Research

Our lab is interested in understanding the role of cellular processes that are involved in the movement of molecules and organelles within a cell. We are involved in investigating these processes in the context of early development and disease. We use a combination of experimental techniques that range from large scale siRNA screens, reprogramming assays, biophysical techniques, and microscopy. We use embryonic stem cells, mouse embryos and fruitflies to address our research questions.

Our previous work has demonstrated that clathrin mediated endocytosis (CME) is critical for the maintenance of pluripotency of embryonic stem cells. Through CME, a balance in the levels of E-cadherin and signaling downstream of TGF-beta is maintained in embryonic stem cells. Any alteration in CME results in an imbalance, causing an exit from the pluripotent state (Narayana et al., 2019; Stem Cell Reports).

We further demonstrated that the loss of CME in embryonic stem cells results in an alteration in their physical properties, which are largely driven by changes in the organization of the actin cytoskeleton (Mote et al., 2020; J. Biol. Chem.).

We have also been investigating the role of cell-cell adhesion molecules, such as E-cadherin, in embryonic stem cells. Using E-cadherin knockout embryonic stem cells, we demonstrate that the stability and downstream transcriptional targets of beta-catenin (a molecule that physically interacts with E-cadherin) are dependent on the presence of E-cadherin and the differentiation state of the cell (Bhattacharyya et al., 2022; FEBS Letters).