Biography
Current position
2021 Postdoc at the Department of Chemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
Previous positions
Postdoc at the Department of Physiological Sciences, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
Education
PhD, MSc (Biochemistry), Stellenbosch University, South Africa
BSc (Biotechnology), Stellenbosch University, South Africa
Research
My previous research focused on autophagy, a self-eating process whereby cells remove old and deleterious proteins and organelles. We investigated autophagy dynamics and underlying system properties using molecular and microscopy techniques as well as computational modelling.
In the Phan lab, I aim to investigate lipid and protein turnover in Oligodendrocytes in Schinzel-Giedion Syndrome (SGS) human cell model and mouse model using NanoSIMS and correlative imaging techniques. Oligodendrocytes function to myelinate neurons to improve electrical communication between cells. Children with SGS show significantly delayed myelination, suggesting significant problems in this cell type. Elucidating the molecular basis for dysfunction by investigating the effect of SETPB1/SET on lipid/protein turnover might provide novel targets to improve electrical signaling in the brain and reduce seizures in those afflicted.
Publications
Book Chapters
du Toit, A., Hofmeyr, J-H. S. and Loos, B. (2022) Measuring Autophagosome Flux. Imaging and Quantifying Neuronal Autophagy. Neuromethods, vol 171 (Editor; Loos B. and Wong E). Page: 67 – 78
du Toit, A., Hofmeyr, J-H. S. and Loos, B. (2020) Supply and Demand Analysis of Autophagy. Metabolic Flux Analysis in Eukaryotic Cells (Editor; Nagrath, D.). Page: 345 – 357
Swart, C., du Toit, A. and Loos, B. (2017) Cross-talk between autophagy and cell death pathways – towards understanding a system. Autophagy and Signaling (Editor; Wong, E.). Page: 45 – 51
du Toit, A., Hofmeyr, J-H. S. and Loos, B. (2017) Methods for measuring autophagosome flux – impact and relevance. Autophagy: Cancer, Other Pathologies, Inflammation, Immunity, Infection, and Aging (Editor; Hayat, M.A.). Page: 91 – 104
Articles
Willot, Q., du Toit, A., Terblanche, J. and Loos, B. (2021) Rapamycin induces autophagy and increases heat tolerance in Drosophila melanogaster. [Preprint]. DOI: 10.1101/2021.12.09.471892.
Kimania, S., Chakrabortya, S., Irene, I., de la Mare, J., Edkins, A., du Toit, A., Loos, B., Blanckenberg, A., van Niekerk, A., Costa-Lotufo, L.V., Arul Jothi, K.N., Mapolie, S. and Princea, S. (2021) The palladacycle, BTC2, exhibits anti-breast cancer and breast cancer stem cell activity. Biochemical Pharmacology, 190, 114598. DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2021.114598.
de Wet, S., du Toit, A. and Loos, B. (2021) Spermidine and Rapamycin reveal distinct autophagy flux response and cargo receptor clearance profile. Cells, 10(1), 95; DOI: 10.3390/cells10010095.
Theart, R.P., Kriel, J., du Toit, A., Loos, B. and Thomas R. Niesler, T.R. (2020) Mitochondrial event localiser (MEL) to quantitatively describe fission, fusion and depolarisation in the three-dimensional space. PLOS ONE 16(3): e0249162. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0249162.
Viviers, C., du Toit, A., Perold, W., Loos, B. and Hofmeyr, J-H. S. (2020) A Resistive Biosensor for the Detection of LC3 Protein in Autophagy. IEEE Sensors Journal. DOI: 10.1109/JSEN.2020.2970479
Loos, B., Klionsky, D.J., du Toit, A. and Hofmeyr, J-H. S. (2019) On the relevance of precision autophagy flux control in vivo – Points of departure for clinical translation. Autophagy, 11, 1 – 13. DOI: 10.1080/15548627.2019.1687211
Bleloch, J. S., du Toit, A., Gibhard, L., Kimani, S., Ballim, R. D., Lee, M., Blanckenberg, A., Mapolie, S., Wiesner, L., Ben Loos, B. and Prince, S. (2019) The palladacycle complex AJ-5 induces apoptotic cell death while reducing autophagic flux in rhabdomyosarcoma cells Cell Death Discovery, 5(60), DOI:10.1038/s41420-019-0139-9
du Toit, A., De Wet, S., Hofmeyr, J-H. S., Müller-Nedebock, K. K. and Loos, B. (2018) The Precision Control of Autophagic Flux and Vesicle Dynamics – A Micropattern Approach. Cells, 7(8), 94. DOI:10.3390/cells7080094
du Toit, A., Hofmeyr, J-H. S., Gniadek, T. J. and Loos, B. (2018) Measuring autophagosome flux. Autophagy, 14(6), 1060 – 1071. DOI: 10.1080/15548627.2018.1469590
van Niekerk, G., du Toit, A., Loos, B. and Engelbrecht, A-M. (2018) Nutrient excess and autophagic deficiency: explaining metabolic diseases in obesity. Metabolism: Clinical and Experimental, 82, 14 – 21. DOI: 10.1016/j.metabol.2017.12.007
Ntsapi, C., Lumkwana, D., Swart, C., du Toit, A. and Loos, B. (2018) New insights into autophagy dysfunction related to Amyloid beta toxicity and neuropathology in Alzheimer’s disease. International Review of Cell and Molecular Biology, 336, 321 – 361. DOI: 10.1016/bs.ircmb.2017.07.002
Lumkwana, D., du Toit, A., Kinnear, C. and Loos, B. (2017) Autophagic flux control in neurodegeneration: Progress and precision targeting—Where do we stand? Progress in Neurobiology, 153, 64 – 85. DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2017.03.006
Klionsky, D.J., Abdelmohsen, K., Abe, A., … , du Toit, A, … , Zughaier, S. M. (2015) Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (3rd edition). Autophagy, 12(1) 1 – 222. DOI: 10.1080/15548627.2015.1100356
Loos, B., du Toit, A. and Hofmeyr, J-H. S. (2014) Defining and measuring autophagosome flux – concept and reality. Autophagy, 10, 2086 – 2096. DOI: 10.4161/15548627.2014.973338