Research Groups

Plant Biology: Plant Molecular Biology

Research Interests and Description

Staff Research Scientist: Neeti Sanan-Mishra, PhD

Research Interests

Abiotic and Biotic stress, gene expression, regulation, miRNA, crop improvement.

Description of Research

The Group is involved in understanding the mechanisms of growth and development in higher plants for improving plant adaptation towards abiotic (salt and temperature) and biotic (viruses) stresses. The stress responses in plants are multigenic in nature. Research activities have thus been focused on the unravelling of the regulatory pathways and the intricacies therein. Toward this end a stress upregulated protein involved in translation and transcriptional control, was functionally characterized.
Recently, work has initiated to follow the miRNA networks involved in regulating the plant development in normal and stressed environments using rice as a model system. miRNAs have been recognised as important regulatory factors in organism development and disease expression. We have adopted a two-pronged strategy using bioinfomatic predictions along with the traditional molecular biology and biochemical approaches to understand the miRNA regulatory networks operative during development and stress.
Genome-wide profiling has been initiated by deep sequencing the small RNAs in response to salt stress, viral infection and developmental cues from different local rice varieties. In this process several novel rice miRNAs have been identified. Work has been initiated to analyze the spatial and temporal accumulation of miRNAs to understand the fine-tuning of target gene expression in plant development. This information will be used to tap the natural variation existent in Indian rice cultivars and generate a small RNA database for rice in the Indian context. Functional analysis of specific miRNAs is being done to follow their effect on plant stress responses. This will be useful to gain fundamental knowledge of plant responses to the environment leading to a range of applications in crop improvement.
Global expression profiling revealed that a few of the miRNAs were found to be involved in both salt stress and viral infection. To gain an insight into the mechanism of miRNA (dis)-regulation on virus infection studies are being done using viral suppressors of RNAi. This work involves understanding the role of suppressors in local and systemic silencing of miRNAs and identification of host interacting factors to gain an understanding of the suppressor mediated action. Suppressor overexpressing transgenic lines have been generated to follow the effects on miRNA expression profiles.

Recent Publications

Karjee, S., Sanan-Mishra, N., Mukherjee, S.K. 2010. Viral Suppressors of RNA Silencing in Plants. Pest Technology 4, 1-13

Sanan-Mishra, N., Karjee, S., Mukherjee, S.K. 2010. Design and Delivery of Small RNAs for RNAi Technology. Dyn Biochem Process Biotech Mol Biol 4, 67-87

Sanan-Mishra, N., Kumar, V., Sopory, S.K., Mukherjee, S.K. 2009. Cloning and Validation of novel miRNA from basmati rice indicates cross-talk between abiotic and biotic stresses. Mol Genet Genomics 282, 463-474 PubMed link

Teotia, P.S., Mukherjee, S.K., Sanan-Mishra, N. 2008. Fine tuning of Auxin signaling by miRNAs. Physiol Mol Biol Plant 14, 81-90

Sanan-Mishra, N., Mukherjee, S.K. 2007. A peep into the plant miRNA world. The Open Plant Sci J 1, 1-9

Sanan-Mishra, N., Pham, X.H., Sopory, S.K., Tuteja, N. 2005. Pea DNA helicase 45 over-expression in tobacco confers high salinity tolerance without affecting the yield. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 102, 509-514 PubMed link