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Dr Monika Murcha

  • Senior Lecturer, The University Of Western Australia
  • group: Murcha

Biography:

Assoc. Prof Murcha (PhD UWA) was awarded an ARC postdoctoral fellowship in 2006 at the University of Western Australia followed by an ARC Future Fellowship in 2014 where she founded her own laboratory to understand the components and underlying mechanisms of plant mitochondrial biogenesis.

Research:

Mitochondria are semi-autonomous organelles essential for cellular function responding to tissue and developmental demands in almost all eukaryotic cells. As the majority of the mitochondrial proteome is nuclear encoded, proteins and macromolecules must first be imported and assembled correctly to function. The Murcha Group’s research focuses on these import pathways and the factors that regulate these processes throughout plant development and stress. Monika Murcha is an ARC Future Fellow affiliated with the ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology. Her research utilises a variety of cutting edge molecular and biochemical techniques to understand the molecular mechanisms that regulate mitochondrial biogenesis, underlying cellular activity, plant growth and responses to stress.

Contact Info:

Year Publication Online
2024
Olasz B, Smithers L, Evans GL, Anandan A, Murcha MW, Vrielink A (2024) Structural analysis of the SAM domain of the Arabidopsis mitochondrial tRNA import receptor. J Biol Chem 300(5):107258.
NCBI Pubmed DOI Link
2024
Eckardt NA, Avin-Wittenberg T, Bassham DC, Chen P, Chen Q, Fang J, Genschik P, Ghifari AS, Guercio AM, Gibbs DJ, Heese M, Jarvis RP, Michaeli S, Murcha MW, Mursalimov S, Noir S, Palayam M, Peixoto B, Rodriguez PL, Schaller A, Schnittger A, Serino G, Shabek N, Stintzi A, Theodoulou FL, Üstün S, Van Wijk KJ, Wei N, Xie Q, Yu F, Zhang H (2024) The lowdown on breakdown: Open questions in plant proteolysis. Plant Cell 36(9):2931-2975.
NCBI Pubmed DOI Link
2023
Ghifari AS, Ivanova A, Berkowitz O, Whelan J, Murcha MW (2023) FTSH PROTEASE 3 facilitates Complex I degradation through a direct interaction with the Complex I subunit PSST. Plant Cell 35(8):3092-3108.
NCBI Pubmed DOI Link
2022
Karpinska B, Razak N, Shaw DS, Plumb W, Van De Slijke E, Stephens J, De Jaeger G, Murcha MW, Foyer CH (2022) Late Embryogenesis Abundant (LEA)5 Regulates Translation in Mitochondria and Chloroplasts to Enhance Growth and Stress Tolerance. Front Plant Sci 13:875799.
NCBI Pubmed DOI Link
2022
Gill-Hille M, Wang A, Murcha MW (2022) Presequence translocase-associated motor subunits of the mitochondrial protein import apparatus are dual-targeted to mitochondria and plastids. Front Plant Sci 13:981552.
NCBI Pubmed DOI Link
2022
Wang G, Wang Y, Ni J, Li R, Zhu F, Wang R, Tian Q, Shen Q, Yang Q, Tang J, Murcha MW, Wang G (2022) An MCIA-like complex is required for mitochondrial complex I assembly and seed development in maize. Mol Plant 15(9):1470-1487.
NCBI Pubmed DOI Link
2022
Ghifari AS, Teixeira PF, Kmiec B, Singh N, Glaser E, Murcha MW (2022) The dual-targeted prolyl aminopeptidase PAP1 is involved in proline accumulation in response to stress and during pollen development. J Exp Bot 73(1):78-93.
NCBI Pubmed DOI Link
2022
Li Y, Belt K, Alqahtani SF, Saha S, Fenske R, Van Aken O, Whelan J, Millar AH, Murcha MW, Huang S (2022) The mitochondrial LYR protein SDHAF1 is required for succinate dehydrogenase activity in Arabidopsis. Plant J 110(2):499-512.
NCBI Pubmed DOI Link
2022
Ghifari AS, Murcha MW (2022) Proteolytic regulation of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation components in plants. Biochem Soc Trans 50(3):1119-1132.
NCBI Pubmed DOI Link
2022
Ivanova A, O Leary B, Signorelli S, Falconet D, Moyankova D, Whelan J, Djilianov D, Murcha MW (2022) Mitochondrial activity and biogenesis during resurrection of Haberlea rhodopensis. New Phytol 236(3):943-957.
NCBI Pubmed DOI Link
2020
Ghifari AS, Teixeira PF, Kmiec B, Pružinská A, Glaser E, Murcha MW (2020) A mitochondrial prolyl aminopeptidase PAP2 releases N-terminal proline and regulates proline homeostasis during stress response. PLANT J 104(5):1182-1194.
NCBI Pubmed DOI Link
2020
Petereit J, Duncan O, Murcha MW, Fenske R, Cincu E, Cahn J, Pružinská A, Ivanova A, Kollipara L, Wortelkamp S, Sickmann A, Lee J, Lister R, Millar AH, Huang S (2020) Mitochondrial CLPP2 Assists Coordination and Homeostasis of Respiratory Complexes. Plant Physiol 184(1):148-164.
NCBI Pubmed DOI Link
2019
Ghifari AS, Huang S, Murcha MW (2019) The peptidases involved in plant mitochondrial protein import. J EXP BOT 70(21):6005-6018.
NCBI Pubmed DOI Link
2019
Ivanova A, Gill-Hille M, Huang S, Branca RM, Kmiec B, Teixeira PF, Lehtiö J, Whelan J, Murcha MW (2019) A Mitochondrial LYR Protein Is Required for Complex I Assembly. Plant Physiol 181(4):1632-1650.
NCBI Pubmed DOI Link
2018
Belt K, Van Aken O, Murcha MW, Millar AH, Huang S (2018) An assembly factor promotes assembly of flavinated SDH1 into the succinate dehydrogenase complex. PLANT PHYSIOL. 177(4):1439-1452.
NCBI Pubmed DOI Link
2018
Ghifari AS, Gill-Hille M, Murcha MW (2018) Plant mitochondrial protein import: the ins and outs. BIOCHEM J 475(13):2191-2208.
NCBI Pubmed DOI Link
2018
Corral MG, Haywood J, Stehl LH, Stubbs KA, Murcha MW, Mylne JS (2018) Targeting plant DIHYDROFOLATE REDUCTASE with antifolates and mechanisms for genetic resistance. Plant J (in press).
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2018
Lyu W, Selinski J, Li L, Day DA, Murcha MW, Whelan J, Wang Y (2018) Isolation and Respiratory Measurements of Mitochondria from Arabidopsis thaliana. J Vis Exp (131):.
NCBI Pubmed DOI Link
2018
Opalińska M, Parys K, Murcha MW, Jańska H (2018) The plant i-AAA protease controls the turnover of an essential mitochondrial protein import component. J. CELL. SCI. 131(2). pii: jcs200733.
NCBI Pubmed DOI Link
2018
Kmiec B, Branca RMM, Berkowitz O, Li L, Wang Y, Murcha MW, Whelan J, Lehtiö J, Glaser E, Teixeira PF (2018) Accumulation of endogenous peptides triggers a pathogen stress response in Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant J 96(4):705-715.
NCBI Pubmed DOI Link
2017
Teixeira PF, Kmiec B, Branca RM, Murcha MW, Byzia A, Ivanova A, Whelan J, Drag M, Lehtiö J, Glaser E (2017) A multi-step peptidolytic cascade for amino acid recovery in chloroplasts. Nat Chem Biol 13(1):15-17.
NCBI Pubmed DOI Link
2016
Wang Y, Lyu W, Berkowitz O, Radomiljac JD, Law SR, Murcha MW, Carrie C, Teixeira PF, Kmiec B, Duncan O, Van Aken O, Narsai R, Glaser E, Huang S, Roessner U, Millar AH, Whelan J (2016) Inactivation of Mitochondrial Complex I Induces the Expression of a Twin Cysteine Protein that Targets and Affects Cytosolic, Chloroplastidic and Mitochondrial Function. Mol Plant 9(5):696-710.
NCBI Pubmed DOI Link
2016
Kmiec B, Teixeira PF, Murcha MW, Glaser E (2016) Divergent evolution of the M3A family of metallopeptidases in plants. PHYSIOL PLANT 157(3):380-8.
NCBI Pubmed DOI Link
2016
Lee CP, Maksaev G, Jensen GS, Murcha MW, Wilson ME, Fricker M, Hell R, Haswell ES, Millar AH, Sweetlove L (2016) MSL1 is a mechanosensitive ion channel that dissipates mitochondrial membrane potential and maintains redox homeostasis in mitochondria during abiotic stress. PLANT J. 88(5):809-825.
NCBI Pubmed DOI Link
2016
Li L, Kubiszewski-Jakubiak S, Radomiljac J, Wang Y, Law SR, Keech O, Narsai R, Berkowitz O, Duncan O, Murcha MW, Whelan J (2016) Characterization of a novel β-barrel protein (AtOM47) from the mitochondrial outer membrane of Arabidopsis thaliana. J Exp Bot 67(21):6061-6075.
NCBI Pubmed DOI Link
2016
Murcha MW, Kubiszewski-Jakubiak S, Teixeira PF, Gügel IL, Kmiec B, Narsai R, Ivanova A, Megel C, Schock A, Kraus S, Berkowitz O, Glaser E, Philippar K, Maréchal-Drouard L, Soll J, Whelan J (2016) Plant-Specific Preprotein and Amino Acid Transporter Proteins Are Required for tRNA Import into Mitochondria. Plant Physiol 172(4):2471-2490.
NCBI Pubmed DOI Link
2015
Murcha MW, Whelan J (2015) Isolation of Intact Mitochondria from the Model Plant Species Arabidopsis thaliana and Oryza sativa. Methods Mol Biol 1305():1-12.
NCBI Pubmed DOI Link
2015
Duncan O, Carrie C, Wang Y, Murcha MW (2015) In vitro and in vivo protein uptake studies in plant mitochondria. Methods Mol Biol 1305:61-81.
NCBI Pubmed DOI Link
2015
Murcha MW, Narsai R, Devenish J, Kubiszewski-Jakubiak S, Whelan J (2015) MPIC: a mitochondrial protein import components database for plant and non-plant species. Plant Cell Physiol 56(1):e10.
NCBI Pubmed DOI Link
2015
Law YS, Zhang R, Guan X, Cheng S, Sun F, Duncan O, Murcha MW, Whelan J, Lim BL (2015) Phosphorylation and Dephosphorylation of the Presequence of Precursor MULTIPLE ORGANELLAR RNA EDITING FACTOR3 during Import into Mitochondria from Arabidopsis. PLANT PHYSIOL. 169(2):1344-55.
NCBI Pubmed DOI Link
2014
Murcha MW, Kubiszewski-Jakubiak S, Wang Y, Whelan J (2014) Evidence for interactions between the mitochondrial import apparatus and respiratory chain complexes via Tim21-like proteins in Arabidopsis. FRONT PLANT SCI 5:82.
NCBI Pubmed DOI Link
2014
Murcha MW, Wang Y, Narsai R, Whelan J (2014) The plant mitochondrial protein import apparatus - the differences make it interesting. Biochim Biophys Acta 1840(4):1233-45.
NCBI Pubmed DOI Link
2014
Zhang B, Van Aken O, Thatcher L, De Clercq I, Duncan O, Law SR, Murcha MW, Van Der Merwe M, Seifi HS, Carrie C, Cazzonelli C, Radomiljac J, Höfte M, Singh KB, Van Breusegem F, Whelan J (2014) The mitochondrial outer membrane AAA ATPase AtOM66 affects cell death and pathogen resistance in Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant J 80(4):709-27.
NCBI Pubmed DOI Link
2014
Murcha MW, Kmiec B, Kubiszewski-Jakubiak S, Teixeira PF, Glaser E, Whelan J (2014) Protein import into plant mitochondria: signals, machinery, processing, and regulation. J EXP BOT 65(22):6301-35.
NCBI Pubmed DOI Link
2014
Wang Y, Law SR, Ivanova A, Van Aken O, Kubiszewski-Jakubiak S, Uggalla V, Van Der Merwe M, Duncan O, Narsai R, Whelan J, Murcha MW (2014) The mitochondrial protein import component, TRANSLOCASE OF THE INNER MEMBRANE17-1, plays a role in defining the timing of germination in Arabidopsis. Plant Physiol 166(3):1420-35.
NCBI Pubmed DOI Link
2013
Duncan O, Murcha MW, Whelan J (2013) Unique components of the plant mitochondrial protein import apparatus BBA-MOL CELL RES 1833(2):304-13.
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2013
Carrie C, Murcha MW, Giraud E, Ng S, Zhang MF, Narsai R, Whelan J (2013) How do plants make mitochondria? Planta 237(2):429-39.
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2013
Xu L, Carrie C, Law SR, Murcha MW, Whelan J (2013) Acquisition, conservation, and loss of dual-targeted proteins in land plants. Plant Physiol 161(2):644-62.
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2013
Xu J, Yang J, Wu Z, Liu H, Huang F, Wu Y, Carrie C, Narsai R, Murcha M, Whelan J, Wu P (2013) Identification of a dual-targeted protein belonging to the mitochondrial carrier family that is required for early leaf development in rice. Plant Physiol 161(4):2036-48.
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2013
Xu L, Law SR, Murcha MW, Whelan J, Carrie C (2013) The dual targeting ability of type II NAD(P)H dehydrogenases arose early in land plant evolution. BMC Plant Biol 13:100.
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2013
De Clercq I, Vermeirssen V, Van Aken O, Vandepoele K, Murcha MW, Law SR, Inzé A, Ng S, Ivanova A, Rombaut D, Van De Cotte B, Jaspers P, Van De Peer Y, Kangasjärvi J, Whelan J, Van Breusegem F (2013) The membrane-bound NAC transcription factor ANAC013 functions in mitochondrial retrograde regulation of the oxidative stress response in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell 25(9):3472-90.
NCBI Pubmed DOI Link
2013
Kmiec B, Teixeira PF, Berntsson RP, Murcha MW, Branca RM, Radomiljac JD, Regberg J, Svensson LM, Bakali A, Langel U, Lehtiö J, Whelan J, Stenmark P, Glaser E (2013) Organellar oligopeptidase (OOP) provides a complementary pathway for targeting peptide degradation in mitochondria and chloroplasts. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 110(40):E3761-9.
NCBI Pubmed DOI Link
2012
Roston RL, Gao J, Murcha MW, Whelan J, Benning C (2012) TGD1, -2, and -3 Proteins Involved in Lipid Trafficking Form ATP-binding Cassette (ABC) Transporter with Multiple Substrate-binding Proteins J BIOL CHEM 287:21406-21415.
NCBI Pubmed DOI Link
2012
Wang Y, Carrie C, Giraud E, Elhafez D, Narsai R, Duncan O, Whelan J, Murcha MW (2012) Dual location of the mitochondrial preprotein transporters B14.7 and Tim23-2 in complex I and the TIM17:23 complex in Arabidopsis links mitochondrial activity and biogenesis. Plant Cell 24(6):2675-95.
NCBI Pubmed DOI Link
2012
Sun F, Carrie C, Law S, Murcha MW, Zhang R, Law YS, Suen PK, Whelan J, Lim BL (2012) AtPAP2 is a tail-anchored protein in the outer membrane of chloroplasts and mitochondria. Plant Signal Behav 7(8):927-32.
NCBI Pubmed DOI Link
2012
Kmiec B, Glaser E, Duncan O, Whelan J, Murcha MW (2012) Evolution of protein import pathways. In Mitochondrial genome Evolution ADV BOT RES 63:315-346 ISBN: 978-0-12-394279-1.
DOI Link
2012
Zhang B, Carrie C, Ivanova A, Narsai R, Murcha MW, Duncan O, Wang Y, Law SR, Albrecht V, Pogson B, Giraud E, Van Aken O, Whelan J (2012) LETM proteins play a role in the accumulation of mitochondrially encoded proteins in Arabidopsis thaliana and AtLETM2 displays parent of origin effects. J Biol Chem 287(50):41757-73.
NCBI Pubmed DOI Link
2012
Murcha MW, Wang Y, Whelan J (2012) A molecular link between mitochondrial preprotein transporters and respiratory chain complexes PLANT SIGNAL BEHAV 7(12):1594-1597.
NCBI Pubmed DOI Link
2011
Kühn K, Carrie C, Giraud E, Wang Y, Meyer EH, Narsai R, Des Francs-Small CC, Zhang B, Murcha MW, Whelan J (2011) The RCC1 family protein RUG3 is required for splicing of nad2 and complex I biogenesis in mitochondria of Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant J 67(6):1067-80.
NCBI Pubmed DOI Link
2010
Carrie C, Murcha MW, Whelan J (2010) An in silico analysis of the mitochondrial protein import apparatus of plants. BMC Plant Biol 10:249.
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2010
Carrie C, Giraud E, Duncan O, Xu L, Wang Y, Huang S, Clifton R, Murcha M, Filipovska A, Rackham O, Vrielink A, Whelan J (2010) Conserved and novel functions for Arabidopsis thaliana MIA40 in assembly of proteins in mitochondria and peroxisomes. J Biol Chem 285(46):36138-48.
NCBI Pubmed DOI Link
2010
Giraud E, Ng S, Carrie C, Duncan O, Low J, Lee CP, Van Aken O, Millar AH, Murcha M, Whelan J (2010) TCP transcription factors link the regulation of genes encoding mitochondrial proteins with the circadian clock in Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant Cell 22(12):3921-34.
NCBI Pubmed DOI Link
2009
Carrie C, Kühn K, Murcha MW, Duncan O, Small ID, O'Toole N, Whelan J (2009) Approaches to defining dual-targeted proteins in Arabidopsis. Plant J 57(6):1128-39.
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2008
Carrie C, Murcha MW, Kuehn K, Duncan O, Barthet M, Smith PM, Eubel H, Meyer E, Day DA, Millar AH, Whelan J (2008) Type II NAD(P)H dehydrogenases are targeted to mitochondria and chloroplasts or peroxisomes in Arabidopsis thaliana. FEBS Lett 582(20):3073-9.
NCBI Pubmed DOI Link
2007
Carrie C, Murcha MW, Millar AH, Smith SM, Whelan J (2007) Nine 3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolases (KATs) and acetoacetyl-CoA thiolases (ACATs) encoded by five genes in Arabidopsis thaliana are targeted either to peroxisomes or cytosol but not to mitochondria. Plant Mol Biol 63(1):97-108.
NCBI Pubmed DOI Link
2007
Murcha MW, Elhafez D, Lister R, Tonti-Filippini J, Baumgartner M, Philippar K, Carrie C, Mokranjac D, Soll J, Whelan J (2007) Characterization of the preprotein and amino acid transporter gene family in Arabidopsis. Plant Physiol 143(1):199-212.
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2007
Howell KA, Cheng K, Murcha MW, Jenkin LE, Millar AH, Whelan J (2007) Oxygen initiation of respiration and mitochondrial biogenesis in rice. J Biol Chem 282(21):15619-31.
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2007
Olejnik K, Murcha MW, Whelan J, Kraszewska E (2007) Cloning and characterisation of AtNUDT13, a novel mitochondrial Arabidopsis thaliana Nudix hydrolase specific for long-chain diadenosine polyphosphates FEBS J 274(18):4877-85.
NCBI Pubmed DOI Link
2007
Lister R, Carrie C, Duncan O, Ho LH, Howell KA, Murcha MW, Whelan J (2007) Functional definition of outer membrane proteins involved in preprotein import into mitochondria. Plant Cell 19(11):3739-59.
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2006
Elhafez D, Murcha MW, Clifton R, Soole KL, Day DA, Whelan J (2006) Characterization of mitochondrial alternative NAD(P)H dehydrogenases in Arabidopsis: intraorganelle location and expression. Plant Cell Physiol 47(1):43-54.
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2005
Murcha MW, Elhafez D, Millar AH, Whelan J (2005) The C-terminal region of TIM17 links the outer and inner mitochondrial membranes in Arabidopsis and is essential for protein import. J Biol Chem 280(16):16476-83.
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2005
Murcha MW, Rudhe C, Elhafez D, Adams KL, Daley DO, Whelan J (2005) Adaptations required for mitochondrial import following mitochondrial to nucleus gene transfer of ribosomal protein S10. Plant Physiol 138(4):2134-44.
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2005
Murcha MW, Millar AH, Whelan J (2005) The N-terminal cleavable extension of plant carrier proteins is responsible for efficient insertion into the inner mitochondrial membrane J MOL BIOL 351(1):16-25.
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