Biology subjects

Mohanty, D.

Publications and source records attributed to Mohanty, D..

9 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

The proteotoxicity of azetidine 2-carboxylic acid is associated with reactive oxygen species accumulation

Plants make diverse metabolites to outcompete neighboring organisms for space and resources. Some of these toxic metabolites broadly disrupt conserved molecular mechanisms, such as protein biosynthesis. Nonproteogenic amino acids (NPAAs) are a structurally diverse class of metabolites that interfere with protein biosynthesis. The proline (Pro) analog azetidine-2-carboxylic acid (Aze) inhibits plant growth through misincorporation during protein biosynthesis. However, it is unknown if a cascade of downstream stress responses is triggered following Aze misincorporation. Here, we investigate the morphological and stress responses in Arabidopsis grown on Aze. Investigation of root morphological responses show not only reduced root growth, but increased root branching following growth on Aze. Altered root morphology is coupled with a reduced gravitropic response. Aboveground organs were also affected by Aze, including reduced chlorophyll content, reduced photosynthetic efficiency, and increased anthocyanin content. We then tested whether Aze induces reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation using multiple approaches and observed both immediate and sustained accumulation of general ROS and H2O2 following treatment with Aze. When plants were grown on Aze supplemented with Pro, ROS levels were restored to normal levels, suggesting that reducing misincorporation events results in less downstream stress responses. In summary, we find that following Aze treatment a cascade of downstream stress responses is induced that exacerbates the effects of toxic NPAAs. This study sheds light on the mechanism of action of NPAAs and provides information on the downstream consequences of translational errors.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2026

RAP2.3 is required for MYB51 and SIGMA3 expression during the response of Arabidopsis thaliana to multifactorial stress combination

In nature, plants are subjected to multiple environmental stress factors simultaneously or sequentially. Recent studies revealed that when three or more stress factors impact a plant simultaneously (termed multifactorial stress combination; MFSC), plant survival declines, even if the intensity of each individual stress involved in the MFSC is low. We previously identified RAP2.3 as a key transcription factor (TF) required for Arabidopsis thaliana survival, specifically under a MFSC of salt+excess light+heat stress (i.e., S+EL+HS). Here we report that RAP2.3 is required for the expression of SIGMA3, a nuclear-encoded factor that directs plastid RNA polymerase to specific plastid promoters, and MYB51, a key stress response TF involved in glucosinolate metabolism and oxidative stress responses, specifically during a MFSC of S+EL+HS. Like rap2.3 mutants, myb51 and sig3 mutants display significantly low survival rate specifically under the MFSC of S+EL+HS. Based on MYB51 gene regulatory network analysis and characterization of jasmonic acid (JA) mutants, we further reveal that suppression of JA signaling could play an important role in promoting plant survival under conditions of S+EL+HS. Our findings uncover an additional layer of the response of plants to MFSC, as well as identify potential targets for breeding crops with enhanced tolerance to climate change.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2025

Design of Allosteric Inhibitors for Mutant EGFR by Combined use of Machine Learning and Molecular Dynamics Simulations

The non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)-associated Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) mutant L858R/T790M confers resistance to first- and second-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Allosteric inhibitors, binding outside the ATP-binding site, have emerged as alternative therapeutic agents. Unlike orthosteric inhibitors, they preferentially stabilize EGFR in an inactive conformation. Hence, understanding the mechanistic basis of this inhibition is essential for designing potent allosteric inhibitors. In this study, we performed microsecond-scale molecular dynamics (MD) simulations on the inactive conformations of apo-EGFR and apo-EGFRL858R/T790M to explore how cancer-associated mutations induce a conformational switch toward the active kinase state. Simulations of allosteric inhibitor (EAI001) bound EGFRL858R/T790M revealed that inhibitor binding enhances the inactive state population by disrupting the K745-E762 salt bridge and modulating key structural elements. These findings revealed the structural basis of allosteric inhibition in EGFRL858R/T790M,. It also emphasized the importance of MD simulations in allosteric drug design for assessing the ability of the inhibitor to enhance the population of the inactive state of the mutant EGFR. We have also standardized a virtual screening protocol involving screening of an allosteric TKI library by docking, re-ranking them with a machine learning-based scoring function (SG-ML-PLAP), and evaluating top-scoring molecules by MD and MM/GBSA to identify molecules stabilizing the inactive state of the EGFRL858R/T790M. This approach identified 10 novel allosteric kinase inhibitors predicted to be more potent than EAI001. Overall, our results not only elucidate the mechanism of allosteric inhibition in EGFRL858R/T790M but also offer promising leads for the development of next-generation therapies to overcome TKI resistance.

biophysics↗

bioRxiv2025

Identification of a putative RBOHD-FERONIA-CRK10-PIP2;6 plasma membrane complex that interacts with phyB to regulate ROS production in Arabidopsis thaliana

O_LIReactive oxygen species (ROS) regulate plant growth, development, and responses to the environment. ROS production by the RESPIRATORY BURST OXIDASE PROTEIN D (RBOHD) protein was recently shown to be regulated by PHYTOCHROME B (phyB), and phyB was found to be phosphorylated by FERONIA, highlighting the possibility that these three proteins interact to regulate ROS levels during stress. C_LIO_LIImmunoprecipitation and proximity labelling, followed by split-luciferase and functional validation assays, were used to study the interactions between FERONIA, phyB, and RBOHD during excess light (EL) stress in Arabidopsis thaliana. C_LIO_LIWe reveal that phyB and FERONIA interact with RBOHD, that phosphorylation of phyB by FERONIA, as well as the kinase activity of FERONIA, are required for RBOHD-driven ROS production in response to EL stress, and that CYSTEINE-RICH RECEPTOR LIKE KINASE 10 (CRK10) and PLASMA MEMBRANE INTRINSIC PROTEIN 2;6 (PIP2;6) interact with RBOHD and phyB and are also required for EL-driven RBOHD ROS production. C_LIO_LIOur findings uncover the existence of a putative plasma membrane complex between FERONIA, RBOHD, CRK10, and PIP2;6 that interacts with phyB to regulate ROS production in Arabidopsis in response to stress. This complex could play a canonical role in the integration and regulation of multiple signaling pathways in plants. C_LI Plain Language SummaryWe identified a complex between several different proteins at the plasma membrane that interacts with the light and temperature receptor protein phytochrome B to regulate reactive oxygen species formation during stress in plants. This complex could be involved in the regulation and integration of multiple abiotic and biotic signals in plants. tenten

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2025

Enhanced cell aggregation in the Chlamydomonas reinhardtii rbo1 mutant in response to multifactorial stress combination

Global change factors associated with climate change and increased pollution are subjecting plants, microbes, and different ecosystems to conditions of multifactorial stress combination (MFSC). While recent studies centered on the effects of MFSC on different plants and ecosystems, much less is known about how these conditions impact unicellular organisms. Here, we report on the physiological and proteomic responses of wild type and respiratory burst oxidase homolog 1 (rbo1) mutant cells of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii to a MFSC of 5 different abiotic stresses. While several similarities were found between plant and C. reinhardtii responses to MFSC, our work revealed that MFSC induces aggregation in the unicellular organism C. reinhardtii. We further show that MFSC induced aggregation is enhanced in the rbo1 mutant and can be triggered by H2O2. As aggregation typically leads to reduced growth, respiration and/or photosynthesis, enhanced aggregation of unicellular organisms in different ecosystems subjected to MFSC could explain part of the negative impacts of MFSC on the services they provide. Our findings shed new light on the response of unicellular organisms to MFSC and suggest that one of the main drivers leading to multicellularity during evolution was early conditions of MFSC under an oxygenated environment.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2024

Diabetes-Tuberculosis Comorbidity Characterized by Reduced Type-II Interferon and Elevated Th17 Responses.

Understanding the perturbed lung immune cells distribution and its functionality in tuberculosis (TB) is well documented; however, limited reports have covered their disruption, if any, in diabetes-tuberculosis (DM-TB) comorbid conditions. Here, we employed single-cell RNA-seq to investigate the molecular mechanisms that govern the heterogeneity in host immune response in DM-TB comorbid conditions. Diabetes is associated with chronic hyperinflammation and reduced lung-infiltrating immune cells, which delays the immune response to Mycobacterial infection. scRNA-seq of lung CD3 and CD11c cells revealed compromised adaptive and innate immunity, with decreased Th1 and M1 macrophage populations in DM-TB mice. A dampened immune response, marked by increased IL-16 signaling and reduced TNF and IFN-II responses, was observed in DM-TB. This study highlights chronic inflammation, hyperglycemia, and dyslipidemia associated with diabetes impairing anti-TB immunity. Selective inhibition of aberrant IL-16 secretion and Th17 cell activation might provide strategies for better managing DM-TB comorbidity.

immunology↗

bioRxiv2024

PPARγ mediated enhanced lipid biogenesis fuels Mycobacterium tuberculosis growth in hepatocytes.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection of the lungs, besides producing prolonged cough with mucus, also causes progressive fatigue and cachexia with debilitating loss of muscle mass. While anti-tuberculosis (TB) drug therapy is directed toward eliminating bacilli, the treatment regimen ignores the systemic pathogenic derailments that probably dictate TB-associated mortality and morbidity. Presently, it is not understood whether Mtb spreads to metabolic organs and brings about these impairments. Here we show that Mtb creates a replication-conducive milieu of lipid droplets in hepatocytes by upregulating transcription factor PPAR{gamma} and scavenging lipids from the host cells. In hepatocytes, Mtb shields itself against the common anti-TB drugs by inducing drug-metabolizing enzymes. Infection of the hepatocytes in the in vivo aerosol mice model can be consistently observed post-week 4 along with enhanced expression of PPAR{gamma} and drug-metabolizing enzymes. Moreover, histopathological analysis indeed shows the presence of Mtb in hepatocytes along with granuloma-like structures in human biopsied liver sections. Hepatotropism of Mtb during the chronic infectious cycle results in immuno-metabolic dysregulation that could magnify local and systemic pathogenicity, altering clinical presentations.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2023

A hepatocyte-specific transcriptional program driven by Rela and Stat3 exacerbates experimental colitis in mice by modulating bile synthesis

Hepatic factors secreted by the liver promote homeostasis and are pivotal for maintaining the liver-gut axis. Bile acid metabolism is one such example wherein, bile acid synthesis occurs in the liver and its biotransformation happens in the intestine. Dysfunctional interactions between the liver and the intestine stimulate varied pathological outcomes through its bidirectional portal communication. Indeed, aberrant bile acid metabolism has been reported in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these crosstalks that perpetuate intestinal permeability and inflammation remain obscure. Here, we identify a novel hepatic gene program regulated by Rela and Stat3 that accentuates the inflammation in an acute experimental colitis model. Hepatocyte-specific ablation of Rela and Stat3 reduces the levels of primary bile acids in both the liver and the gut and shows a restricted colitogenic phenotype. On supplementation of chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA), knock-out mice exhibit enhanced colitis-induced alterations. This study provides persuasive evidence for the development of multi-organ strategies for treating IBD and identifies a hepatocyte-specific rela-stat3 network as a promising therapeutic target.

immunology↗

bioRxiv2019

Structural basis of internal peptide recognition by PDZ domains using molecular dynamics simulations

PDZ domains are important peptide recognition modules which usually recognize short C-terminal stretches of their interaction partners, but certain PDZ domains can also recognize internal peptides in the interacting proteins. Due to the scarcity of data on internal peptide recognition and lack of understanding of the mechanistic details of internal peptide recognition, identification of PDZ domains capable of recognizing internal peptides has been a difficult task. Since Par-6 PDZ domain can recognize both C-terminal and internal peptides, we have carried out multiple explicit solvent MD simulations of 1 s duration on free and peptide bound Par-6 PDZ to decipher mechanistic details of internal peptide recognition. These simulations have been analyzed to identify residues which play a crucial role in internal peptide recognition by PDZ domains. Based on the conservation profile of the identified residues, we have predicted 47 human PDZ domains to be capable of recognizing internal peptides in human. We have also investigated how binding of CDC42 to the CRIB domain adjacent to the Par6 PDZ allosterically modulate the peptide recognition by Par6 PDZ. Our MD simulations on CRIB-Par6_PDZ di-domain in isolation as well as in complex with CDC42, indicate that in absence of CDC42 the adjacent CRIB domain induces open loop conformation of PDZ facilitating internal peptide recognition. On the other hand, upon binding of CDC42 to the CRIB domain, Par6 PDZ adopts closed loop conformation required for recognition of C-terminus peptides. These results provide atomistic details of how binding of interaction partners onto adjacent domains can allosterically regulate substrate binding to PDZ domains. In summary, MD simulations provide novel insights into the modulation of substrate recognition preference of PDZ by specific peptides, adjacent domains and binding of interaction partners at allosteric sites.

bioinformatics↗