Specialisation: Biochemistry/Cell Biology

Academic qualifications:

• University of Calcutta : B. Sc. (Chemistry Honours)
• University of Calcutta : M. Sc. (Biochemistry)
• Jadavpur University : Ph.D. (Science)

Positions held/ holding:

• Reader: July 2005-July 2008
• Associate Professor: July 2008-April 2015
• Professor: April 2015-till date

Research interests:

Area A:
Phosphoinositides, i.e. inositol phospholipids and their kinases play major role during cell motility, cell morphology, intracellular trafficking and gene expression as a constituent of biomembranes and as important signaling molecules.

The main focus of the laboratory is to elucidate:

1. Role of cell cycle phases and SUMOylation in the subnuclear distribution and function of a phosphoinositide kinase (PI4P5 kinase) using biochemical and microscopic approaches.

2. Interaction of PI4P5 kinase with chromatin: a role in gene expression

3. Role of SUMOylation of the kinase during cellular stress e.g. apoptosis

Area B:

Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation (SNF):

The aim of our laboratory is to dissect:

1.The regulatory mechanism of oxygen binding by leghemoglobin, essential for SNF by legume-rhizobia interaction using biochemical and computer modelling studies

2. The role of protein-protein interactions with leghemoglobin expressed during late stage of nodulation by using biochemical and Agrobacterium mediated hairy root knock-down approaches

Projects:

• DST (Central): (2012-2015) "Biochemical Study of The Relationship Between Phosphatidylinositol Signaling In Root Cells of Leguminous Plants With or Without Rhizobial Infection"
• CRNN, CU (2009-10) "Determination of leishmanicidial potential of metal nanoparticles and their conjugates"
• DST (Central) (2010-2013) "Inositol Phospholipid Signaling In Apoptotic Death of Insulin Producing Pancreatic Beta Cells during Diabetes"
• DBT (Central) (2009-2012) "Elucidation of Molecular Mechanism for the Subcellular Distribution of Phosphoinositide Kinases Regulated by Different Patho-Physiological Conditions"
• UPE/UGC (2007-2012) Investigating Molecular Principles of Species Interaction in Rhizosphere: Biochemical and Metagenomic Approaches (As a Co-Principal Investigator) Page 3 of 5
• SERB-DST (2019-2022): Functional Regulation of Leghemoglobin During Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation
• WB-DBT (2015-2019): Elucidation of the Role of Differentially Phosphorylated Dok-3 (Downstream of Kinase 3) in the Biogenesis of Phagolysosome in Leishmania donovani Infected Macrophages PI: Dr. Uma Siddhanta, Department of Biotechnology, St. Xaviers College, Kolkata; Co-PI: Dr. Anirban Siddhanta

Select list of publications:

1. Oxygen sequestration by Leghemoglobin is positively regulated via its interaction with another late nodulin, Nlj16 of Lotus japonicus
   Amit Ghosh, Kaushik Bhar and Anirban Siddhanta (2019) Journal of Plant Biochemistry and Biotechnology e-Pub: 11th March, 2019 (https://doi.org/10.1007/s13562-019-00494-3)
2. Para-Phenylenediamine Induces Apoptotic Death of Melanoma Cells and Reduces Melanoma Tumour Growth in Mice Debajit Bhowmick,Kaushik Bhar,Sanjaya K.Mallick,Subhadip Das,Nabanita Chatterjee,Tuhin Subhra Sarkar,Rajarshi Chakrabarti,Krishna Das Saha,and Anirban Siddhanta (2016) Biochemistry Research International, Volume 2016, 14 pages, Article ID 3137010
3. mRNA and Protein Levels of Rat Pancreas Specific Protein Disulphide Isomerase are Downregulated during Hyperglycemia
   Gupta R, Bhar K, Sen N, Bhowmick D, Mukhopadhyay S, Panda K and Siddhanta A (2016) (Accepted on 27th January 2015) Indian Journal of Experimental Biology 54 (2), 100-107
4. Phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate 5-kinase 1 modulates ribosomal RNA gene silencing through its interaction with histone H3 lysine 9 trimethylation and heterochromatin protein HP1-
   Rajarshi Chakrabarti, Sulagna Sanyal, Amit Ghosh, Kaushik Bhar, Chandrima Das and Anirban Siddhanta (2015) J. Biol. Chem. 290(34):20893-903; e-Pub: 7th July 2015
5. Phosphorylation of Leghemoglobin at S45 is Most Effective to Disrupt the Molecular Environment of Its Oxygen Binding Pocket
   Kaushik Bhar, Atanu Maity, Amit Ghosh, Tanusree Das, Shubhra Ghosh Dastidar, Anirban Siddhanta (2015) Protein J. Apr; 34(2):158-167