National Institute of Immunology New Delhi Scientific Reports for the Annual Meeting of Research Area Panels and Scientific Advisory Committee April 7 & 8, 2014 (For limited circulation only) Contents Page Programme 1 Publications and Patents 9 Research Project Reports A. Infection and Immunity 1. Plasmodium proteins involved in virulence and Agam P. Singh 19 host modulation: Host-parasite interactions in Plasmodium liver stages 2. Genetic and functional analyses of host and Akhil C. Banerjea 25 HIV-1 genes that affect progression of HIV-1 and development of nucleic acid based antiviral approaches 3. Understanding the regulation of intracellular Amitabha 29 transport: Role of GTPases Mukhopadhyay 4. Studies on immune response from antigen loaded Amulya K. Panda 33 biodegradable polymer particles and protein refolding from inclusion bodies 5. Study of mucosal immune responses Anna George 38 6. Analysis of Salmonella typhi-host cell interaction Ayub Qadri 43 7. Molecular basis of B cell responses Devinder Sehgal 47 8. Understanding the role of IRFs in dendritic cell Prafullakumar Tailor 51 development and innate immunity 9. Disorders of proliferation: Analysis of novel Rahul Pal 55 pathways and targets 10. Study of genetic and immune factors associated Rajni Rani 60 with autoimmune disorders: Type 1 diabetes and vitiligo 11. Study of immunotherapeutic potential of MIP and Sangeeta Bhaskar 67 the underlying mechanisms in animal models of tuberculosis and tumor 12. Analysis of antigen processing and presentation Satyajit Rath 71 13. Fine tunings of NF-κΒ signaling Soumen Basak 76 14. Biology of animal viruses Sudhanshu Vrati 81 15. Biology of T lymphocytes Vineeta Bal 83 B. Reproduction and Development 16. Cellular and molecular biology of cancer Anil Suri 88 17. Study on expansion and plasticity of bone marrow Asok Mukhopadhyay 95 stem cells 18. Regulation of cell death Chandrima Shaha 101 19. Cellular and molecular aspects of reproduction and Satish K. Gupta 105 viral infections 20. Studies of sertoli cells and spermatogonial stem Subeer S. Majumdar 112 cells of the testis and other endocrinology related research C. Molecular Design 21. Molecular mechanism of enzymatic reactions and Apurba K. Sau 117 enzyme-ligand interactions 22. Structural and functional studies of mycobacterial Bichitra K. Biswal 121 proteins 23. Molecular modelling of proteins and protein-ligand Debasisa Mohanty 125 complexes using knowledge-based approaches and all atom simulations 24. Structure, interaction and design studies involving Dinakar M. Salunke 131 regulatory peptides and proteins 25. Ribonucleases and heat shock proteins: Janendra K. Batra 135 Involvement in host defense 26. Role of carbohydrates in modulating the structure Kanwal J. Kaur 141 and function of glycopeptides 27. Structural studies on proteins, dynamics and ligand Monica Sundd 145 interactions using NMR 28. To develop strategies for making sensors and Pramod K. Upadhyay 148 actuators for biological processes 29. Protease-catalyzed splicing of peptide bond Rajendra P. Roy 154 30. Therapeutic interventions in chronic diseases: Sarika Gupta 157 Investigations on the effects of homocysteine on bone remodeling 31. Chemical glycobiology: Glycoproteomics and S. Gopalan 164 carbohydrate-based drug design Sampathkumar 32. Biophysical and biochemical characterization of Vidya Raghunathan 171 Leishmania phosphoglycerate kinase: An enzyme in the glycolytic pathway of parasitic protozoa D. Gene Regulation 33. Elucidating the molecular mechanisms of aging and Arnab Mukhopadhyay 174 innate immunity using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model system 34. Molecular biology of infectious diseases Lalit C. Garg 179 35. Epigenetic regulation of the eukaryotic genome: Madhulika Srivastava 184 Role of transcriptional insulators in organizing chromatin 36. Role of cell signaling in eukaryotic development Pushkar Sharma 189 37. Reconstructing the chemico-cellular trestle to Rajesh S. Gokhale 195 decipher biology of tuberculosis and vitiligo 38. Determining the signaling and repair pathways that Sagar Sengupta 198 are altered in human cancer using RecQ helicases as the model system 39. Understanding the regulation of DNA replication Sandeep Saxena 203 40. The role of tumor suppressors in stress response Sanjeev Das 209 41. Molecular analyses of the human and animal Sher Ali 215 genome(s) 42. Deciphering the role of cell signalling in M. Vinay K. Nandicoori 222 tuberculosis biology and in the function and dynamics of nucleoporins E. Ancillary Activities 43. Production of transgenic animals and development Subeer S. Majumdar 227 of new transgenic technologies Program for RAP/SAC Meeting (April 7, 2014) 09:00 Opening remarks M. Vijayan 09:10 Director’s address Chandrima Shaha Presentations by Principal Investigators Session A: Immune Response & Immune Regulation Page No. 09:30 Analysis of antigen processing and presentation 71 Satyajit Rath 09:50 Molecular basis of B cell responses 47 Devinder Sehgal 10:10 Study of mucosal immune responses 38 Anna George 10:30 Understanding the role of IRFs in dendritic cell 51 development and innate immunity Prafullakumar Tailor 10:50 Coffee break Session B: Immune Regulation & Reproduction 11:10 Disorders of proliferation: Analysis of novel 55 pathways and targets Rahul Pal 11:30 Study of genetic and immune factors associated with 60 autoimmune disorders: Type 1 diabetes and vitiligo Rajni Rani 11:50 Cellular and molecular aspects of reproduction and 105 viral infections Satish K. Gupta 12:10 Studies of sertoli cells and spermatogonial stem cells 112 of the testis and other endocrinology related research Subeer S. Majumdar 12:30 Lunch (at New Guest House) 1 Session C: Gene Regulation & Cell Signalling 13:50 Epigenetic regulation of the eukaryotic genome: 184 Role of transcriptional insulators in organizing chromatin Madhulika Srivastava 14:10 Understanding the regulation of DNA replication 203 Sandeep Saxena 14:30 Role of cell signalling in eukaryotic development 189 Pushkar Sharma 14:50 Molecular biology of infectious diseases 179 Lalit C. Garg 15:10 Cellular and molecular biology of cancer 88 Anil Suri 15:30 Coffee break 16:00 Group Interactions (Schedule on page 4) to 18:30 19:30 Dinner (Rose Garden, India International Centre) (A bus will leave NII campus at 19-15 hours) 2 April 8, 2014 Session D: Protein/Carbohydrate Engineering & Structural Biology 09:30 Chemical glycobiology: Glycoproteomics and 165 carbohydrate-based drug design S. Gopalan Sampathkumar 09:50 Structural studies on proteins, dynamics and ligand 145 interactions using NMR Monica Sundd 10:10 Protease-catalyzed splicing of peptide bond 154 Rajendra P. Roy 10:30 Molecular mechanism of enzymatic reactions and 117 enzyme-ligand interactions Apurba K. Sau 10:50 Role of carbohydrates in modulating the structure 141 and function of glycopeptides Kanwal J. Kaur 11:10 End of Presentations and Coffee break 11:40 Meeting with RAP/SAC Members, Directors and Coordinator 13:30 Lunch and conclusion of meeting 3 Schedule for Group Interactions Group A: Host-Pathogen Interaction Venue: Board Room (Third floor) Committee members: G. Padmanabhan, V.S. Chauhan, V. Nagaraja, D. Chatterjee 16:00 Chandrima Shaha 16:25 Agam P. Singh 16:50 Janendra K. Batra 17:15 Amitabha Mukhopadhyay 17:40 Akhil C. Banerjea 18:05 Ayub Qadri Group A: Cancer Biology & Cellular Differentiation Venue: Seminar Room I (Ground floor) Committee members: Subrata Sinha, Radhakrishna Pillai, S.C. Lakhotia, Uttam Surana 16:00 Sagar Sengupta 16:25 Pramod K. Upadhyay 16:50 Sanjeev Das 17:15 Asok Mukkhopadhyay 17:40 Arnab Mukhopadhyay 4 Group C: Immune Regulation & Chronic disease Venue: Seminar room # II (First floor) Committee members: Umesh Varshney, L.S. Shashidhara, Ranjan Sen, D.N. Rao 16:00 Vineeta Bal 16:25 Soumen Basak 16:50 Amulya K. Panda 17:15 Sangeeta Bhaskar 17:40 Sarika Gupta Group D: Gene Regulation & Structural Biology Venue: New Guest House (First floor) Committee members: M. Vijayan, Lalita Ramakrishnan, Shekhar Mande, B.J. Rao 16:00 Bichitra K. Biswal 16:25 Vinay K. Nandicoori 16:50 Sher Ali 17:15 Vidya Raghunathan 17:40 Debasisa Mohanty 5 Allocation of Principal Investigators for RAP/SAC review Reviewer Principal Investigators Page Prof. B.J. Rao Lalit Garg 179 Pushkar Sharma 189 Subeer Majumdar 112,227 Monica Sundd 145 Bichitre K. Biswal 121 Debasisa Mohanty 125 Vidya Raghunathan 171 Vinay K Nandicoori 222 Sher Ali 215 Prof. Dipankar Chatterji Apurba K. Sau 117 Rajendra P. Roy 154 Monica Sundd 145 Lalit C. Garg 179 Chandrima Shaha 101 Agam P. Singh 19 JK Batra 135 Amitabha Mukhopadhyay 29 Akhil C. Banerjea 25 Ayub Qadri 43 Prof. D. N. Rao S Gopalan Sampathkumar 165 Kanwaljeet Kaur 141 Vineeta Bal 83 Soumen Basak 76 Amulya K Panda 33 Sangeeta Bhaskar 67 Sarika Gupta 157 Prof. G. Padmanabhan Satish K. Gupta 105 Rajni Rani 60 Chandrima Shaha 101 Agam P. Singh 19 JK Batra 135 Amitabha Mukhopadhyay 29 Akhil C. Banerjea 25 Ayub Qadri 43 Prof. Lalita Ramakrishnan Rahul Pal 55 Anna George 38 Satyajit Rath 71 Bichitra K. Biswal 121 Debasisa Mohanty 125 Vidya Raghunathan 171 Vinay K. Nandicoori 222 Sher Ali 215 6 Prof. L. S. Shashidhara Rahul Pal 55 Anna George 38 Satyajit Rath 71 Rajni Rani 60 Vineeta Bal 83 Soumen Basak 76 Amulya K Panda 33 Sangeeta Bhaskar 67 Sarika Gupta 157 Prof. M. Vijayan Apurba K. Sau 117 Rajendra P. Roy 154 Monica Sundd 145 S Gopalan Sampathkumar 165 Vidya Raghunathan 171 Bichitra K. Biswal 121 Debasisa Mohanty 125 Vinay K. Nandicoori 222 Sher Ali 215 Prof. Radhakrishna Pillai Anil Suri 88 Sandeep Saxena 203 Rajendra P. Roy 154 Sagar Sengupta 198 Sanjeev Das 209 Asok Mukhopadhyay 95 Arnab Mukhopadhyay 174 Pramod K. Upadhyay 148 Dr. Ranjan Sen Prafullakumar Taylor 51 Devinder Sehgal 47 Madhulika Srivastava 184 Ranji Rani 60 Vineeta Bal 83 Soumen Basak 76 Amulya K. Panda 33 Sangeeta Bhaskar 67 Sarika Gupta 157 Prof. S. C. Lakhotia Prafullakumar Taylor 51 Madhulika Srivastava 184 Kanwaljeet Kaur 141 Sagar Sengupta 198 Sanjeev Das 209 Asok Mukhopadhyay 95 Arnab Mukhopadhyay 174 Pramod K. Upadhyay 148 7 Dr. Shekhar Mande S Gopalan Sampathkumar 165 Kanwaljeet Kaur 141 Satish K.