Prof. Shweta Saran
School of Life Sciences,
Jawaharlal Nehru University,
New Delhi-110067, India
New Delhi, 110 067.
Telephone: (O) 011-26704521, (M) 09871382398
E-mail: ssaran@mail.jnu.ac.in;
shweta_saran@hotmail.com
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RESEARCH AREA
RESEARCH AREA
Cell and Developmental Biology
My laboratory is engaged in the study of cell differentiation using Dictyostelium discoideum as a model system. D. discoideum is a lower eukaryotic system having two terminally differentiated cell types, the dead vacuolated stalk cells and the viable spore cells. It is a very interesting organism because it serves as a link between prokaryotes and eukaryotes as it has both unicellular and multicellular stages incorporated in its life cycle. My laboratory is mainly interested in the programmed cell death that is, autophagic cell death. Dictyostelium genome has been completely sequenced but yet to be completely annotated. There are no caspases present but programmed cell death exists. At any given time during its development 15-20% of the cells are destined to die that is they show stalk cell like characteristics. Evidences have started coming in suggesting that this PCD is mainly in the form of autophagy cell death. Therefore, we are trying to understand the caspase-independent cell death program using this organism as a model system. Presently our work could be divided into the following areas:
1. Delineating the nutritional and energy stress (mTOR, AMPK, Sirtuins) pathways leading to autophagy.
2. Studying longevity/aging in this model system.
3. Understanding the biology of Huntingtin protein.
4. Role of calcium in cell differentiation in Dictyostelium.
5. Identification, classification and characterization of the homeobox containing genes.
6. Role of polyamines during development and differentiation.
7. Role of transglutaminase and finding of a novel peptide N-glycanase.
TEACHING
TEACHING
LS 431A- Life Sciences Practical II
LS 452A- Research design, ethics and scientific publishing
LS 580- Research design, ethics and scientific publishing
Ph.D. courses:
LS 601A- Research Methodology
LS 639A- Advanced Animal Developmental Biology
LS 613A- Term paper and Seminar
LAB MEMBERS
LAB MEMBERS
CURRENT MEMBERS
Afrozi Quaiser
Thesis Titile: Role of Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) during the growth, development and differentiation of Dictyostelium discoideum
Chanchal Choudhary
Thesis Title: Understanding the role of TCTP in Dictyostelium discoideum
July 2018
Anuranjan Ekka
Thesis Title: Role of CaMKKβ in calcium signaling and autophagy in Dictyostelium discoideum
July 2018
Saksham Gupta
Thesis Title: Role of p62 (Sqstm1) during nutrient
starvation on mitophagy in Dictyostelium discoideum
July 2019
Aashima Thankur
Thesis Title: Understanding the role of two-pore calcium channel in autophagy using Dictyostelium discoideum as a model system
July 2019
Bhavya Jain
Thesis Title: Crosstalk between autophagy and ubiquitin proteasomal system in Dictyostelium discoideum
July 2020
LAB ALUMNI
PhD Students:
1. Dr. Anuradha Gosain,
Thesis "Caspase independent cell death in Dictyostelium discoideum with respect to transglutaminases"
Co PI- Anju Shrivastava, Dept of Zoology, Univ of Delhi, Delhi (2012)
2. Dr. Pynshkhem Bok Swer
Thesis: "Exploring the TOR signalling pathway in Dictyostelium discoideum (2012)"
3. Dr. Rishikesh Kumar
Thesis: "Role ornithine decarboxylase in the development and differentiation programme of Dictyostelium discoideum
(2013)
4. Dr. Himanshu Mishra
Thesis Title "Homeobox genes in development and differentiation of Dictyostelium discoideum" (2013)
5. Dr. Rakhee Lohia
Thesis: "Role of Histone Deacetylases During Growth, Development and Differentiation of Dictyostelium discoideum
(2014)
6. Dr. Abhishek Singh
Thesis: "Analysis of the STRAP protein from Dictyostelium discoideum." (2015)
7. Dr. S Rafia
Thesis: "Characterization of sestrin gene and its involvement in autophagy using Dictyostelium discoideum as a model organism." (2016)
8. Dr. Rakesh Kumar
Thesis: "Characterization of the translationally controlled tumour protein (TCTP1) of Dictyostelium discoideum." (2018)
9. Dr. Ranjana Maurya
Thesis: "Analysis of AMP activated protein kinase (AMPK)in Dictyostelium discoideum" (2018)
10. Dr. Neha Gupta
Thesis "Identification, Characterization and Functional Analysis of EI24 Gene in Dictyostelium discoideum". (2018)
11. Dr. Punita Jain
Thesis: "Role of sirtuins in autophagy using Dictyostelium discoideum as a model system." Co- PI Prof. Anju Shrivastava, Dept of Zoology, Univ of Delhi (2019)
12. Dr.Priyanka Sharma
Thesis: "Role of Spermidine in the Autophagy in Dictyostelium discoideum".(2019)
13. Dr. Pooja Bhadoriya
Thesis "Cloning and expression analysis of huntingtin gene from Dictyostelium discoideum." (2019)
14. Dr. Mukul Jain
Thesis: "Understading the role of polyQ repeats in Dictyostelium discoideum. Co Bano Saidulla IGNOU Delhi" (2019)
15. Dr. Nalini Singh
Thesis "Understanding the role of calcium in autophagy using Dictyostelium discoideum as a model system." (2020)
16. Dr. Karan Singh Rajput
Thesis: "Characterization of PUF proteins from Dictyostelium discoideum." (2020)
17. Dr. Tasneem fatima
Thesis: "The role of AMPK, Sirt2D (homologue of human SIRT1) and autophagy in maintaining cellular homeostasis using Dictyostelium discoideum as a model system" (2024)
18. Dr. Madhubala Rathore
Thesis: "Two pore calcium channel during growth and development of D. discoideum"(2024) submitted
PUBLICATIONS
PUBLICATIONS
1.Rathore M, Thakur A, Saran S. (March 2024) Deletion of Dictyostelium tpc2 gene forms multitipped structures, regulates autophagy and cell-type patterning. Biol Cell. 2024 May;116(5):e2300067. doi: 10.1111/boc.202300067. Epub 2024 Mar 27. PMID: 38537110
2. Fatima T, Hadem IKH, Saran S. (2023 Nov 28) Metabolic signals influence cell-fate decisions in Dictyostelium discoideum. Cell Biochem Funct. 2023 Dec;41(8):1514-1525. doi: 10.1002/cbf.3892.
3. Kumar R, Saran S (2021) Comparative modelling unravels the structural features of eukaryotic TCTP implicated in its multifunctional properties: an in silico approach. J Mol Model. 2021 Jan 7;27(2):20. doi: 10.1007/s00894-020-04630-y.
4. Klionsky et al. (2021) invited author Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (4th edition Autophagy. 2021 Jan;17(1):1-382. doi:10.1080/15548627.2020.1797280. Epub 2021 Feb 8. PMID: 33634751
5. Kumar R, Maurya R, Saran S. Investigating the Role of Translationally Control Tumor Protein in Growth, Development and Differentiation of Dictyostelium discoideum. Front Cell Dev Biol. 2020 Aug 7;8:742. doi: 10.3389/fcell.2020.00742. eCollection 2020.
6. Begum Rasheedunnisa and Saran Shweta* (2020) Dictyostelium research in India. Invited for special issue in Int J of Dev Biol. (invited)
7. Maurya Ranjana, Kumar Rakesh and Saran Shweta (2020) AMPKα promotes basal autophagy induction in Dictyostelium discoideum. J of Cellular Physiology,1–13. DOI: 10.1002/jcp.29373
8. Rafia S and Saran S (2019) Data on the expression and purification of Sestrin protein from Dictyostelium discoideum. Data in Brief 23: 103733.
9. Pooja Bhadoriya, Mukul Jain, Geeta Kaicker, Bano Saidullah and Shweta Saran (2019) Deletion of Htt cause alterations in cAMP signaling and spatial patterning in Dictyostelium discoideum. J of Cellular Physiology 1-14
10. Rafia S and Saran S (2019) Sestrin-like-protein from Dictyostelium discoideum induces autophagy under starvation stress. Microbiological Research 220: 61-71
11. Nalini Singh, Karan Singh Rajput and Shweta Saran (2019) Overexpression of Calpain and its Effect on Autophagy in Dictyostelium discoideum. Annals of Biology 35 (2): 246-252.
12. Priyanka Sharma, Punita Jain, Anju Shrivastava, and Shweta Saran (2019) Can Autophagy Stop the Clock: Unravelling the Mystery in Dictyostelium discoideum. Chapter13 in Models, Molecules and mechanisms in biogerontology Ed: P C Rath, Springer.
13. Rakesh Kumar, Ranjana Maurya and Shweta Saran (2019)
Introducing a simple model system for binding studies of known and novel inhibitors of AMPK: atherapeutic target for prostate cancer. Journal of Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics, https://doi.org/10.1080/07391102.2018.1441069
14. Neha Gupta and Shweta Saran (2018) Deletion of ei24, a DNA-damage response gene abridged cell proliferation and aggregate-size in Dictyostelium discoideum. Int J Dev Biol. 62(4-5): 273-283.
15. Rakesh Kumar and Shweta Saran (2018) Structure, molecular dynamics simulation and docking studies of Dictyostelium discoideum and human STRAPs. J of Cellular Biochemistry 119(9): 7177- 7191.
16. Priyanka Sharma, Rishikesh Kumar and Shweta Saran (2018) Overexpression of Sadenosylmetionine decarboxylase impacts polyamine homeostasis during development of Dictyostelium discoideum. Int J of Dev Biol 62(9-10): 647-652.
17. Jubin T, Kadam A, Saran S, Begum R. (2019) Crucial role of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP-1) in cellular proliferation of Dictyostelium discoideum. J of Cell Physiology 234(5):7539- 7547.
18. Rakhee Lohia, Punita Jain, Mukul Jain, Pradeep Kumar Burma, Anju Shrivastava and Shweta Saran (2018) Deletion of Dictyostelium discoideum Sir2A impairs cell proliferation and inhibits autophagy. J of Biosciences 43(2) 351-364.
19. Punita Jain, Priyanka Sharma, Anju Shrivastava and Shweta Saran (2018) IN: “Topics in Biomedical Gerontology” SPRINGER.
20. Ranjana Maurya, Rakesh Kumar and Shweta Saran (2017) Dictyostelium AMPKα regulates aggregate-size and cell-type patterning Open Biology 7: 170055.
21. Rakesh Kumar, Ranjana Maurya and Shweta Saran (2017) Identification of novel inhibitors of the translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP): insights from molecular dynamics Molecular Biosystems, 13: 510. DOI:10 1039/c6mb00850j.
22. Himanshu Mishra, Pooja Bhadoriya and Shweta Saran (2017) Differentiation 94:27-36. 23. Punita Jain, Priyanka Sharma, Anju Shrivastava and Shweta Saran (2017) Dictyostelium discoideum: A Model System to Study Autophagy Mediated Life Extension. IN: “Topics in Biomedical Gerontology” SPRINGER.
24. Rakhee Lohia, Punita Jain, Mukul Jain, Bhumika Madan, Pradeep Kumar Burma and Shweta Saran (2017) Functional analyses of Dictyostelium discoideum Sir2D, an ortholog of human SIRT1. I J Dev Biol: DOI:10.1387/ijdb.160038ss.
25. Jubin T, Kadam A, Saran S, Begum R. (2016) Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase1 regulates growth and multicellularity in D.discoideum. Differentiation. 2016 Mar 25.
26. Klionsky et al. (2016) Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (3rd edition) Autophagy 12(1):1-222. (Invited author)
27. Pynskhem Bok Swer, Himanshu Mishra, Rakhee Lohia and Shweta Saran (2016) Overexpressionof TOR (target of rapamycin) inhibits cell proliferation in Dictyostelium discoideum Journal of Basic Microbiology doi: 10.1002/jobm.201500313)
28. Mishra H, Saran S. (2015) Classification and expression analyses of homeobox genes from Dictyostelium discoideum. J Biosci. 40(2):241-55.
29. Swer PB, Lohia R, Saran S. (2014) Analysis of rapamycin induced autophagy in Dictyostelium discoideum. Indian J Exp Biol. 52(4):295-304.
30. Gosain A, Srivastava A, Saran S. (2014) Peptide: N- glycanase is expressed in prestalk cells and plays a role in the differentiation of prespore cells during development of Dictyostelium discoideum. Indian J Exp Biol. 52(3):197-206.
31. Rishikesh Kumar, S Rafia, Shweta Saran (2014) Cloning, expression and characterization of Ornithine decarboxylase gene from Dictyostelium discoideum Int J Dev Biol 58: 669-676
32. Swer PB, Bhadoriya P, Saran S. (2014) Analysis of Rheb in the cellular slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum: cellular localization, spatial expression and overexpression. J Biosci. 39(1):75-84
33. Article on Shweta Saran, a researcher in the field of autophagy. Autophagy 9:3, 1–4; March 2013; © 2013 Landes Bioscience
34. Daniel J. Klionsky et al (2012) Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy. Autophagy 8(4): 445-544. (Invited author) edition 2
35. Anuradha Gosain, Rakhee Lohia, Anju Shrivastava and Shweta Saran (2012) Identification and characterization of peptide:N- glycanase from Dictyostelium discoideum. BMC Biochemistry, 13:9.
36. S. Saran and A. Goasain (2011) A Novel Peptide: N-glycanase from Dictyostelium discoideum ATLA 39, 55–99.
37. Divya R. Nair, Ratna Ghosh, Alzu Manocha, Debasisa Mohanty, Shweta Saran, Rajesh S. Gokhale (2011) Two Functionally Distinctive Phosphopantetheinyl Transferases from Amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum. Plos One, Volume 6, Issue 9, e24262
38. Ghosh R, Chhabra A, Phatale PA, Samrat SK, Sharma J, Gosain A, Mohanty D, Saran S, Gokhale RS. (2008) Dissecting functional role of polyketide synthases in Dictyostelium discoideum: Biosynthesis of differentiation regulating factor MPBB J Biol Chem. 283: 11348-11354.
39. Elisa Alvarez-Curto, Shweta Saran, Marcel Meima, Jenny Zobel, Claire Scott, and Pauline Schaap (2008) cAMP production by adenylyl cyclase G induces prespore differentiation in Dictyostelium slugs Europe PMC Funders Group January 08.
40. Elisa Alvarez-Curto, Shweta Saran, Marcel Meima and Pauline Schaap (2007), cAMP production by adenylyl cyclase G induces prespore differentiation in Dictyostelium slugs. Development, 134(5):959-66.
41. Elisa Alvarez-Curto, Shweta Saran, Marcel Meima, Jenny Zoebel, Claire Scott and Pauline Schaap Adenylyl cyclase G triggers prespore differentiation in Dictyostelium slugs (2007) https://openaccess.leidenuniv.nl/bitstream/handle/1887/12476/Back.pdf?sequence=12, chapter 1
42. Saran S and Schaap, P (2004) Adenylyl Cyclase G is activated by an Intramolecular Osmosensor. Mol Biol of the Cell 15: 1479-1486.
43. Muhia DK, Swales CA, Ludwig UE, Saran S Polly SD, Kelly JM, Schaap P, Krishna S and Baker DA (2003) Multiple splice variants encode a novel Adenylyl Cylase of possible plastid origin expressed in the sexual stage of the Malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. J Biol Chem 278: 22014-22022
44. Saran S, Meima ME, Curto EA, Weening KE, Rozen DE and Schaap P (2002, published in sep/oct 2003) cAMP signaling in Dictyostelium: complexity of cAMP synthesis, degradation and detection. J of Muscle Res and Cell Motility 23: 793-802.
45. Saran S (2000) Programmed Cell Death, Curr. Sci. 78(5): 575- 586
46. Saran S (1999) Calcium levels during cell cycle phase correlates with cell fate of Dictyostelium discoideum. Cell Biol. International 23(6):399-405
47. Saran S (1998) Changes in endogenous polyamine levels are associated with differentiation in Dictyostelium discoideum. Cell Biol. International 22(7/8):577-582
48. Azhar M, Krefft M, Saran S, Weeks G and Nanjundiah V (1998) Calcium levels correlate with cell cycle phase and affect the level of cyclin B transcript in Dictyostelium discoideum. FEMS Microbiol Lett 161(1):193-199
49. Azhar M. Saran S and Nanjundiah V (1995) Spatial gradients of calcium in the slug of Dictyostelium discoideum. Current Science 68:337-342
50. Saran S, Nakao H, Tasaka M, Iida H, Tsuji FI, Nanjundiah V and Takeuchi I (1994) Intracellular free calcium level and its re-sponse to cAMP stimulation in developing Dictyostelium cells transformed with jelly fish apoaequorin cDNA. FEBS Letters 337:43-47
51. Saran S, Azhar M, Manogaran P, Pande G and Nanjundiah V (1994) The level of Ca2+- chlortetracycline fluorescence in freshly starved amoeba of Dictyostelium discoideum as a predictor of cell fate. Differentiation 57:163-169
52. Nanjundiah V and Saran S (1992) Spatial patterning in Dictyostelium discoideum. J. of Biosciences 17:353-394
53. Kanungo M S and Saran S (1992) Methylation of DNA of brain and liver of young and old rats. Indian Journal of Biochemistry and Biophysics 29:49-53
54. Kanungo M S and Saran S (1991) Methylation, acetylation and phosphorylation of the bases of DNA of young and old rats. Indian Journal of Biochemistry and Biophysics 28:96-99
55. Prabhakaram M, Saran S, Singh A, Chakarvorty S and Singh SN (1987) Lactate and Succinate dehydrogenase in the cardiac and breast muscles of birds: a comparison in flying and non-flying birds. Cellular and Molecular Biology 33:111-115
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