Dr. Aruna Naorem

Dictyostelium discoideum cells respond to nutrient starvation by secreting cAMP and cAMP induced aggregation of unicellular amoebae into multicellular fruiting body which consists of three different types of differentiated cells: spores, stalk and basal disc cells. The starvation-induced developmental program is accompanied by changes in gene expression in a tightly controlled manner. The main aim of our laboratory is to understand the regulatory mechanisms both transcriptional and post-translational controls underlying cellular differentiation during starvation-induced development in D. discoideum. To achieve the aim, studies in the lab involve three different approaches - gene-specific transcription factors e.g. bZIP and genes regulated by them; Parvulins, a family of Peptidyl prolyl cis/trans isomerase (PPIase) in regulating the effector molecules such as transcription factors; cell cycle regulator, e.g. Wee family kinases, as cell cycle influences cell differentiation; and finally integration of the molecular events in understanding how the action of these regulatory protein in concert to achieve a complex process of cell differentiation during multicellular development.

Selected publications:

• Tanwar M, Khera L, Haokip N, Kaul R, Naorem A, Kateriya S. Modulation of cyclic nucleotide-mediated cellular signaling and gene expression using photoactivated adenylyl cyclase as an optogenetic tool. Sci Rep 21;7(1):12048, 2017.
• Haokip N, Naorem A. Functional characterisation of parvulin-type peptidyl prolyl cis-trans isomerase, PinA in Dictyostelium discoideum. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 482(2):208-214, 2017.
• Kalleda N, Naorem A, Manchikatla RV. Targeting fungal genes by diced siRNAs: a rapid tool to decipher gene function in Aspergillus nidulans. PLoS One. 8(10):e75443, 2013.