Dr Rhona McGonigal
- Research Fellow (Immunology & Infection)
telephone:
01413308389
email:
Rhona.Mcgonigal@glasgow.ac.uk
School of Infection & Immunity, Sir Graeme Davis Building, Room B334
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9571-2526Biography
Senior post-doctoral researcher in the field of translational neuroimmunology.
I have many years of experience developing and characterising ex vivo and in vivo models of immune-mediated nerve injury. I have used these models to assess therapeutic interventions, some of which are now undergoing clinical trial.
Publications
2023
Cunningham, M. E. , McGonigal, R. , Barrie, J. A., Campbell, C. I., Yao, D. and Willison, H. J. (2023) Axolemmal nanoruptures arising from paranodal membrane injury induce secondary axon degeneration in murine Guillain-Barré syndrome. Journal of the Peripheral Nervous System, 28(1), pp. 17-31. (doi: 10.1111/jns.12532) (PMID:36710500)
McGonigal, R. , Cunningham, M. E. , Smyth, D., Chou, M., Barrie, J. A., Wilkie, A., Campbell, C., Saatman, K. E., Lunn, M. and Willison, H. J. (2023) The endogenous calpain inhibitor calpastatin attenuates axon degeneration in murine Guillain-Barré syndrome. Journal of the Peripheral Nervous System, 28(1), pp. 4-16. (doi: 10.1111/jns.12520) (PMID:36335586)
2022
McGonigal, R. and Willison, H. J. (2022) The role of gangliosides in the organisation of the node of Ranvier examined in glycosyltransferase transgenic mice. Journal of Anatomy, 241(5), pp. 1259-1271. (doi: 10.1111/joa.13562) (PMID:34605014) (PMCID:PMC9558150)
Cunningham, M. E. , McGonigal, R. , Barrie, J. A., Yao, D. and Willison, H. J. (2022) Real time imaging of intra-axonal calcium flux in an explant mouse model of axonal Guillain-Barré syndrome. Experimental Neurology, 355, 114127. (doi: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2022.114127) (PMID:35640716) (PMCID:PMC7614209)
McGonigal, R. , Campbell, C. I., Barrie, J. A., Yao, D., Cunningham, M. E. , Crawford, C. L., Rinaldi, S., Rowan, E. G. and Willison, H. J. (2022) Schwann cell nodal membrane disruption triggers bystander axonal degeneration in a Guillain-Barré syndrome mouse model. Journal of Clinical Investigation, 132(14), e158524. (doi: 10.1172/JCI158524) (PMID:35671105) (PMCID:PMC9282931)
Campbell, C. I., McGonigal, R. , Barrie, J. A., Delaere, J., Bracke, L., Cunningham, M. E. , Yao, D., Delahaye, T., Van de Walle, I. and Willison, H. J. (2022) Complement inhibition prevents glial nodal membrane injury in a GM1 antibody-mediated mouse model. Brain Communications, 4(6), fcac306. (doi: 10.1093/braincomms/fcac306) (PMID:36523267) (PMCID:PMC9746686)
2021
McGonigal, R. , Barrie, J. A., Yao, D., Black, L. E. , McLaughlin, M. and Willison, H. J. (2021) Neuronally expressed a-series gangliosides are sufficient to prevent the lethal age-dependent phenotype in GM3-only expressing mice. Journal of Neurochemistry, 158(2), pp. 217-232. (doi: 10.1111/jnc.15365) (PMID:33864399)
2020
Cunningham, M. E. , Meehan, G. R. , Robinson, S., Yao, D., McGonigal, R. and Willison, H. J. (2020) Perisynaptic Schwann cells phagocytose nerve terminal debris in a mouse model of Guillain-Barré syndrome. Journal of the Peripheral Nervous System, 25(2), pp. 143-151. (doi: 10.1111/jns.12373) (PMID:32250537)
2019
McGonigal, R. , Barrie, J.A., Yao, D., McLaughlin, M. , Cunningham, M.E. , Rowan, E.G. and Willison, H.J. (2019) Glial sulfatides and neuronal complex gangliosides are functionally interdependent in maintaining myelinating axon integrity. Journal of Neuroscience, 39(1), pp. 63-77. (doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2095-18.2018) (PMID:30446529) (PMCID:PMC6325269)
2018
Meehan, G. R. , McGonigal, R. , Cunningham, M. E. , Wang, Y., Barrie, J. A., Halstead, S. K., Gourlay, D., Yao, D. and Willison, H. J. (2018) Differential binding patterns of anti-sulfatide antibodies to glial membranes. Journal of Neuroimmunology, 323, pp. 28-35. (doi: 10.1016/j.jneuroim.2018.07.004) (PMID:30196830) (PMCID:PMC6134133)
Whitehead, M. J., McGonigal, R. , Willison, H. J. and Barnett, S. C. (2018) Heparanase attenuates axon degeneration following sciatic nerve transection. Scientific Reports, 8, 5219. (doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-23070-6) (PMID:29581478) (PMCID:PMC5980233)
2017
Bahey, N. G., Gadalla, K. K.E. , McGonigal, R. , Bailey, M. E.S. , Edgar, J. M. and Cobb, S. R. (2017) Reduced axonal diameter of peripheral nerve fibres in a mouse model of Rett syndrome. Neuroscience, 358, pp. 261-268. (doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2017.06.061)
Kleinecke, S. et al. (2017) Peroxisomal dysfunctions cause lysosomal storage and axonal Kv1 channel redistribution in peripheral neuropathy. eLife, 6, e23332. (doi: 10.7554/elife.23332) (PMID:28470148) (PMCID:PMC5417850)
2016
Cunningham, M. , McGonigal, R. , Meehan, G. R. , Barrie, J. A., Yao, D., Halstead, S. K. and Willison, H. J. (2016) Anti-ganglioside antibodies are removed from circulation in mice by neuronal endocytosis. Brain, 139(6), pp. 1657-1665. (doi: 10.1093/brain/aww056) (PMID:27017187) (PMCID:PMC4892750)
McGonigal, R. , Cunningham, M. E. , Yao, D., Barrie, J. A., Sankaranarayanan, S., Fewou, S. N., Furukawa, K., Yednock, T. A. and Willison, H. J. (2016) C1q-targeted inhibition of the classical complement pathway prevents injury in a novel mouse model of acute motor axonal neuropathy. Acta Neuropathologica Communications, 4, 23. (doi: 10.1186/s40478-016-0291-x) (PMID:26936605) (PMCID:PMC4776408)
2014
Tabatadze, N., McGonigal, R. , Neve, R. L. and Routtenberg, A. (2014) Activity-dependent Wnt 7 dendritic targeting in hippocampal neurons: plasticity- and tagging-related retrograde signaling mechanism? Hippocampus, 24(4), pp. 455-465. (doi: 10.1002/hipo.22239) (PMID:24375790)
Galban-Horcajo, F., Halstead, S. K., McGonigal, R. and Willison, H. J. (2014) The application of glycosphingolipid arrays to autoantibody detection in neuroimmunological disorders. Current Opinion in Chemical Biology, 18, pp. 78-86. (doi: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2014.01.008)
Yao, D. et al. (2014) Neuronal expression of galnac transferase is sufficient to prevent the age-related neurodegenerative phenotype of complex ganglioside-deficient mice. Journal of Neuroscience, 34(3), pp. 880-891. (doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3996-13.2014)
2013
Rupp, A.F., Galban-Horcajo, F., Bianchi, E., Dondi, M., Penderis, J., Cappell, J., Burgess, K., Matiasek, K., McGonigal, R. and Willison, H.J. (2013) Anti-GM2 ganglioside antibodies are a biomarker for acute canine polyradiculoneuritis. Journal of the Peripheral Nervous System, 18(1), pp. 75-88. (doi: 10.1111/jns5.12011) (PMID:23521648)
2012
McGonigal, R. , Tabatadze, N. and Routtenberg, A. (2012) Selective presynaptic terminal remodeling induced by spatial, but not cued, learning: a quantitative confocal study. Hippocampus, 22(6), pp. 1242-1255. (doi: 10.1002/hipo.20998) (PMID:22180136) (PMCID:PMC3311714)
Routtenberg, A., Tabatadze, N. and McGonigal, R. (2012) Delayed yet persistent hippocampal molecular and structural alteration after learning: new players in the debate on time-dependent long-lasting memory processes. Hippocampus, 22(6), pp. 1225-1227. (doi: 10.1002/hipo.20976) (PMID:22180004)
Tabatadze, N., Tomas, C., McGonigal, R. , Lin, B., Schook, A. and Routtenberg, A. (2012) Wnt transmembrane signaling and long-term spatial memory. Hippocampus, 22(6), pp. 1228-1241. (doi: 10.1002/hipo.20991) (PMID:22180023) (PMCID:PMC3311779)
2010
McGonigal, R. , Rowan, E.G., Greenshields, K.N., Halstead, S.K., Humphreys, P.D., Rother, R.P., Furukawa, K. and Willison, H.J. (2010) Anti-GD1a antibodies activate complement and calpain to injure distal motor nodes of Ranvier in mice. Brain, 133(7), pp. 1944-1960. (doi: 10.1093/brain/awq119)
Articles
Cunningham, M. E. , McGonigal, R. , Barrie, J. A., Campbell, C. I., Yao, D. and Willison, H. J. (2023) Axolemmal nanoruptures arising from paranodal membrane injury induce secondary axon degeneration in murine Guillain-Barré syndrome. Journal of the Peripheral Nervous System, 28(1), pp. 17-31. (doi: 10.1111/jns.12532) (PMID:36710500)
McGonigal, R. , Cunningham, M. E. , Smyth, D., Chou, M., Barrie, J. A., Wilkie, A., Campbell, C., Saatman, K. E., Lunn, M. and Willison, H. J. (2023) The endogenous calpain inhibitor calpastatin attenuates axon degeneration in murine Guillain-Barré syndrome. Journal of the Peripheral Nervous System, 28(1), pp. 4-16. (doi: 10.1111/jns.12520) (PMID:36335586)
McGonigal, R. and Willison, H. J. (2022) The role of gangliosides in the organisation of the node of Ranvier examined in glycosyltransferase transgenic mice. Journal of Anatomy, 241(5), pp. 1259-1271. (doi: 10.1111/joa.13562) (PMID:34605014) (PMCID:PMC9558150)
Cunningham, M. E. , McGonigal, R. , Barrie, J. A., Yao, D. and Willison, H. J. (2022) Real time imaging of intra-axonal calcium flux in an explant mouse model of axonal Guillain-Barré syndrome. Experimental Neurology, 355, 114127. (doi: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2022.114127) (PMID:35640716) (PMCID:PMC7614209)
McGonigal, R. , Campbell, C. I., Barrie, J. A., Yao, D., Cunningham, M. E. , Crawford, C. L., Rinaldi, S., Rowan, E. G. and Willison, H. J. (2022) Schwann cell nodal membrane disruption triggers bystander axonal degeneration in a Guillain-Barré syndrome mouse model. Journal of Clinical Investigation, 132(14), e158524. (doi: 10.1172/JCI158524) (PMID:35671105) (PMCID:PMC9282931)
Campbell, C. I., McGonigal, R. , Barrie, J. A., Delaere, J., Bracke, L., Cunningham, M. E. , Yao, D., Delahaye, T., Van de Walle, I. and Willison, H. J. (2022) Complement inhibition prevents glial nodal membrane injury in a GM1 antibody-mediated mouse model. Brain Communications, 4(6), fcac306. (doi: 10.1093/braincomms/fcac306) (PMID:36523267) (PMCID:PMC9746686)
McGonigal, R. , Barrie, J. A., Yao, D., Black, L. E. , McLaughlin, M. and Willison, H. J. (2021) Neuronally expressed a-series gangliosides are sufficient to prevent the lethal age-dependent phenotype in GM3-only expressing mice. Journal of Neurochemistry, 158(2), pp. 217-232. (doi: 10.1111/jnc.15365) (PMID:33864399)
Cunningham, M. E. , Meehan, G. R. , Robinson, S., Yao, D., McGonigal, R. and Willison, H. J. (2020) Perisynaptic Schwann cells phagocytose nerve terminal debris in a mouse model of Guillain-Barré syndrome. Journal of the Peripheral Nervous System, 25(2), pp. 143-151. (doi: 10.1111/jns.12373) (PMID:32250537)
McGonigal, R. , Barrie, J.A., Yao, D., McLaughlin, M. , Cunningham, M.E. , Rowan, E.G. and Willison, H.J. (2019) Glial sulfatides and neuronal complex gangliosides are functionally interdependent in maintaining myelinating axon integrity. Journal of Neuroscience, 39(1), pp. 63-77. (doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2095-18.2018) (PMID:30446529) (PMCID:PMC6325269)
Meehan, G. R. , McGonigal, R. , Cunningham, M. E. , Wang, Y., Barrie, J. A., Halstead, S. K., Gourlay, D., Yao, D. and Willison, H. J. (2018) Differential binding patterns of anti-sulfatide antibodies to glial membranes. Journal of Neuroimmunology, 323, pp. 28-35. (doi: 10.1016/j.jneuroim.2018.07.004) (PMID:30196830) (PMCID:PMC6134133)
Whitehead, M. J., McGonigal, R. , Willison, H. J. and Barnett, S. C. (2018) Heparanase attenuates axon degeneration following sciatic nerve transection. Scientific Reports, 8, 5219. (doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-23070-6) (PMID:29581478) (PMCID:PMC5980233)
Bahey, N. G., Gadalla, K. K.E. , McGonigal, R. , Bailey, M. E.S. , Edgar, J. M. and Cobb, S. R. (2017) Reduced axonal diameter of peripheral nerve fibres in a mouse model of Rett syndrome. Neuroscience, 358, pp. 261-268. (doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2017.06.061)
Kleinecke, S. et al. (2017) Peroxisomal dysfunctions cause lysosomal storage and axonal Kv1 channel redistribution in peripheral neuropathy. eLife, 6, e23332. (doi: 10.7554/elife.23332) (PMID:28470148) (PMCID:PMC5417850)
Cunningham, M. , McGonigal, R. , Meehan, G. R. , Barrie, J. A., Yao, D., Halstead, S. K. and Willison, H. J. (2016) Anti-ganglioside antibodies are removed from circulation in mice by neuronal endocytosis. Brain, 139(6), pp. 1657-1665. (doi: 10.1093/brain/aww056) (PMID:27017187) (PMCID:PMC4892750)
McGonigal, R. , Cunningham, M. E. , Yao, D., Barrie, J. A., Sankaranarayanan, S., Fewou, S. N., Furukawa, K., Yednock, T. A. and Willison, H. J. (2016) C1q-targeted inhibition of the classical complement pathway prevents injury in a novel mouse model of acute motor axonal neuropathy. Acta Neuropathologica Communications, 4, 23. (doi: 10.1186/s40478-016-0291-x) (PMID:26936605) (PMCID:PMC4776408)
Tabatadze, N., McGonigal, R. , Neve, R. L. and Routtenberg, A. (2014) Activity-dependent Wnt 7 dendritic targeting in hippocampal neurons: plasticity- and tagging-related retrograde signaling mechanism? Hippocampus, 24(4), pp. 455-465. (doi: 10.1002/hipo.22239) (PMID:24375790)
Galban-Horcajo, F., Halstead, S. K., McGonigal, R. and Willison, H. J. (2014) The application of glycosphingolipid arrays to autoantibody detection in neuroimmunological disorders. Current Opinion in Chemical Biology, 18, pp. 78-86. (doi: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2014.01.008)
Yao, D. et al. (2014) Neuronal expression of galnac transferase is sufficient to prevent the age-related neurodegenerative phenotype of complex ganglioside-deficient mice. Journal of Neuroscience, 34(3), pp. 880-891. (doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3996-13.2014)
Rupp, A.F., Galban-Horcajo, F., Bianchi, E., Dondi, M., Penderis, J., Cappell, J., Burgess, K., Matiasek, K., McGonigal, R. and Willison, H.J. (2013) Anti-GM2 ganglioside antibodies are a biomarker for acute canine polyradiculoneuritis. Journal of the Peripheral Nervous System, 18(1), pp. 75-88. (doi: 10.1111/jns5.12011) (PMID:23521648)
McGonigal, R. , Tabatadze, N. and Routtenberg, A. (2012) Selective presynaptic terminal remodeling induced by spatial, but not cued, learning: a quantitative confocal study. Hippocampus, 22(6), pp. 1242-1255. (doi: 10.1002/hipo.20998) (PMID:22180136) (PMCID:PMC3311714)
Routtenberg, A., Tabatadze, N. and McGonigal, R. (2012) Delayed yet persistent hippocampal molecular and structural alteration after learning: new players in the debate on time-dependent long-lasting memory processes. Hippocampus, 22(6), pp. 1225-1227. (doi: 10.1002/hipo.20976) (PMID:22180004)
Tabatadze, N., Tomas, C., McGonigal, R. , Lin, B., Schook, A. and Routtenberg, A. (2012) Wnt transmembrane signaling and long-term spatial memory. Hippocampus, 22(6), pp. 1228-1241. (doi: 10.1002/hipo.20991) (PMID:22180023) (PMCID:PMC3311779)
McGonigal, R. , Rowan, E.G., Greenshields, K.N., Halstead, S.K., Humphreys, P.D., Rother, R.P., Furukawa, K. and Willison, H.J. (2010) Anti-GD1a antibodies activate complement and calpain to injure distal motor nodes of Ranvier in mice. Brain, 133(7), pp. 1944-1960. (doi: 10.1093/brain/awq119)
Grants
Grants and Awards listed are those received whilst working with the University of Glasgow.
- Developing a new mouse model to investigate the autoimmune paralytic nervous system disease Guillain-Barr syndrome
The Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland
2019 - 2020
- Identifying new human therapeutic targets in mouse models of GBS
GBS/CIDP Foundation International
2015 - 2016
Research datasets
2023
Cunningham, M. and McGonigal, R. (2023) Axolemmal nanoruptures arising from paranodal membrane injury induce secondary axon degeneration in murine Guillain-Barre syndrome. [Data Collection]
2022
McGonigal, R. , Cunningham, M. , Smyth, D., Chou, M., Barrie, J., Wilkie, A., Campbell, C., Saatman, K. E., Lunn, M. and Willison, H. (2022) The endogenous calpain inhibitor calpastatin attenuates axon degeneration in murine Guillain-Barré syndrome. [Data Collection]
