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Pucadyil Lab

Membrane remodelling in cellular physiology

Cell membranes are formed by the spontaneous self-assembly of amphipathic lipids into a 5 nanometer-thin bilayer sheet. Membranes are fluid and capable resealing quickly upon rupture. Membranes are also elastic and resist budding, fission and fusion. Perhaps, these qualities lie at the heart of why nature chose lipids to contain every know life form. 

But cells are filled with numerous membrane-bound compartments, which implies that cells have evolved mechanisms to remodel membranes. Remodelling requires specialised protein machines that bend membranes for budding, fission and fusion. Together, these function to manage vesicular transport of lipids and proteins, organelle growth and division, and wound healing and naturally have a tremendous impact on cellular physiology. 

The Pucadyil Lab focuses on understanding the mechanistic and regulatory aspects of membrane budding, fission and fusion reactions. We employ biochemical reconstitution approaches on model membrane templates and combine molecular modeling and cell biology to understand how membrane remodelling protein machines work. 

Lab news

September 17, 2023

  • Soumya's paper on reconstituting membrane tubulation and fission using novel cushioned bilayer templates posted on the bioarxiv.
     

June 19, 2023

March 21, 2023

March 16, 2023

  • Thomas' invited perspective piece on mitochondrial fission published in Molecular Cell.
     

February 9, 2023

  • Himani's paper on a novel variable loop in dynamin accepted in PNAS.
     

February 4, 2023

January 20-24, 2023

  • The Pucadyil Lab attends the 45th All India Cell Biology Conference at Varanasi. This is somewhat of a lab retreat as well (see the photos).
     

September 4, 2022

  • Himani's paper on a novel variable loop in dynamin posted on the bioarxiv.
     

August 30, 2022

June 22, 2022

April 19, 2022

  • The Pucadyil Lab gets awarded the Team Science Grant from DBT Wellcome Trust India Alliance.
     

February 14, 2022

  • Devika's and Himani's paper on SUPER template pulldowns accepted in a special issue dedicated to Erwin London in the Journal of Membrane Biology.

  • Krishnendu's paper on metal binding in the mitochondrial Drp1 accepted in a special issue of membrane remodelling in the Journal of Membrane Biology.

Indian Institute of Science Education and Research

Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pashan, Pune 411008, Maharashtra, INDIA

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