Faculty

Kavita Babu

Associate Professor

Phone: +91 80 2293 2062
E-Mail : kavitababu[at]iisc.ac.in
web : http://www.babulab.org/

Research Areas

Molecular Neurobiology and Neurogenetics

Research Details

We are interested in understanding the molecules and mechanisms that are in play during a synaptic function. Our work utilizes the free-living nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans to study how neurons “talk” to each other. We focus on two major questions:

1. What are the molecules and molecular interaction that allow for normal communications between neurons and the body-wall muscle at the neuromuscular junction?

2. How do neurons communicate with other neurons through neuropeptides?

We use multiple techniques including molecular biology, genetics, imaging and behavior to answer these questions.

Publications

Kiran K. Kolathur*©, Pallavi Sharma*, Nagesh Y. Kadam, Navneet Shahi, Ane Nishitha, Kavita Babu©, (2023), Pre-mRNA splicing function of the ubiquitin-like protein Hub1/UBL-5 in Caenorhabditis elegans, FEBS Letters, 597(3), 448-457

(2022), Perceptions on preprints, peer review and publication charges, Current Science, 123(10), 1187 (Editorial)

Pratima Pandey©, Gazaldeep Kaur and Kavita Babu©, (2022), Crosstalk between neurons and glia through G-protein coupled receptors: Insights from Caenorhabditis elegans, Progress in Molecular Biology and Translational Science, 193(1), 119-144

Vandita S. Bhat©, Jagannath Jayaraj and Kavita Babu©, (2022), RNA and neuronal function: the importance of post-transcriptional regulation, Oxford Open Neuroscience, Vol 1

Umer S. Bhat*, Navneet Shahi*, Siju Surendran* and Kavita Babu , (2021), Neuropeptides and Behaviors: How Small Peptides Regulate Nervous System Function and Behavioral Outputs, Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, 14, 786471

Anuradha Singh, Kavita Babu© and Pratima Pandey© , (2021), Ethanol Induced Sedative Behavior: An assay to investigate increased dopamine signaling in C. elegans, Bio-protocol, 11(13), e4083

Pratima Pandey©, Umer S. Bhat, Anuradha Singh, Aiswarya Joy, Varun Birari, Nagesh Y. Kadam and Kavita Babu©, (2021), Dauer formation in C. elegans is modulated through AWC and ASI dependent chemosensation, Eneuro, 8(2)

Pratima Pandey*©, Anuradha Singh*, Harjot Kaur, Anindya Ghosh-Roy and Kavita Babu©, (2021), Increased dopaminergic neurotransmission results in ethanol dependent sedative behaviors in Caenorhabditis elegans, PLoS Genetics, 17(2):, e1009346

Nagesh Kadam©, Sukanta Behera, Sandeep Kumar, Anindya Ghosh-Roy and Kavita Babu©, (2021), The G-protein coupled receptor SRX-97 is required for concentration dependent sensing of benzaldehyde in Caenorhabditis elegans, eNeuro, 8(01):, ENEURO.0011-20.2020.

Ashwani Bhardwaj*, Pratima Pandey* and Kavita Babu, (2020), Control of locomotory behavior of Caenorhabditis elegans by the immunoglobulin superfamily protein RIG-3, Genetics, 214(1):, 135-45

Vina Tikiyani© and Kavita Babu©, (2019), Claudins in the brain: Unconventional functions in neurons, Traffic, 20(11):, 807-14

Yogesh Dahiya©, Saloni Rose, Shruti Thapliyal, Shivam Bhardwaj, Maruthi Prasad and Kavita Babu©, (2019), Differential regulation of innate and learned behavior by CREB1/CRH-1 in Caenorabditis elegans, The Journal of Neuroscience, 39(40): , 7934-46

Shruti Thapliyal© and Kavita Babu©, (2019), C. elegans Locomotion: Finding Balance in Imbalance, Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, 1112:, 185-96

Shruti Thapliyal, Amruta Vasudevan*, Yongming Dong*, Jihong Bai, Sandhya P. Koushika and Kavita Babu, (2018), The C-terminal of CASY-1/Calsyntenin regulates GABAergic synaptic transmission at the Caenorhabditis elegans neuromuscular junction, PLoS Genetics, 14(3):, e1007236

Shruti Thapliyal, Shruthi Ravindranath and Kavita Babu, (2018), Regulation of glutamate signaling in the sensorimotor circuit by CASY-1A/Calsyntenin in Caenorhabditis elegans, Genetics, 208(4): , 1553-64

Ashwani Bhardwaj*, Saurabh Thapliyal*, Yogesh Dahiya and Kavita Babu, (2018), FLP-18 functions through the G-protein coupled receptors NPR-1 and NPR-4 to modulate reversal length in Caenorhabditis elegans, The Journal of Neuroscience , 38(20): , 4641-54

Pallavi Sharma*, Lei Li*, Haowen Liu, Vina Tikiyani, Zhitao Hu© and Kavita Babu©, (2018), The Claudin-like protein, HPO-30, is required to maintain LAChRs at the Caenorhabditis elegans neuromuscular junction, The Journal of Neuroscience, 38(32): , 7072-87

Shruti Thapliyal and Kavita Babu, (2018), Pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced Convulsion Assay to Determine GABAergic Defects in Caenorhabditis elegans, Bio-protocol, 8(17): , e2989

Vina Tikiyani, Lei Li, Pallavi Sharma, Haowen Liu, Zhitao Hu and Kavita Babu, (2018), Wnt secretion is regulated by the tetraspan protein HIC-1 through its interaction with Neurabin/NAB-1, Cell Reports , 25(7): , 1856-71

Raunaq Deo*, Manish S. Kushwah*, Sukrut C. Kamerkar, Nagesh Y. Kadam, Srishti Dar, Kavita Babu, Anand Srivastava and Thomas J. Pucadyil, (2018), ATP-dependent membrane remodeling links EHD1 functions to endocytic recycling, Nature Communications, 9(1): , 5187

Pratima Pandey, Ashwani Bhardwaj and Kavita Babu, (2017), Regulation of WNT Signaling at the Neuromuscular Junction by the Immunoglobulin Super-Family Protein RIG-3 in Caenorhabditis elegans, Genetics, 206(3), 1521-1534.

Zhitao Hu*, Edward C.G. Pym*, Kavita Babu*, Amy B. Vahlishan Murray*, and Joshua M. Kaplan, (2011), A neuropeptide-mediated stretch response links muscle contraction to changes in neurotransmitter release, Neuron 2011, 71(1), 92-102.

Kavita Babu, Zhitao Hu, Shih-Chieh Chien, Gian Garriga and Joshua M. Kaplan, (2011), The Immunoglobulin super family protein RIG-3 prevents synaptic potentiation and regulates Wnt signaling, Neuron, 71(1), 103-116.