National Institute of Plant Genome Research, New Delhi (March-July 2009)

 Plant Molecular Biology & Biotechnology and Molecular Taxonomy

Identification and elucidation of genes involved in cardiac glycosides biosynthesis to
understanding the molecular pathway of CG biosynthesis.
Calotropis is a source of many cardiac glycosides (CGs) .These calotropis CGs have been reported to have anti-proliferative activity on tumor cell lines and are potential targets for cancer chemotherapy. However, the abundance of CGs in wild plants is particularly restricted and it is difficult to isolate the desired compound in required quantities. Not much information is known on identification and biosynthetic pathway of these pharmaceutically important cardiac glycosides till now. We are working on comprehensive transcriptome and metabolome analysis under control condition in different tissues i.e. low and high accumulating/ under stress condition for the identification of the genes involve in CGs biosynthesis. Identified potential genes will be utilized to further increase the CGs content using metabolic engineering in cell culture for human health benefits. We have identified some of the potential transcription factor which are expressing preferentially in high expressing CGs tissues. These TFs belongs to WRKY and AP2 family transcription factor. Since TFs are sites of single step manipulation in complex metabolic pathway we are currently working on to establish their role in CGs metabolic pathway and stress response.

Passport data generation for the identification and authentication of medicinal plants:
The DNA barcoding technique utilizes a short fragment of DNA sequence to identify the species. It has been successfully established as an efficient tool for identification and taxonomic clarification. We are involve in  bar coding plants of medicinally important plants. We have identified 5 different loci namely rbcL, matK, ITS, trnH-psbA, and ITS2 which are amplified, sequenced and analysed for the establishment of bar code. Also we are developing DNA fingerprints using different technique e.g. RAPD, ISSR, SSR, AFLP etc for the authentication biological materials. 

Vineeta Tripathi, Nazia Syed, Ashverya Laxmi and Debasis Chattopadhyay
Role of CIPK6 in root growth and Auxin transport
Plant signaling and behavior. July 2009; volume 4, issue 7, Page 1-3

Rakesh K Shukla, Sumita Raha, Vineeta Tripathi, D Chattopadhyay
Expression of CAP2, an APETALA2-family transcription factor from chickpea, enhances growth and tolerance to dehydration and salt stress in transgenic tobacco.
Plant Physiology. 2006 Sep; 142(1): 113-23.