Arun K. Sharma

                      Reader

 

 E-mail: arun@genomeindia.org  

 

Specialization: Regulation of gene expression & Biotechnology                        

 

Research Interests

My group is interested in basic understanding of gene expression and application of this knowledge for improvement or quality addition, with special emphasis on tomato crop. Efforts have been made to understand the mechanism of gene silencing in plants. Our study has indicated that plants have the presence of genes, similar to mammalian genes coding for methylated DNA binding proteins. Using in silico analysis, we identified two genes of Arabidopsis, coding for putative methylated DNA binding proteins. Role of such genes in gene silencing is being investigated. Jointly with Prof. Akhilesh Tyagi, tomato plants were transformed with genes coding for antigens of Vibrio cholerae with the aim of developing edible vaccine against cholera. Plant-expressed cholera toxin B subunit (CTB) has been found to induce production of antibodies specific to CTB. In order to understand and delay ripening of tomato fruits, around 80 genes related to fruit ripening have been cloned. These genes would be used for studying the mechanism of regulation of fruit ripening by ethylene. Micro-array approach would be used for this study. Another area of interest is improvement of cold tolerance of tomato. Along with other colleagues at the department, we have recently joined in the international effort for sequencing of tomato genome.

 

Awards/distinction

*       Junior/Senior Research Fellowship of U.G.C. from 1981-1985

*       Senior Research Fellowship of C.S.I.R. from 1985-1986

*       Research Associateship of C.S.I.R. in 1987

*       National Institute of Health (NIH) fellowship for post-doctoral work from 1988-1991

 

Select Publications

1.       D Jani, N.K. Singh, S. Bhattacharya, LS Meena, Y Singh, S.N. Upadhyay, AK Sharma & AK Tyagi, 2004. Studies on Immunogenic potential of plant-expressed cholera toxin B subunit. Plant Cell Reports 22:471-477.

2.       D. Jani, L.S. Meena, Q.M.R. Haq, Y. Singh, A.K. Sharma and A.K. Tyagi, 2002. Expression of cholera toxin B subunit in transgenic tomato plants. Transgen. Res. 11:447-454.

3.       M. Grover, A. Dhingra, A.K. Sharma, S.C. Maheshwari and A.K. Tyagi, 1999. Involvement of phytochrome(s), Ca2+ and phosphorylation in light-dependent control of transcript levels for plastid genes (psbA, psaA and rbcL) in rice (Oryza sativa). Physiol. Plant 105: 701-707.

4.       M. Grover, A.K. Sharma, A. S.C. Maheshwari and A.K. Tyagi, 1998. Regulation of plastid gene expression in rice involves calcium protein phosphatases/kinases for signal transduction. Plant Sci. 137: 185-190.

5.       A.K. Sharma, N. Raghuram, M.R. Chandok, R.  Das, and S.K. Sopory, 1994. Investigation on the nature of phytochrome induced transmitter for the regulation of nitrate reductase in etiolated leaves of maize. J. Exp. Bot. 45: 485-490.

6.       G. Kumar and A.K. Sharma (1993) Localization of adjacent binding domains of cellular proteins over the minute  virus  of mice P4 promoter by site-specific  photoaffinity labelling. Gene 127: 237-242.

7.       G. Kumar, A.K. Sharma and K. Jayaraman (1992). Incorporation of BrdU in DNA fragments may affect protein-DNA interactions in a site dependent manner. Oncogenes 7:1453-­1455.

8.       A.K. Sharma and G. Kumar (1991) A 53 kDa protein binds to the negative regulatory region of JC virus early promoter.FEBS Letters 281:272-274..

9.       A.K. Sharma and S.K. Sopory, 1987. Effect of phytochrome and kinetin on nitrite reductase activity in Zea mays. Plant Cell Physiol. 28:447-454.

10.    A.K. Sharma and S.K. Sopory, 1984. Independent effects of phytochrome and nitrate on nitrate reductase and nitrite reductase activities in maize. Photochem. Photobiol. 39:491- 493.