We are interested in identifying the genetic, molecular, and neuronal mechanisms by which animals sense and translate environmental cues such as chemicals and temperature into specific changes in behavior and development. Understanding the regulation of sensory signaling and signal processing is of significant biomedical importance since misregulation of these pathways leads to many neurological and behavioral disorders.
|Ultrastructure of the sensory endings of the AFD thermosensory neuron. From Doroquez, Berciu et al, eLife 2014.
Current research in our lab focuses on three main areas using the powerful and elegant C. elegans model organism. We use a multifaceted strategy combining genetic, genomic, and molecular tools, high resolution analyses of ultrastructure and in vivo protein trafficking, quantitative behavioral assays, and in vivo calcium imaging to explore the following issues.
- We are investigating the molecular and cellular mechanisms that define the unique morphological and functional properties of sensory cilia, cellular antennae that house all signaling molecules, and represent the site of primary sensory signal transduction.
- We are identifying the genes and neurons required for the response of C. elegans to pheromones, small molecules used in chemical communication within a species.
- We are studying the molecular, neuronal and circuit mechanisms required for the remarkable experience-dependent responses of C. elegans to thermal stimuli.
Selected recent publications:
Brear, A.G., Yoon, J., Wojtnyiak, M. and Sengupta, P. (2014) Diverse cell-specific mechanisms localize G protein-coupled receptors to C. elegans sensory cilia. Genetics epub ahead of print.
Doroquez, D.B.*, Berciu, C.*, Anderson, J.R., Sengupta, P*. and Nicastro, D*. (2014) A high-resolution morphological and ultrastructural map of anterior sensory cilia and glia in C. elegans. eLife 2014;3:e01948.
Wojtnyiak, M., O’Halloran, D. and Sengupta, P. (2013) Cell- and subunit-specific mechanisms of CNG channel ciliary targeting and localization in C. elegans. J. Cell Sci. 126: 4381-4395.
Hall, S.E, Chirn, G-W., Lau, N.C. and Sengupta, P. (2013) RNAi pathways contribute to developmental history-dependent phenotypic plasticity in C. elegans RNA, 19:306-319. PMCID:PMC3677242
Olivier-Mason, A., Wojtyniak, M., Bowie, R.V., Blacque, O.E., and Sengupta, P. (2013) Transmembrane protein OSTA-1 shapes cell type-specific sensory cilia morphology via regulation of intracellular membrane trafficking in C. elegans. Development,140: 1560-1572.
Sengupta, P. and Garrity. P. (2013) Sensing temperature. Curr. Biol. 23: R304-307.
Neal, S.J., Kim, K. and Sengupta, P. (2013) Quantitative assessment of pheromone-induced dauer formation in C. elegans. Methods Mol Biol. 1068:273-283.
Sengupta, P. (2013) The belly rules the nose: feeding state-dependent modulation of peripheral chemosensory responses. Curr Opin Neurobiol. 23: 68-75.
Jang, H.*, Kim, K.*, Neal, S.J., Macosko, E., Kim, D., Butcher, R.A., Zeiger, D.M., Bargmann, C.I.* and Sengupta, P.* (2012) Neuromodulatory state and sex specify alternative behaviors through antagonistic synaptic pathways in C. elegans. Neuron 75:585-92.
Kaplan OI*, Doroquez DB*, Cevik S, Bowie RV, Clarke L, Sanders AA, Kida K, Rappoport JZ, Sengupta P* and Blacque OE.* (2012) Endocytosis genes facilitate protein and membrane transport in C. elegans sensory cilia. Curr Biol.
Wasserman, S.M., Beverly, M. Bell, H. and Sengupta, P. (2011) Regulation of response properties and operating range of the AFD thermosensory neurons by cGMP signaling. Curr. Biol. 21: 353-362.
Beverly, M., Anbil. S. and Sengupta, P. (2011) Degeneracy and signaling within a sensory circuit contributes to robustness in thermosensory behaviors in C. elegans. J Neurosci. 10: 11718-11727.
van der Linden, A.M., Beverly, M., Kadener, S., Rodriguez, J., Wasserman, S., Rosbash, M. and Sengupta, P. (2010) Genome-wide analyses of light and temperature-entrained circadian transcripts in C. elegans. PLoS Biol 8(10): e1000503.
* - co-corresponding authors
View Complete Publication List on PubMed: Piali Sengupta
update: June 16, 2014.