Chitra Rajagopal

Project 1) Identifying novel targets of Akt and their role in atherosclerosis and cancer. Project 2) High-throughput screen to identify novel pathways and small molecule inhibitors of LDL uptake • Identified novel Akt substrates through a quantitative phosphoproteomic screen in endothelial cells. • Elucidated the significance of the identified phosphorylation events of the substrates, in modulating several essential cellular processes. • Established a collaboration with the Yale Center for Molecular Discovery to conduct high-throughput genomic and small molecule compound screens in the LDL uptake pathway. • Designed an efficient methodology to define and validate the top hits of the high-throughput screening experiments using imaging, cell biological and biochemical methods.

Focus: Signaling, phosphorylation, secretary protein trafficking and unstructured protein domains. • Demonstrated a novel signaling mechanism, modulated by multiple phosphorylation of an intrinsically unstructured domain of Peptidylglycine Alpha-Amidating Monoxygenase (PAM). • Identified a novel ɤ-Secretase substrate and delineated the mechanism of cleavage and factors influencing this event. • Elucidated the trafficking of a cleaved PAM nuclear fragment in neurons, cardiomyocytes and neuroendocrine cells. • Analyzed the role of phosphorylation events in trafficking of secretory pathway proteins. • Graduate research, led to 5 publications and 6 presentations in international conferences.

Project: Inhibitors of type II fatty acid biosynthesis pathway of Plasmodium falciparum as antimalarials. • Characterized a novel enzyme, β-ketoacyl-ACP reductase (FabG) of P. falciparum as a target for novel antimalarials. • Collaborated with the Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd., to carry out several (FabG) inhibitor trials in animal models. • In a span of 11 months generated data that led to a publication and a presentation at an international conference.