Mary Krishna Ekka
Scientist-E |
Decision Unit 3: Chemical Biology
Professor |
Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research
Mary's lab studies regulatory roles of RNA–protein interactions in cellular networks and disease mechanisms. Her research integrates RNA biology, structural biochemistry, and molecular regulation to understand gene expression control and cellular pathways.
She is Interested In
- Structural biology of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs)
- Mechanisms of RNA–protein interactions in cellular regulation
- Integrative approaches to study RNA–protein interactions
G-quadruplexes (G4s) are guanine-rich DNA/RNA structures involved in gene regulation, mRNA stability, and telomere maintenance. Her lab has demonstrated that proteins like Nucleolin (NCL) and IGF2BP1 bind G4 structures and regulate their function. These interactions influence transcription, mRNA stability, and cancer-related pathways. Emerging links between G4s and m6A RNA modifications further highlight the complexity of gene regulation, offering insights into disease mechanisms and therapeutic targets.
Selected Publications
All Citations →- IGF2BP1-mediated regulation of CCN1 expression by specific binding to G-quadruplex structure in its 3'UTR. Rana P., Ujjainiya R., Bharti V., Maiti S., Ekka MK. Biochemistry. 2024 Sep 3;63(17):2166-2182.
- Identification of G-quadruplex structures in MALAT1 lncRNA that interact with nucleolin and nucleophosmin. Ghosh A, Pandey SP, Joshi DC, Rana P, Ansari AH, Sundar JS, Singh P, Khan Y, Ekka MK, Chakraborty D, Maiti S. Nucleic Acids Res. 2023 Sep 22;51(17):9415-9431.
- Biophysical Characterization of Nucleolin Domains Crucial for Interaction with Telomeric and TERRA G-Quadruplexes. Khan Y, Azam T, Sundar JS, Maiti S, Ekka MK. Biochemistry. 2023 Apr 4;62(7):1249-1261.
- Essential biochemical, biophysical and computational inputs on efficient functioning of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv FtsY. Shivangi, Ekka MK, Meena LS. Int J Biol Macromol. 2021 Feb 28;171:59-73.