PANDA RNA LAB  @ ILS, Bhubaneswar

RNA-RNA interactions in pancreatic β-cell physiology

Diabetes is a group of disease caused by deregulation of glucose homeostasis in humans.  Glucose homeostasis in the body is regulated by the hormone insulin, secreted by pancreatic β-cells.  Various studies have significantly advanced our understanding of the regulatory factors involved in β-cell physiology and development of diabetes.  However, we are still missing key molecular components of the regulatory pathways that are responsible for β-cell function.   The biosynthesis and secretion of insulin from β-cells is tightly regulated at the transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels.  The posttranscriptional regulation of insulin biosynthesis is mediated by RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) and noncoding (nc)RNAs.  The vast family of ncRNAs includes rRNAs, tRNAs, snRNAs, microRNAs, lncRNAs, and the poorly understood circRNAs.  The structure and intra/intermolecular interactions of ncRNAs critically influence every step of gene regulation, including pre-mRNA splicing, mRNA stability and translation.  However, the knowledge of intermolecular interactions of mRNAs with other RNAs is limited.  The key goals of this research proposal are to (1) investigate RNA-RNA interactions in pancreatic β-cell physiology and (2) study the impact of circRNAs on β-cell function.

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Circular RNAs in muscle regeneration

Skeletal muscle is a highly-specialized tissue necessary for locomotion and energy metabolism in mammals. It is generated through a process known as myogenesis, during which multiple mononucleated myoblasts (satellite cells) are fused to form a multinucleated myofiber, the functional unit of skeletal muscle. Myogenesis is tightly regulated through precise changes in gene expression at transcriptional and post-transcriptional level. In particular, post-transcriptional gene regulation including pre-mRNA splicing, export to the cytoplasm, mRNA turnover, translation and protein stability allows for very rapid changes in protein expression patterns.  Deregulation of gene expression during myogenesis can be deleterious, causing atrophy and other muscle pathologies. Myogenesis is regulated transcriptionally by myogenic regulatory factors (MRFs), and post-transcriptionally via RBPs, microRNAs, lncRNAs, and circular (circ)RNAs. We are particularly interested in studying the role of circRNAs during myogenesis.  This work will establish a roadmap to study systematically circRNAs that govern physiologic and pathologic changes that occur during muscle aging and muscle regeneration.

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