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Research overview |
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Project 1: Study on the molecular mechanisms of tip-organizer development in Dictyostelium: Organizers are critical components of the early developing embryo playing a key role in patterning and directing the differentiation of surrounding cells into specific tissues and organs. The embryonic organizer determines one or more developmental polarities during chordate development. Organizers have also been identified in simpler organisms, for example, the tip of the social amoeba Dictyostelium is an analogue of classical organizer.
Volatile ammonia plays a significant role in tip organizer development in Dictyostelium. We are investigating the role of monoamine oxidase-A (MAO-A) and adenosine deaminase related growth factor (ADGF) during tip formation in Dictyostelium. MAO-A catalyses the breakdown of serotonin and ADA degrades adenosine and both these reactions generate ammonia as a by-product that plays a significant role in Dictyostelium development. Thus, serotonin and adenosine signalling may play a fundamental role in tip formation in Dictyostelium.
Project 2: Role of adenosine deaminase related growth factor [adgf] in cell proliferation in Dictyostelium:
The annotated Dictyostelium genome is predicted to encode four different adenosine deaminases including an extracellular adenosine deaminase related growth factor (adgf). Cells carrying mutations in this gene (adgf), grow better than wildtype in minimal media but not in full media. We are addressing the mechanisms of how mutations in adgf helps the cells to grow better in almost starving conditions.
Project 3: Effect of clock time on transformation rates in Arabidopsis:
Arabidopsis is a pre-eminent plant model that is subjected to a variety of molecular genetic investigations and such studies always involve transformation. A commonly used method to transform involves using Agrobacterium. We are investigating if clock time influences transformation rates as the severity of infection is pronounced at certain times of the day suggesting a circadian component in determining how severe the infection (transformation) could be.
Project 4: Influence of seed age on the spontaneous, somatic mutation and meiotic recombination (MR) rates in Arabidopsis:
By taking advantage of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, where different detector lines facilitate easy quantitation of somatic mutations/ cross over rates, we are examining if differences in seed age affects the spontaneous somatic mutation rates (such as base substitution, frame shift, homologous recombination and transposition) and meiotic recombination rates in the ensuing generation.
PhD student: Yogendra Thakur
Project 5: A study on the role of plant hormones on meiotic recombination rates in Arabidopsis:
Project 6: A study on pollen competition in Arabidopsis hybrids:
Pollen-competition has been investigated in a number of plants but not much is known on this contest on a hybrid stigma or between hybrid pollens especially in reciprocal hybrids. If the competing pollens have different siring abilities in hybrids, that would suggest the direction of the cross (sex of the parent) having an influence on pollen competition. The major objective of the proposal is to evaluate the pollen reproductive fitness among cross-hybridized Arabidopsis thaliana ecotypes. Collaborator: David Honys, Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic.
Project 7: Does strigolactone signalling connect heat stress to increased meiotic recombination rates? A study in Arabidopsis:
In flowering plants such as Arabidopsis, increased growth temperature, increases meiotic recombination (MR) rates and the major aim of this study is to ascertain if this process is mediated by strigolactone signalling.
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