Anupama Ghosh

Anupama Ghosh
Associate Professor

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Previous appointments:

Assistant Professor, Division of Plant Biology, Bose Institute, India

DST INSPIRE Faculty, Division of Plant Biology, Bose Institute, India

Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Department of Organismic Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Germany 

Research interests:

Plant microbe interactions

Pathogenic mechanisms of Ustilago maydis

Fungal effector proteins

Beneficial interaction between host plants and root colonizing rhizobacteria

Contact:

Address: Biological Sciences
Unified Academic Campus
Bose Institute
EN-80, Sector V
Bidhan Nagar
Kolkata - 700 091, India
E-Mail: ghosh.anupama[at]jcbose.ac.in
Phone: +91-33-25693245

Research:

      Our group explores the many ways in which a biotrophic fungal pathogen, Ustilago maydis establish infection in its host plant Zea mays. Upon invasion a biotrophic interfacial space is created within the apoplast of the host plant that is surrounded by fungal cell wall and plant plasma membrane. One of the focus areas of our research involves understanding the virulence function of some of the fungal proteins that are secreted in this biotrophic interface and contribute to the pathogenicity of the fungus.  ·       


One such class of proteins that we are studying is the secreted fungal ribonucleases. We have demonstrated role of two T2 type ribonucleases Nuc1 and Nuc2 in the scavenging of extracellular RNA (exRNA) in maize apoplast as a nutrient source for the fungus. We are currently exploring the possibility of these ribonucleases to regulate exRNA mediated cell-cell communication during infection.

 


Another aspect of U. maydis Zea mays interaction that we are working on involves understanding how small heat shock proteins contribute to the virulence mechanism of U. maydis. We have identified two small heat shock proteins, Hsp12 and Hsp20 that exhibit functions beyond just providing protection against proteotoxic stress. While Hsp12 functions as a membrane chaperone, Hsp20 is involved in the regulation of key cellular processes that together define the pathogenicity of U. maydis. Currently we are investigating the mechanistic details of the involvements of small Hsps in these processes. 


Publications:

1. Mitra, A, Kar, A, Bhakta, K, Roy, A, Mukherjee, A, Ghosh, A, Ghosh, A. Small heat shock protein Hsp20 regulates multiple cellular pathways in Ustilago maydis through its interaction with cytoskeletal proteins. The FEBS Journal (Accepted)

2.Mondal, S, Acharya, U, Mukherjee, T, Bhattacharya, D, Ghosh, A, Ghosh, A. Exploring the dynamics of ISR signaling in maize upon seed priming with plant growth promoting actinobacteria isolated from tea rhizosphere of Darjeeling. Archives of Microbiology 2024, Vol 206, 282, doi:10.1007/s00203-024-04016-1

3. Mitra A, Bhakta K, Kar A, Roy A, Mohid Sk A, Ghosh A, Ghosh A*. Insight into the biochemical and cell biological function of an intrinsically unstructured heat shock protein, Hsp12 of Ustilago maydis. Molecular Plant Pathology 2023, doi: 10.1111/mpp.13350.

4. Mukherjee S, Bhakta K, Ghosh A, Ghosh A*. Ger1 is a secreted aspartic acid protease essential for spore germination in Ustilago maydis Yeast 2022, doi: 10.1002/yea.3835.

5. Acharya U, Das T, Ghosh Z and Ghosh A*. Defense surveillance system at the interface: esponse of rice towards Rhizoctonia solani during sheath blight infection. Molecular Plant Microbe Interactions, 2022, Vol 35(12), 1081-1095, doi: 10.1094/MPMI-07-22-0153-R. 

6.Mukherjee D, Singh N P, Roy A, Mondal R, Acharya U, Chattopadhyay D, Ghosh A*. The extracellular RNA pool within Zea mays apoplast: composition and differential expression during Ustilago maydis infection. BioRxiv 2022, doi: 10.1101/2022.06.03.494492.

7. Roy M, Bhakta K, Bhowmick A, Gupta S, Ghosh A, Ghosh A. Archaeal HSP14 drives substrate shuttling between small heat shock proteins and thermosome: insights into a novel substrate transfer pathway. FEBS Journal 2022, Vol 289 (4), 1080-1104, doi: 10.1111/febs.16226. Epub 2021 Oct 24.

8. Bhattacharya C, Banerjee S, Acharya U, Mitra A, Mallick I, Haldar A, Haldar S, GhoshA, Ghosh A. Evaluation of plant growth promotion properties and induction of antioxidative defense mechanism by tea rhizobacteria of Darjeeling, India. Scientific Reports 2020, Vol 10 (1), 1-19, doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-72439-z.

9. Mukherjee D, Gupta S, GhoshA, Ghosh A*. Ustilago maydis secreted T2 ribonucleases, Nuc1 and Nuc2 scavenge extracellular RNA. Cellular Microbiology 2020, Vol 22 (12), doi: 10.1111/cmi.13256.

10. Mukherjee D, Mitra A, Ghosh A*. Detection of apoptosis like cell death in Ustilago maydis by Annexin V-FITC staining. Bioprotocol 2018, Vol 8 (15), doi:10.21769/BioProtoc.2948.

11. Mukherjee D, Gupta S, Saran N, Datta R, Ghosh A*. Induction of apoptosis-like  cell death and clearance of stress induced intracellular protein aggregates: dual roles for Ustilago maydis metacaspase Mca1. Molecular Microbiology 2017, Sep 23, doi: 10.1111/mmi.13848. 

12. Ghosh P, Roy A, Hess D, Ghosh A,  Das S. Deciphering the Mode of Action of a Modified Allium sativum Leaf Agglutinin (mASAL), a Potent antifungal Protein on Rhizoctonia solani. BMC Microbiology 2015; Oct 26;15:237.

13. Ghosh A*, Raha S. Molecular and functional characterization of a stress responsive cysteine protease, EhCP6 from Entamoeba histolytica. Protein Expression and Purification 2015  May;109:55-61. doi: 10.1016/j.pep.2015.02.005.

14. Ghosh A*. Small heat shock proteins (HSP12, HSP20 and HSP30) play a role in Ustilago maydis pathogenesis. FEMS Microbiology Letters 2014 Sep 22; doi: 10.1111/1574-6968.12605

15. Djamei A£, Schipper K£, Rabe F, Ghosh A, Vincon V, Kahnt J, Osorio S, Tohge T, Fernie AR, Feussner I, Feussner K, Meinicke P, Stierhof YD, Schwarz H, Macek B, Mann M, Kahmann R. Metabolic priming by a secreted fungal effector. Nature 2011 Oct 5; 478(7369): 395-8. doi: 10.1038/nature10454.

16. Ghosh AS, Ray D, Dutta S, Raha S. EhMAPK, the mitogen-activated protein kinase from Entamoeba histolytica is associated with cell survival. PLoS One 2010 Oct 8; 5(10): e13291. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0013291.

17. Ghosh AS, Dutta S, Raha S. Hydrogen peroxide-induced apoptosis-like cell death in Entamoeba histolytica. Parasitology International 2010 Jun; 59(2): 166-72. doi: 10.1016/j.parint.2010.01.001. Epub 2010 Jan 15.

18. Dutta S, Sardar A, Ray D, Raha S. Molecular and functional characterization of EhPAK3 a p21 activated kinase from Entamoeba histolytica. Gene 2007 Nov 1;402 (1-2):57-67. 

 

 

Book chapters

 

1.      Bhattacharyya, C, Roy, R, Tribedi, P, Ghosh, A, Ghosh, A. (2020) Biofertilizers as substitute to commercial agrochemicals. M.N.V Prasad (Eds.), Agrochemicals Detection, Treatment and Remediation, Pesticides and Chemical Fertilizers, February 2020, 11: 263-290 (ISBN 978-0-08-103017-2). https://doi.org/10.1016/C2018-0-02947-3

2.      Mallick, I, Ghosh, A, Ghosh, A. (2019) Microbe-Mediated Removal of Heavy Metals for Sustainable Agricultural Practices. In: B. Giri et al. (eds.), Biofertilizers for Sustainable Agriculture and Environment, Soil Biology, August 2019, 55: 521-544 (ISBN 978-3-030-18932-7). https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-18933-4_24

3.      Ghosh A*, Raha S. (2017) Proteases from protozoa and their role in infection. In: Chakraborti, Sajal, Dhalla, Naranjan S. (eds.), Proteases in physiology and pathology. September 2017 Springer, Singapore (ISBN 978-981-10-2513-6). https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-10-2513-6_8

4.      Ray D, Ghosh A, Banerjee Mustafi S, Raha S. (2016) Plant stress response: HSP70 in the spotlight. In: Asea A., Kaur P., Calderwood S. (eds), Heat Shock Proteins and Plants. Heat Shock Proteins, vol 10.  November 2016 Springer, Cham (ISBN 978-3-319-46340-7) https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-46340-7_7

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Recognition:

  • Fulbright Nehru Academic and Professional Excellence Fellowship, 2023
  • Early Career Research Award, SERB, 2018
  • DST-INSPIRE Faculty Award, Department of Science and Technology (DST), India, 2013
  • Postdoctoral Fellowship, Max Planck Society, 2010-2013

Teaching:

" Plant Molecular Biology Course " in the Integrated M.Sc. PhD Programme of Bose Institute. 

Topics covered:

1. Transport of micro and macro molecules

2. Plant stress signalling during pathogen (bacterial and fungal phytopathogens) invasion 

 

                         

Students:

Image Name Designation Department Campus Contact number Email
profile image Anisha Roy Junior Research Fellow Division of Plant Biology Centenary anisharoy8@gmail.com
profile image Ankita Kar Junior Research Fellow Division of Plant Biology Unified ankitakar094@gmail.com
profile image Atreyee Sarkar Junior Research Fellow Division of Plant Biology Unified atreyeesarkar9@gmail.com
profile image Rituparna Mondal Junior Research Fellow Division of Plant Biology Unified ritusmita2804@gmail.com
profile image Saumya Pramanik Junior Research Fellow Biological Sciences Centenary saumyapramanik05@gmail.com

Postdoctoral Fellows / RA :

Image Name Designation Department Campus Contact number Email
profile image Indraneel Saha SERB-NPDF Biological Sciences Unified indraneelsaha92@gmail.com

Former:

Rahul Datta  

Dibya Mukherjee (Current affiliation: Postdoctoral Fellow, Hebrew University of Jerusalem)

Udita Acharya (Current affiliation: Postdoctoral Researcher, Liebniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry)

Subhasish Mukherjee (current affiliation: Senior Research Scientist, Henni Innovation Private limited) 

Aroni Mitra 




Group News:

  • Opening for prospective PhD and Postdoc students

    We are looking for highly motivated students willing to pursue research exploring the molecular mechanisms of interaction between host plants and associated microbes to join our team.

    Candidates who have secured fellowships through NET or any other equivalent examination can send their CV along with a cover letter to ghosh.anupama@jcbose.ac.in for possible PhD positions in the lab.

    For RA/Postdoc positions candidates with prior research experience in yeast genetics, protein biochemistry and genetic engineering in plants are preferred. Interested candidates are expected to apply to different national post-doctoral programs like DBT-RA, ANRF-NPDF and others for funding support. 

News & updates

New findings from our lab on the role of a small heat shock protein in the pathogenic development of Ustilago maydis published in The FEBS Journal

  https://doi.org/10.1111/febs.70280

Ms. Anisha Roy received travel support from DBT-CTEP to present her research on the virulence function of a secreted lipase from Ustilago maydis in IS-MPMI Congress held at Cologne, Germany from 13th to 17th July 2025.