Sudripta Das: Profile

1.     Research theme photo

3. Research Area/Research Expertise
•    Plant Stress Biology
•    Molecular mechanisms of plant secondary metabolite biosynthetic pathways

4. Research Summary
A. Current Research:
TITLE: Functional Genomic Analysis of Secondary Metabolic Pathways for Production of Berberine alkaloids and Flavonoids
In the post-genomic era, integrated analysis of comprehensive gene expression (transcriptome) and metabolic profiling (metabolome) has been successful in plant functional genomics. Deep transcriptome technology, also known as RNA-seq, provides whole transcriptome expression profiles of selected plant tissues or cells, thereby permitting the integrated analysis of transcriptomics and metabolomics in any plant species. The present study would utilize deep transcriptomics combined with targeted metabolic profiling to identify candidate genes and factors associated with secondary metabolite production of berberine alkaloids and catechins. The obtained spatial and temporal datasets would be useful resources for further studies involving intermediate metabolites and novel compounds.
The application of systematic genome mining approaches in combination with functional analysis of candidate clusters offers enormous potential for unravelling of pathways, enzymes and chemistries related to production of berberine alkaloids and flavonoids from plants like Berberis sp./Zanthoxylum sp. and Polygonum sp. respectively.

B. Previous Notable Research:
TITLE: Allele Mining for Stress Resistance in Tea (DBT-Unit of Excellence)

To understand the gene networks that underlie tea stress and defense responses, it is necessary to identify and characterize the genes that respond both initially and as the physiological response to the stress or pathogen develops. We used PCR-based suppression subtractive hybridization to identify Camellia sinensis genes that are differentially expressed in response to drought, fungal pathogen and infestation by green flies and thrips. We identified a total of 19,231 differentially expressed genes from sixteen stress cDNA libraries. RT-PCR analysis revealed that 45% of the stress-inducible genes are rarely transcribed in unstressed plants and 10% of them were not previously represented in Camellia expressed sequence tag databases. More than two-thirds of the genes in the stress cDNA collection have not been identified in previous studies as stress / defense response genes. Several stress-responsive cis-elements showed a statistically significant over-representation in the promoters of the genes in the stress cDNA collection. These include W-, F- and G-boxes, the JA inducible element, the abscisic acid response element and cysteine rich motif. The stress cDNA collection comprises a broad repertoire of stress-responsive genes encoding proteins that are involved in both the initial and subsequent stages of the physiological response to abiotic stress and pathogens. The degradome analysis using RNA-seq data suggests that regulation of the transcriptome is universally governed by specific small RNA target molecules which may be modulated. This set of stress-, pathogen- and positively regulated tea quality related genes is an important resource for understanding the genetic interactions underlying stress signaling and responses and may contribute to the characterization of the stress transcriptome through the construction of standardized specialized arrays.

       > For drought tolerance, Koomsung 29 was identified as the most tolerant among the germplasms so far characterized, which is also well characterised for its quality.

       > For blister blight tolerance, Phoobshering 1278 was resistant to blister blight disease and should be utilised for breeding of Darjeeling clones.

A.    Research Articles – Relevant publications

1. “Transgenic Tea Over-expressing Solanum tuberosum Endo-1,3-beta-D-glucanase Gene Conferred Resistance Against Blister Blight Disease” H. Ranjit Singh, Pranita Hazarika, Manab Deka & Sudripta Das. Plant Molecular Biology Reporter (2018) 36:107–122 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11105-017-1063-x.

2. “A Proteomic Approach to Evaluate the Effects of Endogenous Expression of Cryptogein Gene in Crypt Transgenic plants of Bacopa monnieri” J. Appl. Biotechnol Bioeng. (2017) 4(3): 100-104.

3. “Construction of a genetic linkage map and mapping of drought tolerance trait in Indian beveragial tea” Sapinder Bali, Vishnu Bhat, A Mamgain, Sudripta Das, S N Raina, A K Pradhan, S K Yadava and S Goel. Mol Breeding. 2015. 35:112. [DOI 10.1007/s11032-015-0306-5].

4. “Enhanced resistance to blister blight in transgenic tea (Camellia sinensis [L.] O. Kuntze) by overexpression of class I chitinase gene from potato (Solanum tuberosum)”. H. Ranjit Singh, Manab Deka and Sudripta Das. Funct Integr Genomics. 2015. [DOI 10.1007/s10142-015-0436-1].

5. “Molecular Landscape of Helopeltis theivora Induced Transcriptome and Defense Gene Expression in Tea”. Tirthankar Bandyopadhyay, Bornali Gohain, Raju Bharalee, Sushmita Gupta, Priyadarshini Bhorali, Sourabh Kumar Das, M C. Kalita and Sudripta Das. Plant Mol Biol Rep. 2014. [DOI 10.1007/s11105-014-0811-4].

6. “Molecular Analysis of Drought Tolerance in Tea by cDNA-AFLP Based Transcript Profiling”. (2013) Sushmita Gupta, Raju Bharalee, Priyadarshini Bhorali, Sourabh K. Das, Prasenjit Bhagawati, Tirthankar Bandyopadhyay, Bornali Gohain, Niraj Agarwal, Parveen Ahmed, Sangeeta Borchetia, M. C. Kalita, A. K. Handique, Sudripta Das. Mol. Biotechnol. 53:237–248 [DOI: 10.1007/s12033-012-9517-8].

7.“Biochemical evaluation…….. catechin rich genotypes” (2013). S. K. Das, S. Sabhapandit, G. Ahmed and Sudripta Das. Biochem Genetics. June 2013, Volume 51, Issue 5-6, pp 358-376 [DOI: 10.1007/s10528-013-9569].

8. “Identification of Differentially……………Suppression Subtractive Hybridization” A Das, Sudripta Das and T K Mondal. (2012). Plant Mol Biol Rep. 30:1088–1101.

9. “Understanding Darjeeling Tea Flavour on a Molecular Basis” Bornali Gohain, Sangeeta Borchetia, L.P. Bhuyan, A. Rahman, K. Sakata, M. Mizutani, B. Shimizu, G. Gurusubramaniam, R. Ravindranath, M. Hazarika and Sudripta Das. Plant Mol Biol. 78: 577-597 (doi:10.1007/s11103-012-9887-0). 2012.

10. “Identification of drought tolerant progenies in tea by gene expression analysis”. Sushmita Gupta, Raju Bharalee, Priyadarshini Bhorali, Tirthankar Bandyopadhyay, Bornali Gohain, Niraj Agarwal, Parveen Ahmed, Hemanta Saikia, Sangeeta Borchetia, MC Kalita, AK Handique and Sudripta Das. Funct Integr.Genomics (2012). 12: 543-563. [DOI: 10.1007 /s10142-012-0277-0].

B.     Books Authored – Recent First

Sushmita Gupta and Sudripta Das. Gene Networks Involved In Water Deficit Stress Response In Tea. 2012. Pages 264. LAP LAMBERT Academic Publishing. ISBN: 978-3-659-29025-1.

C.    Book Chapters – Recent First

1.    Sudripta Das, S.C. Das and M. Hazarika. Global Tea Breeding: Achievements, Challenges and Perspectives - Breeding of the Tea Plant (Camellia sinensis) in India. (2012). Springer-Zhejiang University Press.

2.    Sudripta Das and Sumita Jha. Tissue culture of Cashew Nut. 2003. In: Prof. S. S. Bhojwani Commemorative Volume. Springer-Verlag.

3.    Sudripta Das and Sumita Jha. Strategies for improvement of Cashewnut through tissue culture. 1-7 (1995). In: Plant Tissue Culture, Islam, A.S. (ed), Oxford-IBH.

A.    Core/Internal
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      b.    Past:

B.    Extramural:
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       b.    Past: