         | |
Faculty > Faculty Alphabetical > Deepta Bhattacharya, PhD
Research
| | Research:
My laboratory employs immunological, cell biological, and functional genomics approaches to gain insight into the diverse mechanisms by which fate decisions are made within the hematopoietic system. We are particularly interested in three aspects of hematopoietic and immunological development: 1) the control of symmetric vs. asymmetric divisions in the hematopoietic stem cell (HSC); 2) the transcriptional pathways that direct the common lymphoid progenitor (CLP) to differentiate into the B cell, T cell, natural killer, and dendritic cell lineages; 3) the intrinsic signals that allow for the formation and self-renewal of memory B cells.
As HSCs divide, they are thought to undergo either intrinsically symmetric or asymmetric divisions, which lead to the generation of new HSCs and differentiated progeny, respectively. How the HSC chooses between these two types of divisions, however, is unknown. My lab is interested in identifying the cell-intrinsic regulators of asymmetric divisions, and in characterizing the extrinsic environment that regulates HSC polarity.
As HSCs differentiate, some cells diverge into the lymphoid pathway through the generation of CLPs. These progenitors can generate cells of the lymphoid pathway, but not myeloid, erythroid, or megakaryocytic cells. My lab is interested in the transcriptional mechanisms and gene regulatory networks that direct CLPs to differentiate into B cells, T cells, dendritic cells, and natural killer cells. We use a combination of prospective isolation of lineage-restricted progenitors, functional genomics, and genetic manipulations to study these decisions.
Although the ability to self-renew is progressively lost during the immediate stages of differentiation downstream of the HSC, this ability is regained at the diametric opposite end of the hematopoietic developmental spectrum in memory lymphocytes. Memory B cells, like HSCs, have the capacity to self-renew for life and can give rise to more short-lived progeny upon antigenic re-encounter. My lab is using microarray-based functional genomics approaches to understand how memory B cells are generated and how they maintain themselves for life, both of which are critical to the development of effective vaccines.
|
Selected Publications
| | Bhattacharya, D., Ehrlich, L.I., and Weissman, I.L. Space-time considerations for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Eur J Immunol. 38, 2060-2067., 2008 Abstract
| | Karsunky, H., Inlay, M.A., Serwold, T., Bhattacharya, D., and Weissman I.L. Flk2+ common lymphoid progenitors possess equivalent differentiation potential for the B and T lineages. Blood 111, 5562-5570., 2008 Abstract
| | Czechowicz, A., Kraft, D., Weissman, I.L.*, and Bhattacharya, D*. Efficient transplantation via antibody-based clearance of hematopoietic stem cell niches. Science 318, 1296-1299., 2007 Abstract
| | Rossi, D.J., Seita, J., Czechowicz, A., Bhattacharya, D., Bryder, D., and Weissman I.L. Hematopoietic stem cell quiescence attenuates DNA damage response and permits DNA damage accumulation during aging. Cell Cycle 6, 2371-2376., 2007 Abstract
| | Bhattacharya, D., Cheah, M.T., Franco, C.B., Pin, C.L., Sha, W.C., and Weissman, I.L. Transcriptional profiling of antigen-dependent murine B cell differentiation and memory formation. J Immunol 179, 6808-6819., 2007 Abstract
| | Forsberg, E.C., Bhattacharya, D., and Weissman, I.L. Hematopoietic stem cells: Expression profiling and beyond. Stem Cell Reviews 2, 23-30., 2006 Abstract
| | Bhattacharya, D., Rossi, D.J., Bryder, D., and Weissman, I.L. Purified hematopoietic stem cell engraftment of rare niches corrects severe lymphoid deficiencies in unconditioned hosts. J Exp Med 203, 73-85., 2006 Abstract
| | Bhattacharya, D.*, Bryder, D.*, Rossi, D.J., and Weissman, I.L. Rapid lymphocyte reconstitution of unconditioned immunodeficient mice with non-self-renewing multipotent hematopoietic progenitors. Cell Cycle 5, 1135-1139., 2006 Abstract
| | Luckey, C.J.*, Bhattacharya, D.*, Goldrath, A.W.*, Weissman, I.L., Benoist, C., and Mathis, D. Memory T and memory B cells share a transcriptional program of self-renewal with long-term hematopoietic stem cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 103, 3304-9., 2006 Abstract
|
| |  |
|
