A microscopy image showing layers in different colors and a network of neurons

Department of
Biology

Photo of Mayurika   Lahiri

Mayurika Lahiri

Associate Professor

Biology

DNA damage and cell cycle, 3D studies of breast cancer progression

+91-20-25908056

mayurika.lahiri@iiserpune.ac.in

Mayurika Lahiri obtained her PhD in cancer biology in 2002 from School of Applied Sciences at University of Wolverhampton, UK. She was a postdoctoral fellow at Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, USA and thereafter at the Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, USA before joining IISER Pune in 2008.

Research

DNA damage and genome instability

Many harmful chemicals in the environment challenge human DNA. Cells have evolved exquisite surveillance mechanisms known as DNA damage response (DDR), which maintain genome integrity following DNA damage. The aberrant regulation of DDR leads to genome instability and various diseases including cancer. Dr. Mayurika Lahiri’s group has been trying to dissect out the process by which DNA damage in the micro-environment or deregulation of cell cycle or apoptotic genes can lead to cellular transformation of breast epithelial cells using three-dimensional breast acini as a model system. Other projects involve studies on deregulation of Api5, (anti-apoptotic protein) or TopBP1, (key checkpoint regulator) lead to cellular transformation in the breast acini. Currently the molecular mechanism of such transformation is being dissecting out. In order to understand whether any of these proteins can be used as bio-markers for the Indian population, Dr Lahiri’s laboratory collaborates with Prashanti Cancer Care Mission (PCCM), Pune to use patient blocks to study the expression level of the proteins in the Indian population. The laboratory is also investigating the post-translational modifications of Api5, and changes in microtubule dynamics following DNA damage.

Selected Publications

Sharma VK and Lahiri M (2021) Interplay between p300 and HDAC1 regulate acetylation and stability of Api5 to regulate cell proliferation. Scientific Reports.11: 16427 Link 

Chakravarty, V.*, Anandi, L.*, KA Ashiq *, K. Abhijith, Umesh R and Lahiri, M. (2021) Prolonged exposure to Platelet Activating Factor transforms breast epithelial cells. Front. Genet. * equal contribution Link

Anandi, L., Chakravarty*, V.; Ashiq, KA.*, Bodakuntla, S. and Lahiri, M. (2017) DNA-PK plays a central role in transformation of breast epithelial cells following alkylation damage. Journal of Cell Sciences 130 (21): 3749-3763; DOI: 10.1242/jcs.203034.* equal contribution, Journal Cover, First Author

Anandi, VL., Ashiq, KA*., Nitheesh, K*. and Lahiri, M. (2016) Platelet Activating Factor promotes motility in breast cancer cells and disrupts non-transformed breast acinar structures. Oncology Reports 35 (1): 179-88. *equal contribution Link

Bodakuntla, S., Anandi VL., Sural, S., Trivedi, P and Lahiri, M. (2014) N-nitroso-N-ethylurea activates DNA damage surveillance pathways and induces transformation in mammalian cells. BMC Cancer 14 (1): 287. Link