Profile
A trained biochemist and cell biologist, my expertise is in the field of cilia, cytoskeleton and protein posttranslational modifications. My scientific career spans from developing immunotoxins for targeted cancer therapy during my PhD to understanding the role of tubulin posstranslational modifications in regulating the functions of cilia and flagella. My research group is working on determining the role of specific tubulin posttranslational modifications in regulating mammalian cilia and flagella structure and function and how they control ciliary role in tissue regeneration and homeostasis. We use in vitro, in cellulo and in vivo models to understand diverse aspects of cilia biology. Our long term vision is to understand how perturbations in these posttranslational modifications can lead to human disorders related to cilia dysfunction, called ciliopathies.
Current Focus Areas
Role of tubulin posttranslational modifications in regulating primary cilia functions in wound healing and tissue homeostasis
Role of posttranslational modifications of non-tubulin substrates in regulating mammalian cilia functions
Generation of retinal organoids to decipher the molecular mechanisms underpinning retinal ciliopathies due to perturbed tubulin glutamylation using retinal organoids
Selected Publications
Gadadhar, S., Alvarez Viar, G., Hansen, J. N., Gong, A., Kostarev, A., Ialy-Radio, C., Leboucher, S., Whitfield, M., Ziyyat, A., Touré, A., Alvarez, L., Pigino, G., & Janke, C. (2021). Tubulin glycylation controls axonemal dynein activity, flagellar beat and male fertility. Science, 371, eabd4914
Bodakuntla, S., Yuan, X., Genova, M., Gadadhar, S., Leboucher, S., Birling, M. C., Klein, D., Martini, R., Janke, C., & Magiera, M. M. (2021). Distinct roles of alpha- and beta-tubulin polyglutamylation in controlling axonal transport and in neurodegeneration. EMBO J, e108498
Giordano, T., Gadadhar, S., Bodakuntla, S., Straub, J., Leboucher, S., Martinez, G., Chemlali, W., Bosc, C., Andrieux, A., Bieche, I., Arnoult, C., Geimer, S., & Janke, C. (2019). Loss of the deglutamylase CCP5 perturbs multiple steps of spermatogenesis and leads to male infertility. J Cell Sci, 132(3), 1-9
Gadadhar, S., Dadi, H., Bodakuntla, S., Schnitzler, A., Bieche, I., Rusconi, F., & Janke, C. (2017). Tubulin glycylation controls primary cilia length. J Cell Biol, 216(9), 2701-2713
Bosch Grau, M., Masson, C., Gadadhar, S., Rocha, C., Tort, O., Marques Sousa, P., Vacher, S., Bieche, I., & Janke, C. (2017). Alterations in the balance of tubulin glycylation and glutamylation in photoreceptors leads to retinal degeneration. J Cell Sci, 130, 938-949