Sheela Rani Kadapakkam
Assistant Professor/Research
Ph.D., Biochemistry
Indian Institute of Science
Bangalore, Karnataka, India
Office: 210-941-5597
Email: kadapakkam@uthscsa.edu
Research Interests
- Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) promoter
- TH gene regulation
- neurochemical and epigenetic effects of prenatal stress
- PTSD rat
Research Activities
My work is focused on understanding how glucocorticoid receptors (GR) regulate tyrosine hydroxylase gene, the rate limiting step of catecholamine and dopamine synthesis. We have identified the nucleotide sequences involved in GR/transcription factor binding in the promoters of rat and human TH gene.
Another area of research in our lab, that I am involved in, is analyzing the gene expression changes that occur in various regions of the brain, of adult rats, that were exposed to prenatal stress just prior to their birth. This is part of a program project to develop a rat model for post-tramautic stress disorder (PTSD). We are currently exploring possible epigenetic changes that occur during this process, in the brain of prenatally stressed adult rats. This work involves qPCR, microarrays, microRNA, DNA methylation analysis of several candidate genes.
Selected Publications
- Bingham, BC., Rani, CSS., Frazer, A., Strong, R. and Morilak, DA. (2013) Exogenous prenatal corticosterone exposure mimics the effects of prenatal stress on adult brain stress response systems and fear extinction behavior. Psychoneuroendocrinology Nov;38(11):2746-2757
- Rani, CSS., Soto-Pina, A, Iacovitti, L. and Strong, R. (2013) Evolutionary conservation of an atypical glucocorticoid-responsive element in the human tyrosine hydroxylase gene. J Neurochem Jul;126(1):19-28
- Green, M., Rani, CSS., Joshi, A., Soto-Pina, A., Martinez, P., Frazer, A., Strong, R. and Morilak, D. (2011) Prenatal stress induces long term stress vulnerability, compromising stress response systems in the brain and impairing extinction of conditioned fear after adult stress. Neuroscience Sep 29;192:438-451