Dr. Mitali Mukerji | |
---|---|
Born | Madhya Pradesh, India | 13 November 1967
Nationality | Indian |
Citizenship | Indian |
Alma mater | IISc Bangalore |
Awards | National Young Woman Bioscientists Award (2007), Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award(2010) |
Scientific career | |
Fields | human genomics and Ayurgenomics |
Institutions | New Delhi |
Mitali Mukerji (born 1967) is a Professor and Head of the Department of Bioscience and Bioengineering, IIT Jodhpur. She was formerly a Chief Scientist at the CSIR Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology with notable achievement in the field of human genomics and personalized medicine. She is best known for initiating the field of "Ayurgenomics" in partnership with her colleague Dr. Bhavana Prasher (MD Ayurveda) under the mentorship of Prof. Samir K. Brahmachari. Ayurgenomics is an innovative study, blending the principles of Ayurveda- the traditional Indian system of medicine- with genomics. Mukerji is also a major contributor in the Indian Genome Variation Consortium, a comprehensive database that is producing "the first genetic landscape of the Indian population", and has been an author in many publications that use IGV databases to study population genomics. [1] Mukerji has done extensive research on hereditary ataxias, and is involved in many other projects related to tracking disease origins and mutational histories. She is the recipient of the prestigious Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award in 2010 for her contribution in the field of Medical Sciences.
Mukerji was born on 13 November 1967 in Madhya Pradesh to Bengali parents. She currently resides in New Delhi, India. [2] She holds a doctoral degree (Ph.D.) in bacterial molecular genetics from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. [3] In an interview, Mukerji states one of her most influential mentors has been Dr. Samir Kumar Brahmachari, the former Director General of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research known for his works in biophysics and pharmacogenetics. [4] [5]
After completing her doctoral degree, Mukerji joined the Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology in New Delhi in 1997. She has since worked in the field of population genetics and evolutionary genomics and has also had a particular interest in personalized medicine and the integration of Western Medicine and Ayurvedic medical practices.
One of her most notable works was deciphering the functions of Alu regions, the most abundant transposon found in primate populations. Her and her team concluded that these sequences code for RNA that serve as transcription factors, regulating a multitude of cell functions, including heat shock stress responses. Mukerji's publications on Alu sequences provide evidence of its involvement in homeostatic maintenance in humans, as well as the functions of miRNA as regulatory pathways specific to humans. [6] Mukerji has since continued to work in trying to understand the mechanisms behind heat shock response systems and the functions of satellite non-coding RNA as a transcriptional repressor. [7]
She took an active role in establishing the Indian Genome Variation Consortium. Created in 2003, this database collects information on the genetic variations between the multiple subpopulations in India in an effort to improve personalized pharmaceuticals and understand genetic predisposition to disease. [8] She established that genomic data could be adopted to decipher "signatures of natural selection and tracing mutational histories", and has used her studies to track migration patterns of many Asian populations and disease origins. Data from this initiative was used in a publication Mukerji was a contributor on, linking the genetic ancestry of the Siddi people from the Western region of India to Bantu-speaking East African tribes. [9]
Another study in which Mukerji used the IGV database is in studying keratinization genes, associated with waterproofing epidermal layers and being a contributor to different skin phenotypes for populations living in different climates. She wanted to see whether or not this gene responds to environmental stresses and how intensely or rapidly. Using an analysis of copy number variants and DNA and protein sequence differences amongst diverse Indian populations from varying climates, Mukerji makes conclusions about the changes within this area of skin-related genes and the role it plays in adaptations in response to environmental stimuli. [10]
Mukerji has also done significant work towards bettering clinical diagnostics processes of disorders in India. She worked particularly with a group of neurodegenerative diseases known as Cerebellar ataxias, a heritable condition in which the cerebellum portion of the brain becomes damaged. This condition is known to arise from a combination of many mutations, and so establishing a clear genetic correlation is difficult, making clinical screening difficult as well. Through tracing the disease ancestry and "mutational history", as well as a study of thousands of Indian families, Mukerji and her team were able to get a better understanding of the underlying genetic mechanisms that cause ataxias and develop a clinical screening to be able to check disease susceptibility of healthy patients. This method is being used at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences and helps reduce economical and medical stresses on families. [11] Further studies done by Mukerji show more evidence of the mechanisms behind ataxias. Her work in studying spinocerebellar ataxia identifies a repeat expansion mutation as the cause of the disorder. Analysis of single nucleotide polymorphisms in Indian and Mexican families show a shared expansion pattern in these two geographically distinct groups, making it possible to understand more about the ancestry of these particular mutations that cause this disease. [12]
In another study, Mukerji and her team analyzed another heritable neural disorder, dyslexia. They identified genes of a PCDHG cluster and pinpointed specific chromosomal locations of polymorphisms that contribute to the disorder. They also tracked the mutational history and lineages of these polymorphism, in both humans and other related primates. Their work helps better explain the mechanisms in play in dyslexia and the association of PCDHG genes with "neural adhesion proteins" that are related to cognitive functionality in primates. [13] Mukerji also studied active pulmonary tuberculosis in North Indian populations. Through a study of cytokine serum levels between patients with active tuberculosis and healthy individuals, Mukerji was able to identify five cytokine gene polymorphisms correlating to immunity against tuberculosis. [14]
Along with her other projects tracking mutational history and disease evolution, Mukerji also did work studying correlations between polymorphisms in the APOBEC3B gene and malaria susceptibility. Many versions of this gene with various insertions and deletions are found in human populations. Mukerji's study found a clear correlation between an insertion in this gene and populations with endemic levels of falciparum malaria, the most severe form of malaria, or in the genomes of descendants from such areas. Accordingly, their study also shows a strong correlation between a deletion in this gene and weakened defense against falciparum malaria. This provides direct evidence through population genetics survey that suggests that variants of the APOBEC3B have some effect on susceptibility to this form of malaria. [15]
Mukerji actively initiated the field of "Ayurgenomics", integrating the phenotyping Ayurveda principles of Indian medical system with "objective parameters of modern medicine for identifying molecular endophenotypes." She states that she wants her research to be able to "contemporize Ayurveda" by finding valid molecular backing for Ayurvedic practices and being able to use both to better preventative medical practice. [5] Her research on SNPs and CNV diversity in the Indian population as a part of the Indian Genome Variation Consortium provided genetic evidence for Ayurvedic "Prakritis", or subgroups of healthy individuals based on phenotypic differences that govern an individual's lifestyle and medical profile. [16] These "Prakriti's" are used for "assessing disease susceptibility and drug responsiveness", a concept that parallels ideas of personalized pharmaceuticals in Western Medicine. [17] One molecular example Mukerji and her team studied has to go with the EGLN1 gene, associated with oxygen retention in bodily tissues and the condition of hypoxia. Differences in this key gene are associated with high-altitude adaptations in particular populations, and agree with the distinguishing of different Prakriti's, giving a molecular basis for the ancient medical practice. [18] Mukerji has found other such biological markers that also support the Ayurvedic body types, such as levels of lipids. [5] A unique finding of her studies in genomics is "that the ethnically and linguistically diverse Indian population was united by distinct DNA patterns". [4] This has led to the inference that the genomics-based treatments of pharmacogenetics, also encompassing Ayurvedic practices, are possible.[ citation needed ]
Mukerji continued her study with hypoxia in examining and trying to decipher its correlation with asthma and other pulmonary conditions. The study, conducted on mice, used a pharmacologically induced hypoxic response to study how gene expression and induction factors are affected by the condition, and how this may lead to symptoms that cause the development of asthma. Mukerji and her team discovered that an exaggerated hypoxic response did indeed increase asthma in mice, even to fatal levels. This is clinically relevant as many pharmaceutical drugs function by tampering with these hypoxic response mechanisms, though the details of the mechanisms and its effects on the body are not well known. [19]
In January 2014, Mukerji gave a lecture at a TEDx event in New Delhi, India on the practice of personalized medicine through Ayurveda and its integration with modern medicine and genomics. [20]
Mukerji has received several prestigious awards. On 24 September 2001, she was awarded the CSIR Young Scientist Award. She then was nominated to be a member of HUGO, the Human Genome Organization, in 2006. She received the National Young Woman Bioscientists Award in 2008 and the prestigious Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award in 2010. In 2014, Mukerji became an elected fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences and in 2016, was awarded the VASVIK award for Women Scientists. Most recently, in 2017, Mitali Mukerji was awarded the Pushpalata Ranade National Woman Award. [21] [22]
Mukerji has several technical publications to her credit. She is also the Associate Editor for evolutionary and population genetics of the Frontiers journal. [23] Some of her notable publications are: [24]
The human genome is a complete set of nucleic acid sequences for humans, encoded as the DNA within each of the 24 distinct chromosomes in the cell nucleus. A small DNA molecule is found within individual mitochondria. These are usually treated separately as the nuclear genome and the mitochondrial genome. Human genomes include both protein-coding DNA sequences and various types of DNA that does not encode proteins. The latter is a diverse category that includes DNA coding for non-translated RNA, such as that for ribosomal RNA, transfer RNA, ribozymes, small nuclear RNAs, and several types of regulatory RNAs. It also includes promoters and their associated gene-regulatory elements, DNA playing structural and replicatory roles, such as scaffolding regions, telomeres, centromeres, and origins of replication, plus large numbers of transposable elements, inserted viral DNA, non-functional pseudogenes and simple, highly repetitive sequences. Introns make up a large percentage of non-coding DNA. Some of this non-coding DNA is non-functional junk DNA, such as pseudogenes, but there is no firm consensus on the total amount of junk DNA.
A microsatellite is a tract of repetitive DNA in which certain DNA motifs are repeated, typically 5–50 times. Microsatellites occur at thousands of locations within an organism's genome. They have a higher mutation rate than other areas of DNA leading to high genetic diversity. Microsatellites are often referred to as short tandem repeats (STRs) by forensic geneticists and in genetic genealogy, or as simple sequence repeats (SSRs) by plant geneticists.
Molecular genetics is a branch of biology that addresses how differences in the structures or expression of DNA molecules manifests as variation among organisms. Molecular genetics often applies an "investigative approach" to determine the structure and/or function of genes in an organism's genome using genetic screens.
In genetics and bioinformatics, a single-nucleotide polymorphism is a germline substitution of a single nucleotide at a specific position in the genome. Although certain definitions require the substitution to be present in a sufficiently large fraction of the population, many publications do not apply such a frequency threshold.
Human genetic variation is the genetic differences in and among populations. There may be multiple variants of any given gene in the human population (alleles), a situation called polymorphism.
Public health genomics is the use of genomics information to benefit public health. This is visualized as more effective preventive care and disease treatments with better specificity, tailored to the genetic makeup of each patient. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.), Public Health genomics is an emerging field of study that assesses the impact of genes and their interaction with behavior, diet and the environment on the population's health.
Ataxin-2 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ATXN2 gene. Mutations in ATXN2 cause spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2).
The 1000 Genomes Project (1KGP), taken place from January 2008 to 2015, was an international research effort to establish the most detailed catalogue of human genetic variation at the time. Scientists planned to sequence the genomes of at least one thousand anonymous healthy participants from a number of different ethnic groups within the following three years, using advancements in newly developed technologies. In 2010, the project finished its pilot phase, which was described in detail in a publication in the journal Nature. In 2012, the sequencing of 1092 genomes was announced in a Nature publication. In 2015, two papers in Nature reported results and the completion of the project and opportunities for future research.
CSIR Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB) is a scientific research institute devoted primarily to biological research. It is a part of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), India.
Samir Kumar Brahmachari is an Indian biophysicist and Former Director General of the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) and Former Secretary, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), Government of India. He is the Founder Director of Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB), New Delhi and the Chief Mentor of Open Source for Drug Discovery (OSDD) Project. He is the recipient of J.C Bose Fellowship Award, DST (2012). In addition, he is one of the featured researchers in the India Cancer Research Database developed by Institute of Bioinformatics (IOB), Bangalore with support from the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India.
Aravinda Chakravarti is a human geneticist and expert in computational biology, and Director of the Center For Human Genetics & Genomics at New York University. He was the 2008 President of the American Society of Human Genetics. Chakravarti became a co-Editor-in-Chief of the journal Genome Research in 1995, and of the Annual Review of Genomics and Human Genetics' in 2005.
Exome sequencing, also known as whole exome sequencing (WES), is a genomic technique for sequencing all of the protein-coding regions of genes in a genome. It consists of two steps: the first step is to select only the subset of DNA that encodes proteins. These regions are known as exons—humans have about 180,000 exons, constituting about 1% of the human genome, or approximately 30 million base pairs. The second step is to sequence the exonic DNA using any high-throughput DNA sequencing technology.
A gene is said to be polymorphic if more than one allele occupies that gene's locus within a population. In addition to having more than one allele at a specific locus, each allele must also occur in the population at a rate of at least 1% to generally be considered polymorphic.
Andrew B. Singleton is a British neurogeneticist currently working in the USA. He was born in Guernsey, the Channel Islands in 1972, where he lived until he was 18 years old. His secondary education was conducted at the Guernsey Grammar School. He earned a first class degree in Applied Physiology from Sunderland University and his PhD in neuroscience from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne where he studied the genetics of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Neurochemical Pathology Unit. He moved to the United States in 1999, where he began working at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida studying the genetic basis of Parkinson's disease, ataxia, and dystonia. He moved to the National Institutes of Health in 2001 to head the newly formed Molecular Genetics unit within the Laboratory of Neurogenetics. In 2006 he took over as Chief of the Laboratory of Neurogenetics and became an NIH Distinguished Investigator in the intramural program at the National Institute on Aging (NIA) in 2017. In 2020 he stepped down as the Chief of the Laboratory of Neurogenetics and became the Acting Director of the newly formed Center for Alzheimer's and Related Dementias at the NIA. In 2021 he became the Director of CARD.
Cognitive genomics is the sub-field of genomics pertaining to cognitive function in which the genes and non-coding sequences of an organism's genome related to the health and activity of the brain are studied. By applying comparative genomics, the genomes of multiple species are compared in order to identify genetic and phenotypical differences between species. Observed phenotypical characteristics related to the neurological function include behavior, personality, neuroanatomy, and neuropathology. The theory behind cognitive genomics is based on elements of genetics, evolutionary biology, molecular biology, cognitive psychology, behavioral psychology, and neurophysiology.
Genetic studies on Arabs refers to the analyses of the genetics of ethnic Arab people in the Middle East and North Africa. Arabs are genetically diverse as a result of their intermarriage and mixing with indigenous people of the pre-Islamic Middle East and North Africa following the Arab and Islamic expansion. Genetic ancestry components related to the Arabian Peninsula display an increasing frequency pattern from west to east over North Africa. A similar frequency pattern exist across northeastern Africa with decreasing genetic affinities to groups of the Arabian Peninsula along the Nile river valley across Sudan and the more they go south. This genetic cline of admixture is dated to the time of Arab expansion and immigration to North Africa (Maghreb) and northeast Africa.
Phylomedicine is an emerging discipline at the intersection of medicine, genomics, and evolution. It focuses on the use of evolutionary knowledge to predict functional consequences of mutations found in personal genomes and populations.
Sarah Anne Tishkoff is an American geneticist and the David and Lyn Silfen Professor in the Department of Genetics and Biology at the University of Pennsylvania. She also serves as a director for the American Society of Human Genetics and is an associate editor at PLOS Genetics, G3, and Genome Research. She is also a member of the scientific advisory board at the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.
Personalized genomics is the human genetics-derived study of analyzing and interpreting individualized genetic information by genome sequencing to identify genetic variations compared to the library of known sequences. International genetics communities have spared no effort from the past and have gradually cooperated to prosecute research projects to determine DNA sequences of the human genome using DNA sequencing techniques. The methods that are the most commonly used are whole exome sequencing and whole genome sequencing. Both approaches are used to identify genetic variations. Genome sequencing became more cost-effective over time, and made it applicable in the medical field, allowing scientists to understand which genes are attributed to specific diseases.
Andre Franke, born on 16 October 1978, is a geneticist, academic, and university professor. He is a Full W3 Professor of Molecular Medicine at the Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, and a managing director at the Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology.