Umasankar Perunthottathu, Ph.D.
umasankar@nccs.res.in
Research Areas
Pathogenesis and Cellular Response, Cell Organization and Function, Stem Cells and Regeneration
Education
Scientist- E (2024), National Centre for Cell Science, Pune, Maharashtra, India
DBT-Ramalingaswami Faculty Fellow (2016-2024), Transdisciplinary Biology, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
Research Associate (2015-2016), Department of Cell Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
American Heart Association Postdoctoral Fellow (2013-2015), Department of Cell Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Postdoctoral Associate (2009-2012), Department of Cell Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Ph. D. Biotechnology (2008), National Centre for Cell Science, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, Maharashtra, India
Research Sabbatical (2006), Institute of Parasitology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
M.Sc. Microbiology (2002), Sardar Patel University, Anand, Gujarat, India
B.Sc. Microbiology (2000), Sardar Patel University, Anand, Gujarat, India
Research
The focus of my lab is to understand intracellular trafficking pathways and their regulatory mechanisms in development and disease. In particular, we are interested in investigating the regulatory mechanisms of clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME), a fundamental pathway for the internalization of macromolecules. In humans, CME is pivotal for signal transduction, neurotransmission, renal protein filtration, gastric digestion, iron and cholesterol homeostasis etc. CME is also a favourite route for the entry and dissemination of many viruses. The central theme of our research is to identify the regulatory switches of CME. We are intrigued to understand how these switches operate during vertebrate development, how they go awry in developmental anomalies and how they are hijacked by certain viruses. To accomplish our goals, we employ an integrated approach combining molecular, biochemical, cellular, and gene-editing tools in cultured cells and in our chosen model organism, Zebrafish (Danio rerio).
Publications and Patents
Selected Publications
| 1. |
Navyasree KV, Ramesh ST, Umasankar PK. Cholesterol regulates insulin-induced mTORC1 signaling. Journal of Cell Science, 2023, 136(22) https://doi.org/10.1242/jcs.261402 [First person- Kolaparamba V. Navyasree https://doi.org/10.1242/jcs.261779 |
| 2. |
Shikha RT, Navyasree KV, Sah S, Anjitha AB, Qathoon N, Mohanty S, Swain RK, Umasankar PK. BMP2K phosphorylates AP-2 and regulates clathrin-mediated endocytosis. Traffic. 2021, 22(11):377-396. https://doi.org/10.1111/tra.12814 |
| 3. |
Shikha RT, Navyasree KV, Anjitha AB, Qathoon N, Mohanty S, Swain RK, Umasankar PK. Allosteric feed-forward activation of AP-2 via FCHO-BMP2K axis promotes clathrin-mediated endocytosis. bioRxiv https://doi.org/10.1101/870899 |
| 4. |
Shijulal NS*, Umasankar PK*, E Sreekumar, Nair RR, Joseph I, Nori S, Philip JS, Prasad R, Navyasree KV, Shikha RT, Pillai H, Ghosh S, Santosh Kumar TR and Pillai MR. Mutational landscape and in silico structure models of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Receptor Binding Domain reveal key molecular determinants for virus-host interaction. BMC Molecular and Cell Biology. 2022, 23(1):2. (*Corresponding author) https://doi.org/10.1186/s12860-021-00403-4 |
| 5. |
Umasankar PK, Sanker S, Thieman JR, Chakraborty S, Wendland B, Tsang M, Traub LM. Distinct and separable activities of the endocytic clathrin-coat components Fcho1/2 and AP-2 in developmental patterning. Nature Cell Biology. 2012, 14:488-501. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncb2473. [News and views: Merrifield, C. Fishing for clathrin-coated pit nucleators. Nat Cell Biol 2012, 14, 452–454. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncb2497 |
| 6. |
Ma L*, Umasankar PK*, Wrobel AG*, Lymar A, McCoy AJ, Holkar SS, Jha A, Pradhan-Sundd T, Watkins SC, Owen DJ, Traub LM. Transient Fcho1/2.Eps15/R.AP-2 Nanoclusters Prime the AP-2 Clathrin Adaptor for Cargo Binding. Developmental Cell. 2016, 37(5):428-443. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.devcel.2016.05.003 |
| 7. |
Umasankar PK, Ma L, Thieman JR, Jha A, Doray B, Watkins SC, Traub LM. A clathrin coat assembly role for the muniscin protein central linker revealed by TALEN- mediated gene editing. eLife. 2014, 10.7554/eLife.04137. https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.04137. [*This manuscript was evaluated and accepted by Prof. Randy Schekman, Nobel Laureate, 2013]. |
| 8. |
Zaccai NR, Kadlecova Z, Dickson VK, Korobchevskaya K, Kamenicky J, Kovtun O, Umasankar PK, Wrobel AG, Kaufman JGG, Gray SR, Qu K, Evans PR, Fritzsche M, Sroubek F, Höning S, Briggs JAG, Kelly BT, Owen DJ, Traub LM. FCHO controls AP2's initiating role in endocytosis through a PtdIns(4,5)P2-dependent switch. Science Advances. 2022, 8(17): eabn2018. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abn2018 |
| 9. |
Chakraborty S, Umasankar PK, Preston GM, Khandelwal P, Apodaca G, Watkins SC, Traub LM. A phosphotyrosine switch for cargo sequestration at clathrin-coated buds. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 2014, 289:17497-17514. https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.m114.556589 |
| 10. |
Umasankar PK, Jayakumar PC, Shouche YS, Patole MS. Molecular characterization of the hexokinase gene from Leishmania major. Journal of Parasitology. 2005, 91:1504-1509. https://doi.org/10.1645/ge-502r1.1 |
Awards/ Honours/ Memberships
| Ramalingaswami Re-entry Fellowship, Department of Biotechnology, Government of India (2016-2024) |
| American Heart Association Postdoctoral Fellowship (2013-2015) |
| Travel Award, 10th International Conference on Zebrafish Development and Genetics, Madison, Wisconsin (2012) |
| Sabbatical Research Fellowship- Institute of Parasitology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada (2006) |
| Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Senior Research Fellowship (2005-2008) |
| Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Junior Research Fellowship (2003-2005) |
| Steering Committee Member, India Investigator Network |
| Life Member, Indian Society of Cell Biology |
| Member, International Zebrafish Society |
| Member, Indian Zebrafish Investigators |
| Member, American Heart Association |
Current/Past Lab Members
We are looking for highly motivated Ph.D. students, post-doctoral fellows, and post-graduate students to work on exciting aspects of clathrin-mediated endocytosis in development and disease. Interested candidates are encouraged to apply through NCCS, Pune.
Lab Alumni
Shikha T. Ramesh (PhD awarded, 2024)
Navyasree K.V. (PhD awarded, 2024)
Nishant Suman (MSc, Dissertation)
Sulagna Adhikary (MSc, Dissertation)
Krishnendu CL (MSc, Dissertation)
Merlin Jeejo (MSc, Dissertation)
Gopika BM (Project Assistant)
Lekshmi KS (Project Assistant)
Sneha Sah (Project Assistant)
Anjitha Ashok (Project Assistant)
Reshmi PB (Project Assistant)
Nishada Qathoon (Project Assistant)
Yedukrishnan M (Project Assistant)
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Last updated On : 04 December 2024 05:38