Main profile

Tirumala Kumar Chowdary

School: 

Biological Sciences

Designation: 

Reader-F

School of Biological Sciences

Education: 

Ph.D - Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad - 2007

M.Sc - University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore - 2002
 

Specialisation: 

Structural biology of viral molecular machines

Publications: 

Sahoo B, Chowdary TK. Conformational changes in Chikungunya virus E2 protein upon heparan sulfate receptor binding explain mechanism of E2-E1 dissociation during viral entry. Biosci Rep. 2019;39(6):BSR20191077. doi:10.1042/BSR20191077

Bhanot H, Reddy MM, Nonami A, Weisberg EL, Bonal D, Kirschmeier PT, Salgia S, Podar K, Galinsky I, Chowdary TK, Neuberg D, Tonon G, Stone RM, Asara J, Griffin JD, Sattler M. Pathological glycogenesis through glycogen synthase 1 and suppression of excessive AMP kinase activity in myeloid leukemia cells. Leukemia. 2015 Jul;29(7):1555-63.


Deshpande A, Reddy MM, Schade GO, Ray A, Chowdary TK, Griffin JD, Sattler M. Kinase domain mutations confer resistance to novel inhibitors targeting JAK2V617F in myeloproliferative neoplasms. Leukemia. 2012 Apr;26(4):708-15.


Cairns TM, Whitbeck JC, Lou H, Heldwein EE, Chowdary TK, Eisenberg RJ, Cohen GH. Capturing the herpes simplex virus core fusion complex (gB-gH/gL) in an acidic environment. J Virol. 2011 Jul;85(13):6175-84.

Chowdary TK, Cairns TM, Atanasiu D, Cohen GH, Eisenberg RJ, Heldwein EE. Crystal structure of the conserved herpesvirus fusion regulator complex gH-gL. Nat Struct Mol Biol. 2010 Jul;17(7):882-8. 

Chowdary TK, Heldwein EE. Syncytial phenotype of C-terminally truncated herpes simplex virus type 1 gB is associated with diminished membrane interactions. J Virol. 2010 May;84(10):4923-35. 

Chowdary TK, Raman B, Ramakrishna T, Rao ChM. Interaction of mammalian Hsp22 with lipid membranes. Biochem J. 2007 Jan 15;401(2):437-45.


Chowdary TK, Raman B, Ramakrishna T, Rao CM. Mammalian Hsp22 is a heat-inducible small heat-shock protein with chaperone-like activity. Biochem J. 2004 Jul 15;381(Pt 2):379-87.

Research: 

My research interest is to understand structure-function relationship of viral proteins in viral entry, genome replication and packaging into capsids.

Cell-entry of alphaviruses: Chikungunya virus, an aedes mosquito-transmitted alphavirus, enters cells through receptor-mediated endocytosis, and membrane fusion in acidic pH of endosome. Two viral surface proteins, E1 and E2 facilitate entry process. E1 'pulls' apposing endosomal and cell membranes close enough, after endosome acidification, so that they fuse and open a pore. My lab is interested in understanding the acidic-pH triggering mechanism for E1 and structural changes in the protein that lead to membrane fusion.

Nucleic acid packaging in dsDNA viruses: Viruses with double stranded DNA genome pack DNA into capsids at very high densities. Some bacteriophages Human herpesviruses (one of those with large genomes) pack their genome into pre-formed capsid through concerted action of a portal complex and terminase complex. Terminase complex of herpesviruses can be a good drug-target. My lab studies structure-function relationship of terminase protein complex components to explain the mechanism of action of the complex.

Replication complexes of flaviviruses: another interest in the lab is on replication complexes of flaviviruses. Dengue virus, a member of the virus family, forms a complex of more than five different proteins (nsp1,2a, 2b, 3, 4a, 4b and 5) formed from a single polyprotein through proteolytic processing. Special membrane-bound replication complexes are formed from ER membrane surface and viral RNA is amplified inside these vesicles. We aim to characterize these complexes and study interactions amongst the proteins in complex.

Teaching: 

Virology - advanced course for M.Sc and Ph.D students

Enzymology - advanced course for M.Sc and Ph.D students

Introductory Biology practical courses for undergrad level students

Contacts: 

TIRUMALA KUMAR CHOWDARY

Reader-F

Room 212, Second Floor,

School of Biological Sciences,

National Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhubaneswar

PO Padnapur-Jatni, ODISA - 752050

Ph: +91-674-2494197

e-mail:tkchowdary@niser.ac.in

Phone No.: 

+91-674-2494197

Room No.: 

212

Mail ID: 

tkchowdary@niser.ac.in

Group Members: 

Post-doctoral visiting fellow:

Dr. Bibekananda Sahoo

Ph.D students:

Mr. Satyamurthy Kundarapu

Mr. Naresh Kumar Gudigamolla

Mr.Simanchal Dora A

Ms. Snehal Balaso Bhongale

Integrated M.Sc students:

Mr. Sourav Agrawal

Mr. Dheemanth Reddy Regati

Ms. Hradini Konathalapalli