BRIC-National Institute of Plant Genome Research

Dr. Ashverya Laxmi

Staff Scientist VI

Profile

Research Interests

Plants being sessile have developed a sophisticated machinery to perceive and respond to continuously changing environmental conditions. The exogenous signal is perceived either via membrane bound receptors, cytosolic receptors or receptors associated with different intracellular organelles. After the perception of the signal, a cascade of events starts which transduce it to the plant gene machinery to modulate gene expression and in turn plant development. These signaling cascades may involve different events such as changed ca2+ ion homeostasis, phosphorylation/dephsphorylation reactions, protein-protein interactions and so on. Earlier, this whole cascade was believed to be linear i.e. one signal evoking only one signaling pathway but with the plethora of reports pouring in, it is becoming increasingly clear that all these signaling pathways interact with each other and rather than being linear they are intermingled and are part of a web. Broadly speaking, one stimulus rather than evoking one signaling event can interact with several other signaling pathways so as to optimally modulate plant growth and development. These signaling interactions can happen at any level i.e. sharing of signaling components by multiple pathways, or convergence of signaling pathways at the level of transcription factors or further downstream at the promoter of the affected gene itself. There are several reports existing in plants, where light, hormone, sugar and stress signaling pathways have been shown to be interacting. Our group at NIPGR has been involved in characterizing these molecular interactions using Arabidopsis thaliana as a modal plant. The information generated would be employed for improving agronomically important traits in crop plants.

Awards & Honors

J C Bose National Fellowship, SERB-DST, India (2021)

Fellow, Indian Academy of Sciences (IASc), India (2021)

Fellow, Indian National Science Academy (INSA), India (2021)

Fellow, The National Academy of Sciences (NASI), India (2016)

National Women Bioscientist Award 2015 (Young category, Department of Biotechnology)

Career

2023 - till date Staff Scientist VI, National Institute for Plant Genome Research

2018-2023 - Staff Scientist V, National Institute for Plant Genome Research

2014-2018 - Staff Scientist IV, National Institute for Plant Genome Research

2010-2014 - Staff Scientist III, National Institute for Plant Genome Research

2006-2010 - Staff Scientist II, National Institute for Plant Genome Research

2005-2006 - Post Doctoral Fellow, Samuel Robert Noble Foundation, Oklahoma, USA

2004-2005 Research Scientist, Centre of Plant Molecular Biology, University of Delhi

2003-2004 - Post Doctoral Fellow, Ohio State University, Ohio, USA

2002-2003 - SRF, Department of Plant Molecular Biology, University of Delhi

1997-2002 - Ph.D. in Plant Molecular Biology from the Department of Plant Molecular Biology, University of Delhi

Current Members

Dr. Anjali Pande

Dr M K Bhan Fellow

Deciphering the role of Nitric oxide in mediating thermomemory in plants

Dr. Harsha Samtani

Research Associate

Cytokinin signaling in thermomemory

Dr. Aishwarye Sharma

DBT-Research Associate

Functional Genomics in Rice

Dr. Sheeba Naaz

Project Associate II

Role of NO in Plants Thermomemory

Ms. Harshita Bharti Saksena

Ph.D. Student

Sugar-phytohormone interaction

Mr. Prakhar

Ph.D. Student

Sugar signaling

Mr. Sanjay Singh Rawat

Ph.D. Student

Sugar and Phytohormone signaling in root development

Mr. Halidev Krishna Botta

Ph.D. Student

Cytokinin signaling in abiotic stress tolerance

Ms. Shital Sandhya

Ph.D. Student

Energy Signaling in abiotic Stress Tolerance

Mr. Brihaspati N. Shukla

Technical Assistant

Former Group Members

Dr. Bhuwaneshwar S. Mishra

Assistant Professor (Ad-hoc)
Ram Gulam Rai P. G. College
Bankta Shiv Sallahpur Deoria,

Dr. Sunita Kushwah

Postdoctoral Fellow,

Umea Plant Science Centre, Umea, Sweden

Dr. Aditi Gupta

Senior Scientist

CSIR-NBRI, Lucknow

Dr. Manjul Singh

DBT-Ramalingswami Fellow

Molecular biology & biotechnology division

CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI)

Dr. Zeeshan Zahoor

Research Professional (Staff)
Department of Biochemistry and
Molecular Biology, The University of
Chicago, USA​

Dr. Muhammed Jamsheer K

Postdoctoral Fellow
Dept. of Immunobiology, University of Lausanne
Epalinges, Switzerland​

Dr. Sunita Jindal

Postdoctoral Researcher,
Institute of Plant Molecular Biology iology Centre CAS
Czech Republic

Dr. Mohan A. Sharma

Post-doctoral fellow,
University of Freiburg, Germany​

Dr. Dhriti Singh

Postdoc Fellow
Johannes Hanson’s Group Umeå Plant Science Centre  Department of Plant Physiology
907 36 Umeå, Sweden

Dr. Manvi Sharma

Post Doctoral Researcher
Department of Forest Genetics and
Plant Physiology,
SWEDISH UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES, Umea, Sweden

Dr. Archna Tiwari

Sugar and phytohormone interaction in shade response

Publications

Jindal S, Kerchev P, Berka M, Cerny M, Botta HK, Laxmi A*, Brzobohaty B (2022) Type-A response regulators negatively mediate heat stress response by altering redox homeostasis in Arabidopsis. Front. Plant Sci. 13:968139. (*Correspondence)

Sharma M, Sharma M, Jamsheer KM, Laxmi A (2022) A glucose-TOR signaling axis integrates environmental history of heat stress through maintenance of transcription-associated epigenetic memory in Arabidopsis. J. Exp. Bot., 73(20):7083-7102

Agrawal R, Sharma M, Dwivedi N, Maji S, Thakur P, Junaid A, Fajkus J, Laxmi A*, Thakur JK (2022) MEDIATOR SUBUNIT17 integrates jasmonate and auxin signaling pathways to regulate thermomorphogenesis. Plant Physiol. 189(4):2259-2280

Jamsheer KM, Jindal S, Sharma M, Awasthi P, Sreejath S, Sharma M, Mannully CT, Laxmi A (2022) A negative feedback loop of TOR signaling balances growth and stress-response trade-offs in plants. Cell Reports 39(1), 110631

Sharma M, Sharma Mohan, Jamsheer KM, Laxmi A (2022) Jasmonic acid coordinates with light, glucose and auxin signalling in regulating branching angle of Arabidopsis lateral roots. Plant Cell Environ. 45:1554-1572

Sharma M, Jamsheer KM, Shukla BN, Sharma M, Awasthi P, Mahtha SK, Yadav G, Laxmi A (2021) Arabidopsis Target of Rapamycin Coordinates with Transcriptional and Epigenetic Machinery to Regulate Thermotolerance. Front. Plant Sci. 12:741965.

Sharma M, Banday Z, Shukla BN, Laxmi A (2019) Glucose regulated Arabidopsis HLP1 acts as a key molecule in governing thermomemory. Plant Physiol. 180: 1-20.

Jamsheer KM, Shukla BN, Jindal S, Gopan N, Mannully CT, Laxmi A (2018) The FCS-like zinc finger scaffold of the kinase SnRK1 is formed by the coordinated actions of the FLZ domain and intrinsically disordered regions. J Biol Chem. 293(34):13134-13150.

Jamsheer KM, Sharma M, Singh D, Mannully CT, Jindal S, Shukla BN, Laxmi A (2018) FCS-Like Zinc Finger 6 and 10 repress SnRK1 signalling in Arabidopsis. Plant J. 94: 232-245.

Singh M, Gupta A, Singh D, Khurana JP, Laxmi A (2017) Arabidopsis RSS1 mediates cross- talk between glucose and light signaling during hypocotyl elongation growth. Scientific Reports 7: 16101.

Gupta A, Singh M, Laxmi A (2015) Multiple interactions between glucose and brassinosteroid signal transduction pathway in Arabidopsis are uncovered by whole-genome transcriptional profiling. Plant Physiol. 168(3): 1091-1105.

Gupta A, Singh M, Laxmi A (2015) Interaction between glucose and brassinosteroid during the regulation of lateral root development in Arabidopsis. Plant Physiol. 168(1): 307-320.

Singh M, Gupta A, Laxmi A (2014) Glucose control of root growth direction in Arabidopsis thaliana. J. Exp. Bot. 65(12): 2981-2993.

Kushwah S, Laxmi A (2014) The interaction between glucose and cytokinin signal transduction pathway in Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant Cell Environ. 37(1): 235-53.

Gupta A, Singh M, Jones AM, Laxmi A (2012) Hypocotyl directional growth in Arabidopsis: A complex trait. Plant Physiol. 159(4): 1463-1476.

Kushwah S, Jones AM, Laxmi A (2011) Cytokinin interplay with ethylene, auxin and glucose signaling controls Arabidopsis seedling root directional growth. Plant Physiol. 156(4): 1851-1866.

Murray JD, Muni RR, Torres-Jerez I, Tang Y, Allen S, Andriankaia M, Li G, Laxmi A, Cheng X, Wen J, Vaughan D, Schultze M, Sun J, Chamentier M, Oldroyd D, Tadege M, Ratet P, Mysore KS, Chen R, Udvardi MK (2011) Vapyrin, a gene essential for intracellular progression of arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis, is also essential for infection by rhizobia in the nodule symbiosis of Medicago truncatula. Plant J. 65(2): 244-52.

Tripathi V, Parasuraman B, Laxmi A, Chattopadhyay D (2009) CIPK6, a CBL-interacting protein kinase is required for development and salt tolerance in plant. Plant J. 58: 778-90.

Laxmi A, Paul LK, Chaudhuri AR, Peters JL and Khurana JP (2006) Arabidopsis cytokinin resistant mutant, cnr1, displays altered auxin response and sugar sensitivity. Plant Mol. Biol. 62: 409-425.

Laxmi A, Paul LK, Peters JL and Khurana JP (2004) Arabidopsis constitutive photomorphogenic mutant bls1, displays altered brassinosteroid response and sugar sensitivity. Plant Mol. Biol. 56: 185-201.

Price J, Laxmi A, St. Martin SK, and Jang JC (2004) Global transcription profiling reveals multiple sugar signalling mechanisms in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell 16(8): 2128-2150.

Other Research Publications

Rawat SS, Sandhya S, Laxmi A (2024) Complex genetic interaction between glucose sensor HXK1 and E3 SUMO ligase SIZ1 in regulating plant morphogenesis. Plant Signal. Behav. 19(1):e2341506. (Review)

Jamsheer KM, Awaasthi P, Laxmi A (2022) The Social Network of TORC1 in plants. J. Exp. Bot., 73(20), 7026-7040. (Review)

Mishra BS, Sharma M, Laxmi A (2022) Role of sugar and auxin crosstalk in plant growth and development. Physiologia Plantarum. 174: e13546. (Review)

Sharma M, Singh D, Saksena HB, Sharma M, Tiwari A, Awasthi P, Botta HK, Shukla BN, Laxmi A (2021) Understanding the Intricate Web of Phytohormone Signalling in Modulating Root System Architecture. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 22(11): 5508. (Review)

Saksena HB, Sharma M, Singh D, Laxmi A (2020) The versatile role of glucose signalling in regulating growth, development and stress responses in plants. J. Plant Biochem. Biotechnol. 29(4): 687-699. (Review)

Jamsheer KM, Jindal S, Laxmi A (2019) Evolution of TOR-SnRK dynamics in green plants and its integration with phytohormone signaling networks. J. Exp. Bot. 70(8):2239-2259. (Review)

Jamsheer KM, Singh D, Sharma M, Sharma M, Jindal S, Mannully CT, Shukla BN, Laxmi A (2019) The FCS-LIKE ZINC FINGER 6 and 10 are involved in regulating osmotic stress responses in Arabidopsis. Plant Signal. Behav. 14(6):1592535.

Mishra BS, Jamsheer KM, Singh D, Sharma M, Laxmi A (2017) Genome-wide identification and expression, protein-protein interaction and evolutionary analysis of the seed plant-specific big grain and big grain like gene family. Front. Plant Sci. 8:1812.

Singh M, Gupta A and Laxmi A (2017) Striking the right chord: signaling enigma during root gravitropism. Front. Plant Sci. 8:1304. (Review)

Kushwah S, Laxmi A (2017) The interaction between glucose and cytokinin signaling in controlling Arabidopsis seedling root growth and development. Plant Signal. Behav.: e1312241.

Sharma M, Laxmi A (2016) Jasmonates: emerging players in controlling temperature stress tolerance. Front. Plant Sci. 6: 1129. (Review)

Singh D, Laxmi A (2015) Transcriptional regulation of drought response: A Tortuous network of transcriptional factors. Front. Plant Sci. 6: 895. (Review)

Jamsheer KM, Laxmi A (2015) Expression of Arabidopsis FCS-Like Zinc Finger genes is differentially regulated by sugars, cellular energy level, and abiotic stress. Front. Plant Sci. 6: 746.

Jamsheer KM, Mannully CT, Gopan N, Laxmi A (2015) Comprehensive evolutionary and expression analysis of FCS-Like Zinc Finger gene family yields insights into their origin, expansion and divergence. PLoS ONE 10(8): e0134328.

Singh M, Gupta A, Laxmi A (2015) Ethylene acts as a negative regulator of glucose induced lateral root emergence in Arabidopsis. Plant Signal. Behav. 10(9): e1058460.

Singh M, Gupta A, Laxmi A (2014) Glucose and phytohormone interplay in controlling root directional growth in Arabidopsis. Plant Signal. Behav. 9: e29219.

Jamsheer KM, Laxmi A (2014) Domain of unknown function 581 is plant specific FCS-Like Zinc Finger involved in protein-protein interaction. PLoS ONE 9(6): e99074.

Kushwah S, Jones AM, Laxmi A (2011) Cytokinin-induced root growth involves actin filament reorganization. Plant Signal. Behav. 6: 11, 1848-1850.

Gupta A, Singh M, Mishra BS, Kushwah S, Laxmi A (2009) Role of glucose in spatial distribution of auxin regulated genes. Plant Signal. Behav. 4(9): 862-863.

Tripathi V, Syed N, Laxmi A, Chattopadhyay D (2009) Role of CIPK6 in root growth and auxin transport. Plant Signal. Behav. 4(7): 663-665.

Mishra BS, Singh M, Aggrawal P, Laxmi A (2009) Glucose and auxin signaling interaction in controlling Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings root growth and development. PLoS ONE 4(2): e4502.

Laxmi A, Pan J, Morsy M and Chen R (2008) Light plays an essential role in intracellular distribution of auxin efflux carrier PIN2 in Arabidopsis thaliana. PLoS ONE 3(1): e1510.

Book Chapters/Monographs

Sharma M, Saksena HB, Botta HK, Laxmi A (2023) Understanding the role of phytohormones in governing heat, cold, and freezing stress response In: Plant Hormones in Crop Improvement. Eds: M. Iqbal in Elsevier Inc., Pages 205-234 ISBN978-0-323-91886-2

Sharma M, Laxmi A (2023) Deciphering the physiological and molecular functions of phytohormones In: Plant Hormones in Crop Improvement. Eds: M. Iqbal in Elsevier Inc., Pages 15-40 ISBN978-0-323-91886-2

Gupta A, Singh M, Singh D, Laxmi A (2022) Cross-talk between brassinosteroids and other phytohormones: biological functions and molecular mechanism. In: Brassinosteroids in plant developmental biology and stress tolerance. eds: Golam Jalal Ahammed, in Elsevier Publisher, Pages 131-159. ISBN978-0-12-813227-2

Awasthi P, Laxmi A (2021) Root Architectural Plasticity in Changing Nutrient Availability. In: Rhizobiology: Molecular Physiology of Plant Roots. Eds: Saumya Mukherjee in Springer, Cham. pp 25-37, ISBN978-3-030-84984-9

Saksena HB, Laxmi A (2021) Rooting the Right Way: Role of Glucose Signaling in Regulating Root Development in Plants In: Rhizobiology: Molecular Physiology of Plant Roots. Eds: Saumya Mukherjee in Springer, Cham. pp 115-127, ISBN978-3-030-84984-9

Sharma M, Laxmi A (2021) Jasmonates: A Thorough Insight into the Mechanism of Biosynthesis, Signaling and Action in Root Growth and Development. In: Rhizobiology: Molecular Physiology of Plant Roots. Eds: Saumya Mukherjee in Springer, Cham. pp 283-306, ISBN978-3-030-84984-9

Sharma M, Jamsheer KM, Saksena HB, Jindal S, Sharma M, Singh D, Tiwari A, Awasthi P, Laxmi A (2020) Balancing Growth and Defense: Role of Target of Rapamycin and SNF1-Related Protein Kinase 1 in Stress Signaling in Plants in Protein Kinases and Stress Signaling in Plants: Functional Genomic Perspective, eds: Girdhar K. Pandey, Wiley Publisher. pp 105-132, ISBN: 9781119541578

Saksena HB, Singh D, Sharma M, Jindal S, Sharma M, Tiwari A, Rawat SS, Laxmi A (2020) Protein Phosphatases at the Interface of Sugar and Hormone Signaling Pathways to Balance Growth and Stress Responses in Plants. In: Protein Phosphatases and Stress Management in Plants, eds: in Springer, Cham. pp 103-123. ISBN 978-3-030-48733-1

Jamsheer KM, Jindal S, Sharma M, Sharma M, Singh D, Tiwari A, Saksena HB, Mishra B, Kushwah S, Banday ZZ and Laxmi A (2019) Plant sensory perception and responses: A tale of sugars and hormones. In: Sensory Biology of Plants, eds: SK Sopory, Springer Publisher. pp323-360, ISBN: 978-981-13-8921-4

Singh M, Gupta A, Laxmi A (2015) Glucose and brassinosteroid signaling network in controlling plant growth and development under different environmental conditions. In Mechanism of Plant Hormone Signaling under Stress, eds Giridhar Pandey, publisher Wiley, pp 443-469, ISBN:9781118889022

Laxmi A, Gupta A, Mishra BS, Singh M, Jamsheer KM, Kushwah S (2013) Signal integration, auxin homeostasis, and plant development. In R. Chen and F. Baluska, eds, Polar Auxin Transport, Signaling and Communication in Plants, 17, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, pp 45-79. ISBN978-3-642-35298-0

Khurana JP, Tyagi AK, Khurana P, Kochhar A, Jain PK, Raychaudhuri A, Chawla R, Bharti AK, Laxmi A and Dasgupta U (1999) Molecular genetic analysis of constitutively photomorphogenic mutants of Arabidopsis in: S.K. Sopory, S.C. Maheshwari and R. Oelmuller, (s), Signal transduction in plants – Current Advances, pp. 25-37. Kluwer Academic Publishers, New York

Khurana JP, Dasgupta U, Laxmi A, Kumar D and Paul LK (2004) Light Control of Plant Development by Phytochromes: A Perspective. Proceedings Indian National Science Academy, B70: 379-411.

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