This study identifies hemocyte heterogeneity and pleiotropic roles in ticks using multi-omics approaches, revealing their impact on immunity, metabolism, and arthropod fitness.

bioRxiv · Aug 31, 2023 · PreprintImmunology

Application of Temperature-Responsive HIS-Tag Fluorophores to Differential Scanning Fluorimetry Screening of Small Molecule Libraries

M. H. Ronzetti, B. Baljinnyam, Z. Itkin, S. Jain, G. Rai, A. V. Zakharov, U. Pal, A. Simeonov

The paper develops a high-throughput differential scanning fluorimetry assay using HIS-tag fluorophores to screen small molecule libraries for protein interactions.

bioRxiv · Aug 31, 2022Biochemistry

Co-infection of Ehrlichia with B. burgdorferi drives emergency myelopoiesis and promotes Lyme arthritis

J. L. Bonin, S. R. Torres, A. L. Marcinkiewicz, X. Yang, U. Pal, J. DiSpirito, T. Nowak, Y.-P. Lin, K. C. MacNamara

This study shows that co-infection with Ehrlichia and Borrelia burgdorferi in mice causes arthritis and emergency myelopoiesis, highlighting immune signals over pathogen burden in disease development.

bioRxiv · Aug 23, 2022 · PreprintImmunology

Dynamics of Borrelia Burgdorferi Invasion and Intravasation in a Tissue Engineered Dermal Microvessel Model

Z. Guo, N. Zhao, T. D. Chung, A. Singh, I. Pandey, L. Wang, X. Gu, A. Ademola, R. M. Linville, U. Pal, J. S. Dumler, P. C. Searson

This study uses a tissue-engineered human dermal microvessel model to investigate Borrelia burgdorferi invasion and intravasation, finding no adhesin-mediated interactions and showing Bb-induced endothelium activation.

bioRxiv · Jul 10, 2022 · PreprintBioengineering

The G-protein-coupled estrogen receptor, a gene co-expressed with ERα in breast tumors, is regulated by estrogen-ERα signalling in ERα positive breast cancer cells.

U. Pal, M. C. Manjegowda, N. Singh, S. Saikia, B. S. Philip, D. J. Kalita, A. K. Rai, A. Sarma, V. Raphael, D. Modi, A. C. Kataki, A. M. Limaye

This study shows GPER is positively correlated with ERα in breast tumors and is regulated by estrogen-ERα signaling in ERα-positive cells.

bioRxiv · Jun 14, 2022Cancer Biology

CD36 homologs determine microbial resistance to the Lyme disease spirochete

A. J. O'Neal, N. Singh, I. S. Forrest, A. Rolandelli, X. Wang, D. K. Shaw, B. D. Young, S. Narasimhan, S. Dutta, G. A. Snyder, L. Marnin, L. R. Butler, S. Samaddar, M. T. Mendes, F. E. C. Paz, , J. H. F. Pedra

The paper identifies CD36 homologs as conserved lipid receptors mediating anti-Borrelia immunity in both ticks and humans.

bioRxiv · Feb 9, 2022 · PreprintImmunology

Application of biophysical methods for improved protein production and characterization: a case study on an HtrA-family bacterial protease

M. H. Ronzetti, B. Baljinnyam, I. Jalal, U. Pal, A. Simeonov

This paper improves the production and characterization of HtrA-family proteins using optimized expression, refolding, and biophysical methods, resulting in pure, active proteins with monodisperse composition.

bioRxiv · Jan 27, 2022Biochemistry

The Lyme Disease agent co-opts adiponectin receptor-mediated signaling in its arthropod vector

X. Tang, y. cao, G. Arora, J. Hwang, A. Sajid, C. Brown, S. Mehta, A. Marin-Lopez, Y.-M. Chuang, M.-J. Wu, H. Ma, U. Pal, S. Narasimhan, E. Fikrig

This study identifies a tick metabolic pathway involving ISARL that Borrelia burgdorferi exploits to establish infection, suggesting a mechanism for manipulating host metabolism.

bioRxiv · Sep 13, 2021Microbiology

Essential Loop Dynamics Modulates Catalytic Activity in α-Chymotrypsin

P. Biswas, U. Pal, A. Adhikari, S. Mondal, R. Ghosh, D. Mukherjee, P. D. T. Saha-Dasgupta, D. S. S. Choudhury, P. D. R. Das, S. K. Pal

This study investigates how essential loop dynamics in alpha-chymotrypsin affect its catalytic activity using optical spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations.

bioRxiv · Aug 11, 2021Biophysics

A Combined Spectroscopic and Molecular Modeling Study on Structure-Function-Dynamics under Chemical Modification: Alpha-Chymotrypsin with Formalin Preservative

P. Biswas, A. Adhikari, U. Pal, S. Mondal, D. Mukherjee, R. Ghosh, T. Saha-Dasgupta, S. S. Chowdhury, R. Das, S. K. Pal

This study examines how formalin modifies alpha-chymotrypsin's structure and function, showing reduced catalytic activity and altered substrate binding due to cross-linking.

bioRxiv · Jul 24, 2021Biophysics

Development of Tribo-Electroceutical Fabrics for Potential Application in Self-sanitizing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

S. Bayan, A. Adhikari, U. Pal, R. Ghosh, S. Mondal, S. Darbar, T. Saha-Dasgupta, S. K. Ray, S. K. Pal

This paper develops tribo-electroceutical fabrics that generate hypochlorite ions to sanitize PPE surfaces, reducing microbial infection risk.

bioRxiv · Feb 23, 2021Microbiology

Nanoceutical Fabric Prevents COVID-19 Spread through Expelled Respiratory Droplets: A Combined Computational, Spectroscopic and Anti-microbial Study

A. Adhikari, U. Pal, S. Bayan, S. Mondal, R. Ghosh, S. Darbar, T. Saha-Dasgupta, S. K. Ray, S. K. Pal

The paper develops a nanoceutical cotton fabric with zinc oxide nanoflowers to prevent COVID-19 spread through respiratory droplets by trapping and denaturing SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins.

bioRxiv · Feb 20, 2021Microbiology

Incorporation of a Biocompatible Nanozyme in Cellular Antioxidant Enzyme Cascade Reverses Huntington's Like Disorder in Preclinical Model

A. Adhikari, S. Mondal, M. Das, P. Biswas, U. Pal, S. Darbar, S. S. Bhattacharya, D. Pal, T. Saha-Dasgupta, A. K. Das, A. K. Mallick, S. K. Pal

This paper demonstrates that a biocompatible nanozyme can reverse Huntington's-like disorder in a preclinical model by mimicking glutathione peroxidase and integrating into the cellular antioxidant cascade.

bioRxiv · Sep 23, 2020Pharmacology & Toxicology

DNA methylation in the upstream CpG island of the GPER locus and its relationship with GPER expression in colon cancer cell lines

U. Pal, S. Ghosh, A. M. Limaye

bioRxiv · Jul 3, 2020Cancer Biology