emblem राष्ट्रीय प्रतिरक्षाविज्ञान संस्थानNational Institute of ImmunologyAn Autonomous Institute of Dept. of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Govt. of India

Dr. Rajesh S. Gokhale

Research Interest:

The Interface of Immune and Metabolic responses in Tuberculosis & Vitiligo

Summary of Research:

The thematic focus of our laboratory is to elucidate complex interplay between metabolic reprogramming and immunity in the context a pathogenic disease Tuberculosis and autoimmune skin disorder Vitiligo. Our endeavor is to define how metabolic imbalance drives disease pathogenesis and thereby develop novel therapeutic strategies that will tackle the underlying causes, rather than just the symptoms.

Group Members:
Sachin Sharma, Anusha Krishnan, Farina Sultan, KriteeMehdiratta, Jyotsna Singh

Awards:
• Sun Pharma Research Award (2014) – Medical Sciences, Basic Research Award
• IIT Bombay Distinguished Alumnus Award (2014)
• Infosys Prize in Life Sciences (2013)
• National Bioscience Award for Career Development, India (2009)
• Tata Innovative Fellowships, DBT, India (2007).
• Shanti SwaroopBhatnagar Prize in Biological Sciences, India (2006).
• Scopus Young Scientist Award, Elsevier India (2006).
• Swarnajayanti Fellowships, Department of Science and Technology, India (2006- 2011)
• Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) International Research Scholar, USA (2005 – 2010)
• B.M. Birla Science Prize in Biology (2003).
• Wellcome Trust International SRF India,Wellcome Trust, UK. (2001-2006).
• Senior Research Fellowship (1992-1995), CSIR, India.
• Junior Research Fellowship (1990-1992), CSIR, India.
• Department of Biotechnology Fellowship (1988-1990), India.

Publications:
  • Ramkumar A, Murthy D, Raja A D, Singh A , Krishnan A, Khanna S, Vats A, Lipi Thukral1, Sharma P, Sivasubbu S, Rani R, Vivek T Natarajan V T and Gokhale RS (2017) Classical autophagy proteins LC3B and ATG4B facilitate melanosome movement on cytoskeletal tracks. Autophagy 13(8):1331-1347.
  • Anand A,  Verma P,  Singh AK,  Kaushik S, Pandey R, Shi C, Kaur H, Chawla M, Elechalawar CK, Kumar D, Yang Y, Bhavesh NS,  Banerjee R, Dash D, Singh A, Natarajan VT,  Ojha AK, Aldrich CC, Gokhale RS (2015). Polyketide quinones are alternate intermediate electron carriers during mycobacterial respiration in oxygen-deficient niches. Molecular Cell 60(4):637-50.
  • Srivastava S, Chaudhary S, Thukral L,  Shi C,  Gupta RD, Gupta R, Priyadarshan K, Vats A,  Haque AS, Sankaranarayanan R,  Natarajan VT, Sharma R, Aldrich CC, Gokhale RS. Unsaturated lipid assimilation by mycobacteria requires auxiliary cis-trans enoyl CoA isomerise.Chemistry & Biology 22(12):1577-87.
  • Natarajan VT, Ganju P, Ramkumar A, Grover R, Gokhale RS (2014). Multifaceted pathways protect human skin from UV radiation. Nat Chem Biol: 17;10(7):542-5 .
  • Natarajan VT, Ganju P, Singh A, Vijayan V, Kirty K, Yadav S, Puntambekar S, Bajaj S, Dani PP, Kar HK, Gadgil CJ, Natarajan K, Rani R, Gokhale RS (2014). IFN-γ signaling maintains skin pigmentation homeostasis through regulation of melanosome maturation. ProcNatlAcadSci U S A: 111(6):2301-6.
  • Vats A, Singh AK, Mukherjee R, Chopra T, Ravindran MS, Mohanty D, Chatterji D, Reyrat JM, Gokhale RS (2012) Retrobiosynthetic approach delineates the biosynthetic pathway and the structure of the acyl chain of mycobacterial glycopeptidolipids. J BiolChem.287(36):30677-30687.
  • Chhabra A, Haque AS, Pal RK, Goyal A, Rai R, Joshi S, Panjikar S, Pasha S, Sankaranarayanan R*, Gokhale RS*. (2012).Nonprocessive [2+2]e− off-loading reductase domains from mycobacterial nonribosomal peptide synthetases. ProcNatlAcadSci (USA); 109:5681-5686. (*Co-Corresponding authors)
  • Arora P, Goyal A, Natarajan VT, Rajakumara E, Verma P, Gupta R, Yousuf M, Trivedi OA, Mohanty D, Tyagi A, Sankaranarayanan R* and Gokhale RS* (2009) Mechanistic and functional insights into fatty acid activation in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Nat. Chem. Biol. 5(3):166-73 (*Co-corresponding authors).
  • 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 Dictyosteliumdiscoideum: Biosynthesis of differentiation regulating factor MPBD.  J Biol Chem. 283(17):11348-54.
  • Gokhale RS, Saxena P, Chopra T, Mohanty D. (2007)  Versatilepolyketide enzymatic machinery for the biosynthesis of complex mycobacterial lipids.  Nat Prod Rep. 24(2):267-277.
  • Krithika R, Marathe U, Saxena P, Ansari MZ, Mohanty D., Gokhale RS. (2006) A genetic locus required for iron acquisition in Mycobacterium tuberculosis.  ProcNatlAcadSci U S A.103(7):2069-74.
  • Trivedi OA, Arora P, Vats A, Ansari MZ, Tickoo R, Sridharan V, Mohanty D, Gokhale RS. (2005) Dissecting the mechanism and assembly of a complex virulence mycobacterial lipid. Mol Cell 17(5):631-43.
  • Sankarnarayanan R*, Saxena P, Marathe UB, Gokhale RS.*, Shanmugam VM, Rukmini R. (2004) A novel substrate binding tunnel in mycobacterial type III polyketide synthase reveals structural basis for generating diverse metabolites. Nat StructMol Biol. 11(9):894-900.
  • Trivedi OA, Arora P, Sridharan V, Tickoo R, Mohanty D, Gokhale RS. (2004): Enzymic activation and transfer of fatty acids as acyl-adenylates in mycobacteria. Nature 428 (441-445).
  • Saxena P, Yadav G, Mohanty D, Gokhale RS. (2003). A New Family of Type III Polyketide Synthases in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. J. Biol. Chem. 278(45), 44780-44790.
  • Gokhale RS, Tsuji S, Cane DE, Khosla C. (1999) Dissecting and Exploiting Intermodular Communication in Polyketide Synthases. Science 284, 482-487.