Chellappa Lab
Principal Investigator: Karthikeyani Chellappa
Institution: Brown University (Providence, RI)
Primary Subfield: Molecular & Cell Bio
Recruitment Status: ✅ Accepting PhD Students ✅ Hiring Postdocs
Research Focus
Karthikeyani Chellappa PhD, Brown University Coordinated Control of Metabolism by Transporters and Enzymes The transport of molecules across the plasma membrane is a highly regulated process that impacts metabolism at subcellular to organismal scales. The physical association of enzymes in a pathway or the association of transporters and enzymes can increase the efficiency of metabolic pathways. Here, we address the broader implications of coordination between transporters and enzymes by investigating the transport mechanism of a precursor for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD, a critical redox cofactor in over 400 biochemical reactions, also acts as a substrate for signaling enzymes like sirtuins, ADP-ribosyltransferases, and cyclic ADP-ribose synthases. The decrease in NAD levels is associated with a broad range of diseases, including obesity, diabetes, aging, and cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. While boosting NAD levels by precursor supplementation has shown benefits in rodent disease models, its effectiveness in human clinical trials is limited. Understanding the biology of NAD metabolism has implications for basic science and translational research. N…
Active NIH Awards
- 5R35GM158228-02: Coordinated Control of Metabolism by Enzymes and Transporters (2026)
- 1R35GM158228-01: Coordinated Control of Metabolism by Enzymes and Transporters (2025)
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