Home > Our expertise > Our people > Science Leadership > Professor Mike Berridge

Professor Mike Berridge

Programme Leader - Berridge Laboratory

Professor Mike Berridge completed a doctoral degree in cell biology at the University of Auckland in 1971 exploring the mechanism of action of plant growth hormones. Following postdoctoral research in developmental molecular biology at Purdue University, USA, and experience as a staff scientist at  National Institute for Medical Research, Mill Hill, UK, he returned to Wellington in 1976 as the second Malaghan Research Fellow where he established the Cancer Cell & Molecular Biology Research Group and was a founding scientist of the Wellington Cancer & Medical Research Institute, later renamed the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research in recognition of major personal support by Len and Anne Malaghan.

Mike received a James Cook Fellowship in the health sciences in 2003 and was awarded the Health Research Council Liley Medal for outstanding research on cellular metabolism in 2016. In the same year he was a semi-finalist in the KiwiBank New Zealander of the Year Awards.

Mike’s current research interests include cancer cell energy metabolism and mitochondrial gene transfer between cells in human disease. As a science communicator, he recently published “The Edge of Life” (2015), and “Sugar, Rum and Tobacco: Taxes and Public Health in New Zealand” with Lisa Marriott in 2017.  

BSc, MSc(Hons), PhD(Auckland)

Publications

2023

Dong LF, Rohlena J, Zobalova R, Nahacka Z, Rodriguez AM, Berridge MV, Neuzil J (2023). Mitochondria on the move: Horizontal mitochondrial transfer in disease and health. J Cell Biol. 222(3):e202211044

2022

Herst PM, Carson GM, Eccles DA, Berridge MV (2022). Bioenergetic and Metabolic Adaptation in Tumor Progression and Metastasis. Front Oncol. 12:857686. 2022

2021

2020

Grasso C, Field CS, Tang CW, Ferguson PM, J Compton B, Anderson RJ, Painter GF, Weinkove R, F Hermans I, Berridge MV (2020). Vaccines adjuvanted with an NKT cell agonist induce effective T-cell responses in models of CNS lymphoma. Immunotherapy.

Woodhead JST, D'Souza RF, Hedges CP, Wan J, Berridge MV, Cameron-Smith D, Cohen P, Hickey AJR, Mitchell CJ, Merry TL (2020). High-intensity interval exercise increases humanin, a mitochondrial encoded peptide, in the plasma and muscle of men. J Appl Physiol (1985).

Grasso C, Eccles DA, Boukalova S, Fabre M-S, Dawson RH, Neuzil J, Herst PM, Berridge MV. (2020) Mitochondrial DNA affects expression of nuclear genes involved in immune and stress responses in a breast cancer model. Frontiers in Physiology: Mitochondrial Research. 11: 543962. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2020.543962,

2019

Neuzil J, Berridge MV (2019) Mitochondria break through cellular boundaries. Aging (Albany NY) 11(13):4308-4309

Neuzil J, Dong L, Berridge M (2019) Cancer’s thieving ways. Australasian Science May/June, 38-39

Xiao AY, Maynard MR, Piett CG, Nagel ZD, Alexander JS, Kevil CG, Berridge MV, Pattillo CB, Rosen LR, Miriyala S, Harrison L (2019) Sodium sulfide selectively induces oxidative stress, DNA damage, and mitochondrial dysfunction and radiosensitizes glioblastoma (GBM) cells. Redox Biol 26:101220

Bajzikova M, Kovarova J, Coelho AR, Boukalova S, Oh S, Rohlenova K, Svec D, Hubackova S, Endaya B, Judasova K, Bezawork-Geleta A, Kluckova K, Chatre L, Zobalova R, Novakova A, Vanova K, Ezrova Z, Maghzal GJ, Magalhaes Novais S, Olsinova M, Krobova L, An YJ, Davidova E, Nahacka Z, Sobol M, Cunha-Oliveira T, Sandoval-Acuña C, Strnad H, Zhang T, Huynh T, Serafim TL, Hozak P, Sardao VA, Koopman WJH, Ricchetti M, Oliveira PJ, Kolar F, Kubista M, Truksa J, Dvorakova-Hortova K, Pacak K, Gurlich R, Stocker R, Zhou Y, Berridge MV, Park S, Dong L, Rohlena J, Neuzil J (2019) Reactivation of Dihydroorotate Dehydrogenase-Driven Pyrimidine Biosynthesis Restores Tumor Growth of Respiration-Deficient Cancer Cells. Cell Metab 29(2):399-416.e10

2018

Herst PM, Grasso C, Berridge MV (2018) Metabolic reprogramming of mitochondrial respiration in metastatic cancer. Cancer and Metastasis Reviews 37(4):643-653

Berridge MV, Herst PM, Rowe MR, Schneider R, McConnell MJ. (2018). Mitochondrial transfer between cells: Methodological constraints in cell culture and animal models. Anal Biochem.

Herst PM, Dawson, RH, Berridge MV (2018) Intercellular communication in Tumour Biology: A Role for Mitochondrial Transfer. Frontiers in Oncol 8:344

Bezawork-Geleta A, Wen H, Dong L, Yan B, Vider J, Boukalova S, Krobova L, Vanova K, Zobalova R, Sobol M, Hozak P, Novais SM, Caisova V, Abaffy P, Naraine R, Pang Y, Zaw T, Zhang P, Sindelka R, Kubista M, Zuryn S, Molloy MP, Berridge MV, Pacak K, Rohlena J, Park S, Neuzil J. (2018). Alternative assembly of respiratory complex II connects energy stress to metabolic checkpoints. Nat Commun.

2017

Book: Berridge M. The Edge of Life: Controversies and Challenges in Human Health. BWB Publishing, pp 1-118, September, 2015.  Berridge M, Marriott L. Sugar, Rum & Tobacco: taxes and public health in New Zealand. BWB Publishing, pp1-110, August, 2017

Herst PM, Rowe MR, Carson GM, Berridge MV. (2017) Functional Mitochondria in Health and Disease. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne).

Dong L-F, Kovarova J, Bajzikova M, Bezawork-Geleta A, Svec D, Endaya B, Sachaphibulkij K, Coelho AR, Sebkova N, Ruzickova A, Tan AS, Kluckova K, Judasova K, Zamecnikova K, Rychtarcikova Z, Gopalan V, Andera L, Sobol M, Yan B, Pattnaik B, Bhatraju N, Truksa J, Stopka P, Hozak P, Lam A, Sedlacek, R, Oliveira P, Kubista M, Agrawal A, Dvorakova-Hortova K, Rohlena J, Berridge MV, Neuzil J (2017) Horizontal transfer of whole mitochondria restores tumorigenic potential in mitochondrial DNA-deficient cancer cells. eLife

Berridge MV, Neuzil J (2017) The mobility of mitochondria: intercellular trafficking in health and disease. Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Physiology. 

2016

Waghorne CL, Corkran HM, Hunt-Painter AA, Niktab E, Baty JW, Berridge MV, Munkacsi AB, McConnell MJ, Timmer MS, Stocker BL (2016) N,N-Bis(glycityl)amines as anti-cancer drugs. Bioorg Med Chem

Roth I, Campbell H, Rubio C, Vennin C, Wilson M, Wiles A, Williams G, Woolley A, Timpson P, Berridge MV, Fleming N, Baird M, Braithwaite A (2016) The Δ133p53 isoform and its mouse analogue Δ122p53 promote invasion and metastasis involving pro-inflammatory molecules interleukin-6 and CCL2. Oncogene

Grasso C, Anaka M, Hofmann O, Sompallae R, Broadley K, Hide W, Berridge MV, Cebon J, Behren A, McConnell MJ (2016) Iterative sorting of CD133+ and CD133- melanoma cells indicates two phenotypically distinct populations.BMC Cancer

Berridge MV, McConnell MJ, Grasso C, Bajzikova M, Kovarova J, Neuzil J (2016) Horizontal transfer of mitochondria between mammalian cells: beyond co-culture approaches.Curr Opin Genetics Dev

Berridge MV, Schneider R, McConnell MJ (2016) Mitochondrial transfer from astrocytes to neurons following ischemic insult: guilt by association?Cell Metab

2015

Tan AS, Baty JW, Dong LF, Bezawork-Geleta A, Endaya B, Goodwin J, Bajzikova M, Kovarova J, Peterka M, Yan B, Pesdar EA, Sobo M, Filimonenko A, Stuart S, Vondrusova M, Kluckova K, Sachaphibulkij K, Rohlena J, Hozak P, Truksa J, Eccles D, Haupt LM, Griffiths LR, Neuzil J, Berridge MV (2015) Mitochondrial Genome Acquisition Restores Respiratory Function and Tumorigenic Potential of Cancer Cells without Mitochondrial DNA.Cell Metab

Berridge MV, Dong L, Neuzil J (2015) Mitochondrial DNA in tumor initiation, progression and metastasis: role of horizontal mtDNA transfer.Cancer Res

Berridge MV, Grasso C, Neuzil J (2015) Mitochondrial genome transfer to tumour cells breaks the rules and establishes a new precedent in cancer biology. Mol Cell Oncol

Tan AS, Baty JW, Dong LF, Bezawork-Gelata A, Endaya B, Goodwin J, Bajzikova M, Kovarova J, Peterka M; Yan B, Pesdar EA, Sobol M, Filimonenko A, Stuart S, Vondrusova M, Kluckova K; Sachaphibulkij K, Rohlena J, Hozak P, Truska J, Eccles D, Haupt L, Griffiths L, Neuzil J, BerridgeMV (2015) Mitochondrial Genome Acquisition Restores Respiratory Function and Tumorigenic Potential of Cancer Cells without Mitochondrial DNA. Cell Metabolism.

Berridge MV, Dong L, Neuzil J. (2015)  Mitochondrial DNA in tumour initiation, progression and metastasis: role of horizontal mtDNA transfer. Cancer Research (Invited Review accepted for publication).

2014

Tan AS, Baty JW, Berridge MV (2014) The role of mitochondrial electron transport in tumorigenesis and metastasis. Biochim Biophys Acta

2013

Herst PM, Berridge MV (2013) Cell hierarchy, metabolic flexibility and systems approaches to cancer treatment. Curr Pharm Biotechnol

Grasso C, Larsen L, McConnell M, Smith RA, Berridge MV (2013) Anti-leukemic activity of ubiquinone-based compounds targeting trans-plasma membrane electron transport.J Med Chem

2012

Matilainen H, Yu XW, Tang CW, Berridge MV, McConnell MJ (2012) Sphere formation reverses the metastatic and cancer stem cell phenotype of the murine mammary tumour 4T1, independently of the putative cancer stem cell marker Sca-1. Cancer Lett, 323:20-8

Meyer KJ, Singh AJ, Cameron A, Tan AS, Leahy DC, O'Sullivan D, Joshi P, La Flamme AC, Northcote PT, Berridge MV, Miller JH (2012) Mitochondrial genome-knockout cells demonstrate a dual mechanism of action for the electron transport complex I inhibitor mycothiazole. Mar Drugs, 10:900-17

2011

Broadley K, Larsen L, Herst PM, Smith RA, Berridge MV, McConnell MJ (2011) The novel phloroglucinol PMT7 kills glycolytic cancer cells by blocking autophagy and sensitizing to nutrient stress. J Cell Biochem, 112:1869-79

Herst PM, Howman RA, Neeson PJ, Berridge MV, Ritchie DS (2011) The level of glycolytic metabolism in acute myeloid leukemia blasts at diagnosis is prognostic for clinical outcome. J Leukoc Biol, 89:51-5

2010

Berridge MV, Herst PM, Tan AS (2010) Metabolic flexibility and cell hierarchy in metastatic cancer. Mitochondrion, 10:584-8

Berridge MV, Tan AS (2010) Effects of mitochondrial gene deletion on tumorigenicity of metastatic melanoma: reassessing the Warburg effect. Rejuvenation Res, 13:139-41

Mulchin BJ, Newton CG, Baty JW, Grasso CH, Martin WJ, Walton MC, Dangerfield EM, Plunkett CH, Berridge MV, Harper JL, Timmer MS, Stocker BL (2010) The anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and tuberculostatic activities of a series of 6,7-substituted-5,8-quinolinequinones. Bioorg Med Chem, 18:3238-51

Prata C, Grasso C, Loizzo S, Sega FV, Caliceti C, Zambonin L, Fiorentini D, Hakim G, Berridge MV, Landi L (2010) Inhibition of trans-plasma membrane electron transport: A potential anti-leukemic strategy. Leuk Res, 34:1630-5

Tan AS, Berridge MV (2010) Evidence for NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1)-mediated quinone-dependent redox cycling via plasma membrane electron transport: A sensitive cellular assay for NQO1.  Free Radic Biol Med. 48:421-9. Corrigendium, 48:978

2009

Appleton DR, Chuen CS, Berridge MV, Webb VL, Copp BR (2009) Rossinones A and B, biologically active meroterpenoids from the Antarctic ascidian, Aplidium species. J Org Chem, 74:9195-8

Berridge MV, Herst PM, Lawen A (2009) Targeting mitochondrial permeability in cancer drug development. Mol Nutr Food Res, 53:76-86

Berridge MV, Morre DJ (2009) Plasma membrane redox and cancer drug development. Preface. Biofactors 34:181-2

Herst PM, Davis JE, Neeson P, Berridge MV, Ritchie DS (2009) The anti-cancer drug, phenoxodiol, kills primary myeloid and lymphoid leukemic blasts and rapidly proliferating T cells. Haematologica 94:928-34

Tan AS, Berridge MV (2009) Differential effects of redox-cycling and arylating quinones on trans-plasma membrane electron transport. Biofactors 34:183-90

2008

Andreani A, Burnelli S, Granaiola M, Leoni A, Locatelli A, Morigi R, Rambaldi M, Varoli L, Landi L, Prata C, Berridge MV, Grasso C, Fiebig H-H, Kelter G, Burger AM, Kunkel MW (2008) Antitumor activity of bis-indole derivatives. J Med Chem, 51:4563-70

Chia EW, Pearce AN, Berridge MV, Larsen L, Perry NB, Sansom CE, Godfrey CA, Hanton LR, Lu G-L, Walton M, Webb VL, Copp BR, Harper JL (2008) Synthesis and anti-inflammatory structure-activity relationships of thiazine-quinoline-quinones: inhibitors of the neutrophil respiratory burst in a model of acute gouty arthritis. Bioorg Med Chem, 16:9432-42

Herst PM, Hesketh EL, Ritchie DS, Berridge MV (2008) Glycolytic metabolism confers resistance to combined all-trans retinoic acid and arsenic trioxide-induced apoptosis in HL60rho0 cells. Leuk Res, 32:327-33

Herst PM, Perrone GG, Dawes IW, Bircham PW, Berridge MV (2008) Plasma membrane electron transport in Saccharomyces cerevisiae depends on the presence of mitochondrial respiratory subunits. FEMS Yeast Res 8:897-905

Pearce AN, Chia EW, Berridge MV, Maas EW, Page MJ, Harper JL, Webb VL, Copp BR (2008) Orthidines A - E, tubastrine, 3,4-dimethoxyphenethyl-b-guanidine and 1,14-sperminedihomovanillamide: potential anti-inflammatory alkaloids isolated from the New Zealand ascidian Aplidium orthium that act as inhibitors of neutrophil respiratory burst. Tetrahedron 64:5748-55

2007

Herst PM, Berridge MV (2007) Cell surface oxygen consumption: a major contributor to cellular oxygen consumption in glycolytic cancer cell lines. Biochim Biophys Acta, 1767:170-7

Herst PM, Petersen T, Jerram P, Baty J, Berridge MV (2007) The antiproliferative effects of phenoxodiol are associated with inhibition of plasma membrane electron transport in tumour cell lines and primary immune cells. Biochem Pharmacol, 74:1587-95

McConnell MJ, Licht JD (2007) The PLZF Gene of t(11;17)-associated APL. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol, 313:31-48 

Pearce AN, Berridge MV, Harper JL, Maas EW, Perry NB, Webb VL, Copp BR (2007) Anti-inflammatory agents from New Zealand marine organisms. Chem NZ, 71:47-9 

Pearce AN, Chia EW, Berridge MV, Clark GR, Harper JL, Larsen L, Maas EW, Page MJ, Perry NB, Webb VL, Copp BR (2007) Anti-inflammatory thiazine alkaloids isolated from the New Zealand ascidian Aplidium sp.: inhibitors of the neutrophil respiratory burst in a model of gouty arthritis. J Nat Prod, 70:936-40

Pearce AN, Chia EW, Berridge MV, Maas EW, Page MJ, Webb VL, Harper JL, Copp BR (2007) E/Z-rubrolide O, an anti-inflammatory halogenated furanone from the New Zealand ascidian Synoicum n sp. J Nat Prod 70:111-3

Rish KR, Swartzlander R, Sadikot TN, Berridge MV, Smith A (2007) Interaction of heme and heme-hemopexin with an extracellular oxidant system used to measure cell growth-associated plasma membrane electron transport. Biochim Biophys Acta, 1767:1107-17

Sansom CE, Larsen L, Perry NB, Berridge MV, Chia EW, Harper JL, Webb VL (2007) An anti-proliferative bis-prenylated quinone from the New Zealand brown alga Perithalia capillaris. J Nat Prod, 70:2042-4 

2006

Copp BR, Pearce AN, Denny WA, Berridge MV, Harper JL, Perry NB, Larsen L, Godfrey CA (2006) "Anti-inflammatory compounds" Patent PCT/NZ2005/000246, published as WO06/031134

Herst PM, Berridge MV (2006) Plasma membrane electron transport: a new target for cancer drug development. Invited Review. Curr Mol Med, 6:895-904

Herst PM, Tan AS, Berridge MV (2006) The cell membrane as a target for cancer drug development: leukaemia cell survival and growth depends on plasma membrane electron transport (PMET). Exp Hematol, 34:67

2005

Berridge MV, Herst PM, Tan AS (2005) Tetrazolium dyes as tools in cell biology: new insights into their cellular reduction. Biotechnol Ann Rev 11:127-52

Herst PM, Levine DM, Berridge MV (2005) Mitochondrial gene knockout HL60rho0 cells show preferential differentiation into monocytes/macrophages. Leuk Res 29:1163-70

McNamara CE, Larsen L, Perry NB, Harper JL, Berridge MV, Chia EW, Kelly M, Webb VL (2005) Anti-inflammatory sesquiterpene-quinones from the New Zealand sponge Dysidea cf.cristagalli. J Nat Prod, 68:1431-3

Scarlett D-JG, Herst PM, Berridge MV (2005) Multiple proteins with single activities or a single protein with multiple activities: the conundrum of the cell surface NADH oxidoreductase(s). Biochim Biophys Acta - Bioenerg, 1708:108-19

Berridge MV, Scarlett DJ (2004) Plasma membrane electron transport: A common theme linking inflammation, cellular defense against stress and energy metabolism. NZ BioScience, 13:14-16

2004

Herst PM, Tan AS, Scarlett D-J, Berridge MV (2004) Cell surface oxygen consumption by mitochondrial gene-knockout cells. Biochim Biophys Acta Bioenerg, 1656:79-87

Kansara M, Berridge MV (2004) Hemopoietic cell transformation is associated with failure to down-regulate glucose uptake during the G2/M phase of the cell cycle. Exp Cell Res, 293:321-30

Kansara M, Berridge MV (2004) Oncogenes modulate cell sensitivity to apoptosis induced by glucose deprivation. Anticancer Res, 24:2503-10

Miller JH, Rouwe B, Gaitanos TN, Hood KA, Crume KP, Backstrom BT, La Flamme AC, Berridge MV, Northcote PT (2004) Peloruside A enhances apoptosis in H-ras-transformed cells and is cytotoxic to proliferating T cells. Apoptosis, 9:785-96

Scarlett DJ, Herst P, Tan A, Prata C, Berridge M (2004) Mitochondrial gene-knockout (p0) cells: A versatile model for exploring the secrets of trans-plasma membrane electron transport. BioFactors (in press)

Tan AS, Berridge MV (2004) Distinct trans-plasma membrane redox pathways reduce cell-impermeable dyes in HeLa cells. Redox Rep, 9:302-6