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Cell Biology & Physiology Division

Dr. K. P. Mohanakumar

Scientist-G & Head
(PhD, Saurashtra University, Rajkot)
Contact - mohankumar@iicb.res.in

Current Research Interest

Neurodegenerative diseases – pathophysiology: Basis of neuronal loss in Parkinson’s disease, motor neuronal disorders and Huntington’s disease is investigated employing animal models, human postmortem brain tissues, primary cell cultures, cell lines and modified cell lines (cybrids). Analyses of behavioral abnormalities, neurotransmitter metabolism, reactive oxygen species, cellular events of apoptosis, calcium homeostasis, membrane potential/currents, mitochondrial functions and gene expression are carried out. What makes the substatia nigra dopaminergic neurons to die, whereas other dopaminergic neurons of the brain are spared is a major interest in the laboratory.

Neurodegenerative diseases - neuroprotection. Animal and cellular models are used for target identification and for drug screening. Novel molecules isolated from traditional medicines are tested in these models.

Neurodegenerative diseases – transplantation recovery: Stem cells are differentiated into dopaminergic neurons, characterized and transplanted in animal models of parkinsonism, and biochemical, neuronal and behavioral recoveries are monitored. Mechanisms of survival of the grafts, stereology, neurogenesis and brain loci for transplantation are of prime interest.

Facilities: Dedicated facilities include HPLC-electrochemistry, small brain stereotaxic apparatus, patch clamp amplifier, intracellular calcium assays, tools for protein separation and analysis including a Chemidoc system, PCR, real-time PCR, stereo-, fluorescent- and IR-DIC microscopes and a modern cell culture laboratory.

 

Names of the group members including regular staff with designation and research fellows:

Research fellows

Staff / on Contract

  1. Dr. Emili Benerjee (Research Associate, DBT)
  2. Mr. Tathagata Sengupta (SRF, CSIR)
  3. Ms. Ambili Appukuttan (SRF, CSIR)
  4. Ms. Debasmita Tripathy (JRF, CSIR)
  5. Mr. Joy Chakraborty (JRF, CSIR)
  6. Mr. Amit Naskar (JRF, DBT)
  7. Mr. Raghavendra Singh (JRF, CSIR)
  8. Mr. Debashis Dutta (JRF, CSIR)
  1. Mr. Debdas Guhathakurta, P.S.
  2. Mr. Gobinda Sardar (On Contract)

 

List of important Publications :

  1. Pandey M, Mohanakumar KP, Usha R. Mitochondrial functional alterations in relation to pathophysiology of Huntington’s disease. J. Bioenerg. Biomemb. DOI: 10.1007/s10863-010-9288-5
  2. Bhanja S, Mohanakumar KP. Early-life treatment of antiserotonin antibodies alters sensitivity to serotonin receptors, nociceptive stimulus and serotonin metabolism in adult rates. Int J Dev Neurosci. 2010 Feb 25. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2010.02.007]
  3. Borah A, Mohanakumar KP. Melatonin inhibits 6-hydroxydopamine production in the brain to protect against experimental parkinsonism in rodents. J Pineal Res 47, 293-300, 2009
  4. Pandey M, Borah A, Varghese M, Barman PK, Mohanakumar KP and Usha R Striatal dopamine level influences oxidative stress mediated neurodegeneration in 3-nitropropionic acid-induced Huntington’s disease. Neurochem Int 55, 431-4377, 2009.
  5. Borland MK, Mohanakumar KP, Rubinstein JD, Keeney PM, Xie J, Capaldi RA, Dunahm LD, Trimmer PA, Bennett Jr. JP. Relationships among molecular genetic and respiratory properties of Parkinson's disease cybrid cells show similarities to Parkinson's brain tissues. BBA – Molecular Basis of Disease, 1792, 68-74, 2009.   
  6. Varghese M, Pandey M, Samanta A, Gangopadhyay PK, Mohanakumar KP. Reduced NADH coenzyme Q dehydrogenase activity in platelets of Parkinson’s disease, but not Parkinson plus patients from an Indian population. J Neurol Sci, 279, 39-42, 2009.
  7. Borland MK, Trimmer PA, Rubinstein JD, Keeney PM, Mohanakumar KP, Liu L, Bennett Jr JP. Chronic, low-dose rotenone reproduces Lewy neurites found in early stages of Parkinson's disease, reduces mitochondrial movement and slowly kills differentiated SH-SY5Y neural cells. Molecular Neurodegeneration, 3:21, 2008.
  8. Pandey M, Varghese M, Sindhu KM, Sreetama S, Navneet AK, Mohanakumar KP, Usha R. Mitochondrial NAD+-linked State 3 respiration and complex-I activity are compromised in the cerebral cortex of 3-nitropropionic acid-induced rat model of Huntington’s disease. J. Neurochem. 2008 104(2): 420-434.
  9. Navneet AK, Appukuttan TA, Pandey M, Mohanakumar KP, Taurine fails to protect against 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine-induced striatal dopamine depletion in mice. Amino Acids 35, 457-461, 2008.
  10. Senthilkumar KS, Saravanan KS, Chandra G, Sindhu KM, Jayakrishnan A, Mohanakumar KP. Unilateral implantation of dopamine-loaded biodegradable hydrogel in striatum attenuates motor abnormalities in the 6-hydroxy dopamine model of hemi-parkinsonism. Behav Brain Res. 2007; 22; 184(1): 11-18.
  11. Saravanan KS, Sindhu KM, Mohanakumar KP. Melatonin protects against rotenone-induced oxidative stress in a hemiparkinsonian rat model. J Pineal Res. 2007; 42(3): 247-253.

 
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Updated on 23rd April,2010
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