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Nagalakshmi (Lakshmi) Balasubramanian, PhD

Address: 2-400 BSB
Phone: (319) 335-7769
Email: nagalakshmi-balasubramanian@uiowa.edu

Mentor: Catherine Marcinkiewcz, PhD

PhD Institution: Savitribai Phule Pune University, 2021

Research Description

Role of CART peptide in the Dorsal raphe and associated neural circuit

Epigenetic mechanism underlying social isolation-induced alcohol drinking

Awards

 

Publications

  1. Balasubramanian N, Balasubramanian N, Jadhav G, Sakharkar AJ. Repeated mild traumatic brain injuries perturb the mitochondrial biogenesis via DNA methylation in the hippocampus of rat. Mitochondrion. 2021 Nov;61:11-24. doi: 10.1016/j.mito.2021.09.001.

  2. Sagarkar S1, Choudhary AG1, Balasubramanian N1, Awathale SN, Somalwar AR, Pawar N, Kokare DM, Subhedar NK, Sakharkar AJ. LSD1-BDNF activity in lateral hypothalamus-medial forebrain bundle area is essential for reward seeking behavior. Prog Neurobiol. 2021 Mar 30:102048. doi: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2021.102048. 1denotes equal contribution.

  3. Balasubramanian N, Sagarkar S, Choudhary AG, Kokare DM, Sakharkar AJ. Epigenetic blockade of hippocampal SOD2 via DNMT3b-mediated DNA methylation: Implications in mild traumatic brain injury-induced persistent oxidative damage. Mol Neurobiol. 2021 Mar;58(3):1162-1184. doi: 10.1007/s12035-020-02166-z.

    Featured in IBRO Neuroscience Reports: Balasubramanian N, Sagarkar S, Choudhary AG, Kokare DM, Sakharkar AJ, Silencing of superoxide dismutase 2 via DNMT3b after repeated mild traumatic brain injury: Implications in vulnerability to chronic, IBRO Reports, Volume 6, Supplement, 2019, Page S205,ISSN 2451-8301, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibror.2019.07.640.

  4. Balasubramanian N, Sagarkar S, Jadhav M, Shahi N, Sirmaur R, Sakharkar AJ. Role for histone deacetylation in traumatic brain injury-induced deficits in neuropeptide Y in arcuate nucleus: Possible implications in feeding behaviour. Neuroendocrinology. 2020 Dec 8. doi: 10.1159/000513638.

  5. Balasubramanian N1, Srivastava A1, Pawar N, Sagarkar S, Sakharkar AJ. Repeated mild traumatic brain injury induces persistent variations in mitochondrial DNA copy number in mesocorticolimbic neurocircuitry of the rat. Neurosci Res. 2020 Jun;155:34-42. doi: 10.1016/j.neures.2019.06.003. 1denotes equal contribution.

  6. Somalwar AR, Choudhary AG, Balasubramanian N, Sakharkar AJ, Subhedar NK, Kokare DM. Cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript peptide promotes reward seeking behavior in socially isolated rats. Brain Res. 2020 Feb 1;1728:146595. doi: 10.1016/j.brainres.2019.146595.

  7. Matharu D, Dhotre D, Balasubramanian N, Pawar N, Sagarkar S, Sakharkar A. Repeated mild traumatic brain injury affects microbial diversity in rat jejunum. J Biosci. 2019 Oct;44(5):120. doi.org/10.1007/s12038-019-9940-0

  8. Sagarkar S1, Balasubramanian N1, Mishra S, Choudhary AG, Kokare DM, Sakharkar AJ. Repeated mild traumatic brain injury causes persistent changes in histone deacetylase function in hippocampus: Implications in learning and memory deficits in rats. Brain Res. 2019 May 15;1711:183-192. doi: 10.1016/j.brainres.2019.01.022. 1denotes equal contribution.

  9. Singh O, Pradhan DR, Balasubramanian N, Kumar S, Mitra S, Sagarkar S, Sakharkar AJ, Lechan RM, Singru PS. Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) in the brain and pituitary of the teleost, Clarias batrachus and its role in regulation of hypophysiotropic dopamine neurons. J Comp Neurol. 2019 Apr 15;527(6):1070-1101. doi: 10.1002/cne.24570. Epub 2018 Dec 28. PMID: 30370602.

  10. Somalwar AR, Choudhary AG, Sharma PR, Balasubramanian N, Sagarkar S, Sakharkar AJ, Subhedar NK, Kokare DM. Cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript peptide (CART) induced reward behavior is mediated via Gi/o dependent phosphorylation of PKA/ERK/CREB pathway. Behav Brain Res. 2018 Aug 1;348:9-21. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2018.03.035.

  11. Borkar CD, Bharne AP, Balasubramanian N, Sakharkar AJ, Subhedar NK, Kokare DM. Cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript peptide (CART) alleviates MK-801-induced schizophrenic dementia-like symptoms. Neuroscience. 2018 Apr 1;375:94-107. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2018.01.056.

          1denotes equal contribution.