 |
|
|
COMPLETED PROJECT
1. HIV-1 envelope-gag interaction and assembly in lipid rafts.
Principal Investigator: Dr. Jayanta Bhattacharya
This study was supported and funded by the American Foundation of AIDS Research, USA. The study was originally initiated in 2004 by the PI while working as a staff scientist at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA. In December 2005, Dr. Bhattacharya had brought along this same project at the National AIDS Research Institute, Pune where he continued working on this project. The salient finding of the study was stable interaction between envelope and gag is necessary for envelope association in lipid rafts (that are also represented by detergent resistant membranes or DRM) and efficient assembly onto budding virions. The key observations had been published in the Journal of Virology (2006, Vol 80: 5292-5300). The project was ended in September, 2006. The study is being extended for additional investigations.
Principal Investigator: Dr. Srikanth Tripathy, Scientist F
Co-Investigators:
1) Dr. Deepak Gadkari, Former Officer-in-Charge, NARI,& Former Director, NIV, Pune.
2) Dr. Ramesh Paranjape, Director, NARI, Pune.
3) Dr. Smita Kulkarni, Scientist D, NARI, Pune.
Study Duration: 1997-2000
Funding: Dept of Biotechnology, Govt. of India.
Objectives:
To isolate and characterize HIV isolates from different parts of India
To develop a repository of well characterized HIV strains and HIV positive plasma/serum samples from different parts of the India
Study Description:
This project has dealt with generation of a repository of 124 well characterized Indian HIV-1 and HIV-2 strains, developed with an idea of encouraging HIV research in India. The HIV isolates in this repository are made available to Indian researchers who have expertise in the other areas and are interested in pursuing their research in the field of HIV/AIDS but have no capacity or access to isolate and grow HIV. The HIV isolates have been subtyped using the env and gag Hetroduplex Mobility Assays. The phenotypic characteristics like coreceptor tropism and the syncytium inducing capacity of these isolates has been studied. Full length genome analysis of some of the isolates is in progress. Efforts to add unusual HIV strains to this repository are ongoing. The guidelines and link for obtaining these isolates are given below.
Publications:
Milka Rodriguez, Ming Ding; Deena Ratner; Yue Chen; Srikanth Tripathy; Smita Kulkarni; Ramdas Chatterjee; Patrick Tarwater; Phalguni Gupta. (2009).High Replication Fitness and Transmission Efficiency of HIV-1 Subtype C from India: Implications for Subtype C Predominance.Virology (Accepted)
Sushama Jadhav, Srikanth Tripathy, Smita Kulkarni, Kalpana Agnihotri, Arun Risbud, and Ramesh Paranjape. (2009). Molecular Phylogenetics of Nearly Full-Length HIV Type 2 envelope Gene Sequences from West India. AIDS Research & Human Retroviruses, 25:000-000
Lakhashe, S., Tripathy, S.P., Paranjape, R.S. and Bhattacharya, J. (2008). Evidence of a Novel B/C Recombinant Exhibiting Unique Breakpoints of Nearly Full Length HIV-1 Genome in North Eastern India. AIDS Research & Human Retroviruses, 24: 229-234.
Lakhashe, S., Tripathy, S.P., Paranjape, R.S. and Bhattacharya, J. (2008). Characterization of B/C Recombinants of Nearly Full Length HIV-1 in North Eastern India with Mosaics Identical to ARE195FL but with a Different Ancestral Origin. AIDS Research & Human Retroviruses, 24: 92-99.
Rodriguez Milka A., Chengli Shen, Deena Ratner, Ramesh S. Paranjape, Smita S. Kulkarni, Ramdas Chatterjee, Phalguni Gupta. (2007). Genetic and Functional Characterization of the LTR of HIV-1 Subtypes A and C Circulating in India. AIDS Research & Human Retroviruses, 23: 1428-1433.
Samir K. Lakhashe, Smita S. Kulkarni, Madhuri R. Thakar, Manisha V. Ghate and Ramesh S. Paranjape. (2007). Extensive cross-reactive neutralizing antibody response in Indian patients with limited genetic diversity of HIV-1. Virology, 359:295-301.
Smita Kulkarni, Srikanth Tripathy, Kalpana Agnihotri, Neena Jatkar, Sushama Jadhav, Winston Umakanth, Kavita Dhande, Prasad Tondare, Raman Gangakhedkar and Ramesh Paranjape. (2005).Indian primary HIV-2 isolates and relationship between V3 genotype, biological phenotype coreceptor usage. Virology, 337:68-75
Srikanth P Triapthy, Smita S Kulkarni, Sushama D Jadhav, Kalpana D Agnihotri, Abhay J Jere, Swarali N Kurle, Sujit K Bhattacharya, Khomdon Singh, Sriram P Tripathy and Ramesh Paranjape. (2005).Subtype B and subtype C HIV type 1 recombinants in the northeastern state of Manipur, India.AIDS Research & Human Retroviruses, 21:152-7.
Cecillia, S S Kulkarni, S P Tripathy, R R Gangakhedkar, R S Paranjape, D A Gadkari. (2000). Absence of coreceptor switch with disease progression in human immunodeficiency virus infections in India. Virology, 271:253-258
Smita S. Kulkarni, Srikanth Tripathy, Ramesh S. Paranjape, N.S. Mani, D R Joshi, U. Patil and Gadkari DA. (1999). Isolation and preliminary characterization of two HIV-2 strains from Pune, India. Ind J Med Res. 109:123-130.
Principal Investigator: Dr.S.P.Tripathy
Under the ICMR funded Genomics Project (June 2002 to June 2005), 300 samples have been collected from all over the India and analyzed for the gag and env gene subtyping by Heteroduplex Mobility Assay. Heteroduplex mobility analysis results for gag as well as env gene showed that 97% of collected samples were HIV-1 Indian subtype C. The generated data is being written up as a manuscript for publication.
4. Genetic Polymorphism Study:
Principal Investigator: Dr.R.R.Gangakhedkar
Studies on genetic polymorphism in the coreceptors and its implication on disease progression, genetic and host parameters may be helpful in designing intervention strategies. Under DBT-ICMR funded Genetic Polymorphism project, 110 samples have been collected and genetic polymorphism data generated for CCR5, CCR2b coreceptor and ligand SDF of CXCR4 coreceptor. This data is being written up as a manuscript for publication.
National AIDS Research Institute, Pune All rights reserved.