Welcome

We are a research group focusing on different aspects of infectious intracellular protozoan pathogens, using Leishmania, Toxoplasma, and Plasmodium as model systems. Our research centers on the immunological and cellular aspects of parasite biology that enable these intracellular pathogens to survive within the hostile host environment.

Innovation

Pushing boundaries with cutting-edge methodologies

Collaboration

Working across disciplines for comprehensive solutions

Excellence

Committed to the highest research standards

About our Laboratory

We are currently characterizing the mechanisms of lipid droplet (LD) trafficking by isolating and biochemically analyzing LD composition to identify critical factors involved in the specific trafficking and tethering of LDs with the Leishmania donovani parasitophorous vacuoles.

Post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) is a unique dermal consequence of VL in which viscerotropic L. donovani exhibits dermal manifestation and acts as a silent reservoir, aiding transmission during inter-epidemic periods. An important focus of our lab is to understand this peculiar tropism shift from visceral to dermal, which occurs following the clinical clearance of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) after drug treatment.

We are also actively working to establish potent CRISPR-Cas9 based genome editing techniques in protozoan biology, which can be implemented to characterize key components of disease pathogenesis and intra-/inter-species transmission of these intracellular pathogens.

Another major focus of our lab is to develop biochemical assays for activity-based protein profiling to study parasite biology, with an emphasis on creating translational applications for the pharmaceutical industry.

To gain a better understanding of protozoan-mediated infectious diseases, we are slowly expanding our focus to include Plasmodium and Toxoplasma, the causative agents of malaria and toxoplasmosis, respectively. We eventually aim to provide a mechanistic understanding of the important host-parasite interacting processes by combining cell biology, imaging, and biophysical modeling to study the parasite's entry and exit mechanisms.

Research Areas

Understanding how host lipogenesis pathways are exploited by drug unresponsive Leishmania donovani

Exploring lipid transfer mechanisms in Leishmania donovani clinical isolates

Unravelling the role of PV fission or fusion regulators in Leishmania infectivity

Deciphering the mechanisms of drug-unresponsive leishmaniasis through vesicle formation

Decoding the pathogenesis of PKDL in visceral and dermal infectivity

Establishing ex-vivo models to study PKDL development

Identifying the outcome of Apicomplexan parasites in HbE/beta-thalassaemia patients

Application of genetic engineering to evaluate the role of Leishmania proteases responsible for regulating host survival mechanisms

Current Projects

Our Publications

Scrutinized lipid utilization disrupts Amphotericin-B responsiveness in clinical isolates of Leishmania donovani	Pradhan S, Dhar D, Manna D, Chakraborty S, Bhattacharyya A, Chauhan K, Mukherjee R, Sen A, Pandey K, Das S, Mukherjee B	https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.102857.2
Oxidative stress-driven enhanced iron production and scavenging through Ferroportin reorientation worsens anemia in antimony-resistant Leishmania donovani infection	Ghosh S, Chigicherla KV, Dasgupta S, Goto Y and Mukherjee B. (2024).	http://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1012858
Leishmania protein KMP-11 modulates cholesterol transport and membrane fluidity to facilitate host cell invasion.	Sannigrahi, A., Ghosh, S., Pradhan, S., Jana, P., Jawed, J.J., Majumdar, S., Roy, S., Karmakar, S., Mukherjee, B. and Chattopadhyay, K., 2024.	https://doi.org/10.1038/s44319-024-00302-7
Deciphering the intricate dynamics of inflammasome regulation in visceral and post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis: A meta-analysis of consistencies	Bhattacharya S, Chakraborty S, Manna D, Thakur P, Chakravorty N, Mukherjee B	http://doi.org/10.1016/j.actatropica.2024.1073
Elaborating the Role of Aspartyl Protease in Host Modulation and Invasion in Apicomplexan Parasites Plasmodium and Toxoplasma.	Bhattacharya, S., Parveen, S., Mukherjee, B. (2023). In: Mukherjee, B., Bhattacharya, A., Mukhopadhyay, R., Aguiar, B.G.A. (eds) Pathobiology of Parasitic Protozoa: Dynamics and Dimensions. Springer, Singapore.	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-8225-5_6
Activation of TLR-pathway to induce host Th1 immune response against visceral leishmaniasis: Involvement of galactosylated-flavonoids. Heliyon, 8(7):e09868.	Pradhan S, Snehlata, Manna D, Karmakar S, Singh MK, Bhattacharya A, Mukherjee B, Paul J. (2022).	http://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e09868
A novel bioimpedance based detection of Miltefosine susceptibility among clinical Leishmania donovani isolates of the Indian subcontinent exhibiting resistance to multiple drugs.	Ghosh S, Biswas S, Mukherjee S, Pal A, Saxena A, Sundar S, Dujardin JC, Das S, Roy S, Mukhopadhyay R, Mukherjee B. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology (2021)	https://doi.org/10.3389/fcimb.2021.768830
Linking membrane fluidity with defective antigen presentation in leishmaniasis	Pradhan S., Ghosh S., Hussain S., Paul J., Mukherjee B. Parasite Immunology - (2021)	https://doi.org/10.1111/pim.12835
Role of chromatin modulation in the establishment of protozoan parasite infection for developing targeted chemotherapeutics.	Ghosh S., S. , Hussain . , Makkar . , Mukherjee B. The Nucleus 1-13 (2021)	https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13237-021-00356-1
Probing the molecular mechanism of aggressive infection by antimony resistant Leishmania donovani	Mukherjee B., Mukherjee K. , Nanda P. , Mukhopadhayay R. , Ravichandiran V. , Bhattacharyya S. , Roy . Cytokine 10.1016/j.cyto.2020.155245 - (2020)	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cyto.2020.155245
Short-Course Treatment With Imipramine Entrapped in Squalene Liposomes Results in Sterile Cure of Experimental Visceral Leishmaniasis Induced by Antimony Resistant Leishmania donovani With Increased Efficacy	Mukherjee S., Pradhan S., Ghosh S., Sundar S., Das S., Mukherjee B., Roy S. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology 10 - (2020)	https://doi.org/10.3389/fcimb.2020.595415
Modeling and resistant alleles explain the selectivity of antimalarial compound 49c towards apicomplexan aspartyl proteases	Mukherjee B., Tessaro F. , Vahokoski J. , Kursula I. , Marq J. , Scapozza L. , Soldati-favre D. EMBO J 37(7) 98047-98062 (2018)	https://doi.org/10.15252/embj.201798047
A drugable secretory protein maturase of Toxoplasma essential for invasion and egress	Dogga S. K., Mukherjee B. , Jacot D. , Malino L. , Hammoudi P. , Hartkoorn R. , Hell A. , Soldat-favre D. Elife 6 27480- (2017)	https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.27480
A multi-stage antimalarial targets the plasmepsins IX and X essential for invasion and egress	Pino P., Caldelari R. , Mukherjee B. , Vahokoski J. , Klages N. , Maco B. , Collins C. ., Blackman M. J., Kursula I. , Heussler V. , Brochet M. , Soldati-favre D. Science 358(6362) 522-528 (2017)	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aaf8675
Antimony resistant Leishmania donovani upregulates IL-10 to overexpress host multi drug resistant protein1	Mukherjee B., Mukhopadhyay R. , Bannerjee B. , Chowdhury S. , Naskar K. , Allam U. , Chakravortty D. , Sundar S. , Dujardin J. , Roy S. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 110(7) 575-582 (2013)	https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.121383911
Characterisation of antimony-resistant Leishmania donovani isolates: biochemical and biophysical studies and interaction with host cells, Int J Parasitol, 1311-1321, 2011	Mukhopadhyay R., Mukherjee S. , Mukherjee B. , Naskar K. , Mondal D. , Decuypere S. , Ostyn B. , Prajapati V. , Sundar S. , Dujardin J. , Roy S.	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpara.2011.07.013