., Wilczynska, Z. & Fisher, P.R. (1994). Genetic analysis of Dictyostelium slug phototaxis mutants. Genetics. 137, 977-985 (IF=4.31).
• Wilczynska, Z. & Fisher, P.R. (1994). Analysis of a complex plasmid insertion in a phototaxis-deficient transformant of Dictyostelium discoideum selected on a Micrococcus luteus lawn. Plasmid 32,182-194 (IF=1.82).
• Barth, C., Wilczynska, Z., Pontes, L., Fraser, D.J. and Fisher, P.R. (1996). Efficient circularization in E. coli of linear plasmid multimers from Dictyostelium discoideum genomic DNA. Plasmid. 36, 86-94 (IF=1.82).
• Schaap, P., Nebl, T. and Fisher, P.R. (1996). A sustained increase in cytosolic Ca2+ levels mediates prestalk gene induction by Differentiation Inducing Factor in Dictyostelium. EMBO J. 15, 5177-5183 (IF=9.37).
• McMahon, T.L., Wilczynska, Z., Barth, C., Fraser, D.J., Pontes, L. and Fisher, P.R. (1996). Replicon rescue - a novel strategy to clone the genomic DNA flanking insertions of integrating shuttle vector DNA. Nucleic Acids Research. 24, 4096-4097 (IF=7.31).
• *Fisher, P.R. (1997). Directional movement by migrating Dictyostelium slugs. Chapter 31. pp. 437-452. In “Dictyostelium - A Model Organism for Cell and Developmental Biology”. Editors - Maeda, Y., Inouye, K. and Takeuchi, I. Universal Academy Press Inc., Tokyo.
• *Fisher, P.R. (1997). Genetics of phototaxis in a model eukaryote, Dictyostelium discoideum. Bioessays 19, 397-408 (IF=5.02).
• Wilczynska, Z., Barth, C. and Fisher, P.R. (1997). Mitochondrial mutations impair signal transduction in Dictyostelium discoideum slugs. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm. 234, 39-43 (IF=2.72).
• Nebl, T. and Fisher, P.R. (1997). Intracellular Ca2+ responses by Dictyostelium amoebae to nanomolar chemoattractant stimuli are mediated exclusively by Ca2+ influx. J. Cell Sci. 110, 2845-2853 (IF=6.73).
• Fisher, P.R., Noegel, A.A., Fechheimer, M., Rivero, F., Prassler, J. and Gerisch, G. (1997). Photosensory and thermosensory responses in Dictyostelium slugs are specifically impaired by absence of the F- actin cross-linking gelation factor (ABP-120). Current Biol. 7, 889-892 (IF=11.44).
• Barth, C., Fraser, D.J. and Fisher, P.R. (1998). Coinsertional replication is responsible for tandem multimer formation during plasmid integration into the Dictyostelium genome. Plasmid. 39, 141-153 (IF=1.82).
• Barth, C., Fraser, D.J. and Fisher, P.R. (1998). A rapid, small scale method for characterization of plasmid insertions in the Dictyostelium genome. Nucleic Acids Research 26, 3317-3318 (IF=7.31).
• Stasinopoulos, S.J., Fisher, P.R., Stone, B.A. and Stanisich, V.A. (1999). Detection of two loci involved in (1®3)--glucan (curdlan) biosynthesis by Agrobacterium sp. ATCC31749 and comparative sequence analysis of the putative curdlan synthase gene. Glycobiology. 9, 31-41 (IF=4.27).
• Barth, C., Greferath, U., Kotsifas, M. and Fisher, P.R. (1999). Polycistronic transcription and editing of the mitochondrial small subunit (SSU) ribosomal RNA in Dictyostelium discoideum. Current Genetics. 36, 55-61 (IF=2.40).
• Schenk, P.W., Nebl, T., Fisher, P.R. and Snaar-Jagalska, E. (1999). A serpentine receptor-dependent, Gb- and Ca2+ influx-independent pathway regulates mitogen-activated protein kinase ERK2 in Dictyostelium. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm. 260, 504-509 (IF=2.72).
• Wilkins, A., Khosla, M., Fraser, D.J., Spiegelman, G.B., Fisher, P.R., Weeks, G. and Insall, R.H. (2000). Dictyostelium RasD is required for normal phototaxis, but not differentiation or pattern formation. Genes & Development. 14, 1407-1413 (IF=13.89).
• *Fisher, P.R. (2001). Genetic analysis of phototaxis in Dictyostelium. Chapter 19 in "Photomovement". ESP Comprehensive Series in Photosciences Vol 1. pp. 519-559. Edited by D-P. Hader & M. Lebert. Elsevier Science Ltd. Amsterdam.
• Barth, C., Greferath, U., Kotsifas, M. and Fisher, P.R. (2001). Transcript mapping and processing of mitochondrial RNA in Dictyostelium discoideum. Current Genetics 39, 355-364 (IF=2.40). (Published on line 21st June, 2001. DOI 10.1007/s002940100196.)
•  Fisher, P.R. (2001). Book Review - a review of "Dictyostelium: Evolution, Cell Biology, and the Development of Multicellularity" by Richard H. Kessin, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 2001. Soil Biology & Biochemistry. 33, 1576-1579 (IF=3.67).
• Kotsifas, M., Barth, C., Lay, S.T., de Lozanne, A. and Fisher, P.R. (2002). Chaperonin 60 and mitochondrial disease in Dictyostelium. J. Muscle Research and Cell Motility 23, 839–852 (IF=2.02).
• Nebl, T., Kotsifas, M., Schaap, P. and Fisher, P.R. (2002). Multiple pathways connect chemoattractant receptors and Ca2+ channels in Dictyostelium. J. Muscle Research and Cell Motility. 23, 853–865 (IF=2.02).
• *Fisher, P.R. (2002). Phototaxis: microbial. In: Nature Encyclopedia of Life Sciences. http://www.els.net/.
• Gilson, P.R., Yu, X-C., Hereld, D, Barth, C., Savage, A., Kiefel, B., Lay, S., Fisher, P.R., Margolin, W., & Beech, P.L. (2003). Two Dictyostelium orthologs of the prokaryotic cell division protein, FtsZ, localize to mitochondria and are required for the maintenance of normal mitochondrial morphology. Eukaryotic Cell. 2, 1315-1326 (IF=3.64).
• Bozzaro, S., Fisher, P.R., Loomis, W., Satir, P. and Segall, J.E. (2004). Guenther Gerisch and Dictyostelium, the microbial model for ameboid motility and multicellular morphogenesis. Trends in Cell Biology 14, 585-588 (IF=13.00).
• *Fisher, P.R. (2005). Microbial Development. Invited Review Article. In: Encyclopedia of Molecular Cell Biology and Molecular Medicine. Vol. 8, pp. 289-342. Ed. R.A. Meyers. Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, Germany.
• Wilkins, A., Szafranski, K.,  Fraser, D.J., Bakthavatsalam, D., Müller, R., Fisher, P.R., Glöckner, G., Eichinger, L., Noegel, A.A. & Insall, R.H. (2005). The Dictyostelium genome encodes numerous RasGEFs with multiple biological roles. Genome Biology 6:R68. (IF=7.35)
• Wilczynska, Z., Schlatterer, C., Müller-Taubenberger, A., Malchow, D. & Fisher, P.R. (2005).  Molecular genetic evidence that release of Ca2+ from the endoplasmic reticulum contributes to Ca2+ signalling in Dictyostelium. Eukaryotic Cell. 4, 1513-1525. (IF=3.64)

 Other published articles

• Fisher, P.R. (2007). Cellular alarm. Australasian Science. Sept. 2007, 22-26.
• Fisher, P.R. (2008). Model systems warrant support. Australasian Science. Jan./Feb. 2008, 42.
• Fisher, P.R. (2009). The Littlest Legionnaire. Australasian Science. Sept. 2009, 18-19.

More information on my research can be found on my personal web page