Dual-State Emissive and Substituent-Tunable pH-Sensitive Bis-Heterocyclic Fluorescent Probes Preeti Ashokkumar Chaudhran, Sakshi Y. Mastoli, Abhishek Dey, Shubhini A. Saraf, Abha Sharma Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2025 A library of fluorescent molecules based on imidazopyridine linked with benzothiazole and benzimidazole was assessed for pH sensitivity and the effect of substituents thereon, also leading to dual-state emission. A broad range of pH (1-13) was evaluated, where the benzothiazole-based (BnTA) compounds responded in acidic pH, whereas the benzimidazole-based (BnIm) compounds behaved differently at different pH with recognizable color change on shifting from acidic to neutral and then to basic. NMR titrations revealed the effect of substituents on governing the site of protonation and deprotonation. Further, the mechanism of fluorescence was comprehended through theoretical calculations. On assessing the solid state fluorescence briefly, 2e showed mechanochromic behavior, showing green fluorescence in the solid state, which vanished upon grinding, and upon fuming with acetone, the fluorescence turned yellowish orange, which reverted to the initial fluorescence upon long-term exposure of acetone. The cellular uptake and fluorescence response of 2l in pH were also evaluated. The colocalization experiment suggested that 2l crossed the nuclear membrane and stained the nucleus, showing its possible in vitro application. The compound serves as a potential lead for other applications likewise, such as optoelectronics, data encryption, and pH sensors.
A Cascade of Conformational Switches in SARS-CoV-2 Frameshifting: Coregulation by Upstream and Downstream Elements Samuel Lee, Shuting Yan, Abhishek Dey, Alain Laederach, Tamar Schlick Biochemistry, 2025 Targeting ribosomal frameshifting has emerged as a potential therapeutic intervention strategy against COVID-19. In this process, a −1 shift in the ribosomal reading frame encodes alternative viral proteins. Any interference with this process profoundly affects viral replication and propagation. For SARS-CoV-2, two RNA sites associated with ribosomal frameshifting are positioned on the 5′ and 3′ of the frameshifting residues. Although much attention has been focused on the 3′ frameshift element (FSE), the 5′ stem-loop (attenuator hairpin, AH) can play a role. Yet the relationship between the two regions is unknown. In addition, multiple folds of the FSE and FSE-containing RNA regions have been discovered. To gain more insight into these RNA folds in the larger sequence context that includes AH, we apply our graph-theory-based modeling tools to represent RNA secondary structures, “RAG” (RNA-As-Graphs), to generate conformational landscapes that suggest length-dependent conformational distributions. We show that the AH region can coexist as a stem-loop with main and alternative 3-stem pseudoknots of the FSE (dual graphs 3_6 and 3_3 in our notation) but that an alternative stem 1 (AS1) can disrupt the FSE pseudoknots and trigger other folds. A critical length for AS1 of 10-bp regulates key folding transitions. Together with designed mutants and available experimental data, we present a sequential view of length-dependent folds during frameshifting and suggest their mechanistic roles. These structural and mutational insights into both ends of the FSE advance our understanding of the SARS-CoV-2 frameshifting mechanism by suggesting how alternative folds play a role in frameshifting and defining potential therapeutic intervention techniques that target specific folds.
Abolished frameshifting for predicted structure-stabilizing SARS-CoV-2 mutants: implications to alternative conformations and their statistical structural analyses Abhishek Dey, Shuting Yan, Tamar Schlick, Alain Laederach RNA, 2024 The SARS-CoV-2 frameshifting element (FSE) has been intensely studied and explored as a therapeutic target for coronavirus diseases, including COVID-19. Besides the intriguing virology, this small RNA is known to adopt many length-dependent conformations, as verified by multiple experimental and computational approaches. However, the role these alternative conformations play in the frameshifting mechanism and how to quantify this structural abundance has been an ongoing challenge. Here, we show by DMS and dual-luciferase functional assays that previously predicted FSE mutants (using the RAG graph theory approach) suppress structural transitions and abolish frameshifting. Furthermore, correlated mutation analysis of DMS data by three programs (DREEM, DRACO, and DANCE-MaP) reveals important differences in their estimation of specific RNA conformations, suggesting caution in the interpretation of such complex conformational landscapes. Overall, the abolished frameshifting in three different mutants confirms that all alternative conformations play a role in the pathways of ribosomal transition.
Structural Modifications and Novel Protein-Binding Sites in Pre-miR-675—Explaining Its Regulatory Mechanism in Carcinogenesis Abhishek Dey Non Coding RNA, 2023 Pre-miR-675 is a microRNA expressed from the exon 1 of H19 long noncoding RNA, and the atypical expression of pre-miR-675 has been linked with several diseases and disorders including cancer. To execute its function inside the cell, pre-miR-675 is folded into a particular conformation, which aids in its interaction with several other biological molecules. However, the exact folding dynamics of pre-miR-675 and its protein-binding motifs are currently unknown. Moreover, how H19 lncRNA and pre-miR-675 crosstalk and modulate each other’s activities is also unclear. The detailed structural analysis of pre-miR-675 in this study determines its earlier unknown conformation and identifies novel protein-binding sites on pre-miR-675, thus making it an excellent therapeutic target against cancer. Co-folding analysis between H19 lncRNA and pre-miR-675 determine structural transformations in pre-miR-675, thus describing the earlier unknown mechanism of interaction between these two molecules. Comprehensively, this study details the conformation of pre-miR-675 and its protein-binding sites and explains its relationship with H19 lncRNA, which can be interpreted to understand the role of pre-miR-675 in the development and progression of tumorigenesis and designing new therapeutics against cancers.
The non-coding rna journal club: Highlights on recent papers-7 Hua Xiao, Patrick Shiu, Marta Gabryleska, Simon Conn, Abhishek Dey, Kausik Chakrabarti, Manuel Regouc, Martin Pichler, Ulf Ørom, Gaetano Santulli, Satoshi Nishiwada, Ajay Goel, Vaishnavi Nagarajan, Lisa Timmons, Suresh Alahari, Noemi Laprovitera, Manuela Ferracin, Po Hu, Hailing Jin Non Coding RNA, 2020
Pan-Viral Conformational Landscapes of Frameshifting Elements Reveal Length-Dependent Plasticity and Antisense-Driven Structural Reprogramming DA Adhikary Kushal BioRxiv , 2026 2026
Unmasking the role of tumor microenvironment in the advanced stage of cancer treatment to mitigate risks during chemotherapy A Kumari, N Meher, A Dey, S Awasthi, SA Saraf, N Srivastava Biochemical Pharmacology, 117754 , 2026 2026
RNA nanoparticles: Emerging biomolecular scaffolds for precision diagnostics and targeted therapeutics SY Mastoli, SA Saraf, A Dey International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 147854 , 2025 2025 Citations: 2
Plant Protein Farming, a valuable tool in the production of cost-effective and stable biopharmaceuticals: an overview. P Kushwaha, K Pinapati, V Salumuri, A Dey, N Srivastava Authorea Preprints , 2025 2025
Current perspectives on gene therapy and its involvement in curing genetic disorders AD Shireen Nishad, Dipali Dongare, Sayani Saha, Raskar Dhanashri Anil, Nidhi ... Human Genetics , 2025 2025
Interactions of Natural Compounds and Biomolecules with Hepatitis C Virus RNA Untranslated Regions: Exploring Structural Modifications to Advance Pathogenesis Understanding and … AD Raskar Dhanashri Anil, Sakshi Y. Mastoli, Dipali Barku Dongare, Aman ... Biorxiv , 2025 2025
Spirilloxanthin from Verbesina encelioides Flower Extract has Neuroprotective Benefits in Scopolamine‑Induced Memory Impaired Rats that Resemble Alzheimer’s Disease NS Vartika Verma, Lavisha Rao, Monika Chaudhary, Smita Jain, Kishore Kumar ... Molecular Neurobiology , 2025 2025 Citations: 3
Dual-State Emissive and Substituent-Tunable pH-Sensitive Bis-Heterocyclic Fluorescent Probes AS Preeti Ashokkumar Chaudhran, Sakshi Y. Mastoli, Abhishek Dey, Shubhini A ... The Journal of Organic Chemistry , 2025 2025 Citations: 5
A Cascade of Conformational Switches in SARS-CoV‑2 Frameshifting: Coregulation by Upstream and Downstream Elements TS Samuel Lee, Shuting Yan, Abhishek Dey, Alain Laederach Biochemistry , 2025 2025 Citations: 7
High-throughput sequencing: a breakthrough in molecular diagnosis for precision medicine NSAD Dipali Barku Dongare, Shaik Shireen Nishad, Sakshi Y. Mastoli, Shubhini ... Functional & Integrative Genomics 25 , 2025 2025 Citations: 24
An intricate balancing act: Upstream and downstream frameshift co-regulatory elements TS Samuel Lee, Shuting Yan, Abhishek Dey, Alain Laederach Biorxiv , 2024 2024 Citations: 2
Harnessing Genetic Code: Futuristic Approach of Next-Generation Sequencing for Sustainable Future AD Dipali Barku Dongare , Shaik Shireen Nishad , Sakshi Yellappa Mastoli ... preprint.org , 2024 2024
Abolished frameshifting for predicted structure-stabilizing SARS-CoV-2 mutants: Implications to alternative conformations and their statistical structural analyses TS Abhishek Dey, Alain Laederach, Shuting Yan BiorXiv , 2024 2024 Citations: 22
Structural Modifications and Novel Protein-Binding Sites in Pre-miR-675—Explaining Its Regulatory Mechanism in Carcinogenesis D Abhishek Non-Coding RNA 9 (4) , 2023 2023 Citations: 11
Comprehensive structural and interactome analysis reveals novel interactions and protein binding sites in miR-675: a non-coding RNA critically involved in multiple diseases A Dey BioRXIV , 2023 2023
Acknowledgment to the Reviewers of Non‐Coding RNA in 2022 NCRNAE Office Non‐Coding RNA , 2023 2023
Quantitative prediction of variant effects on alternative splicing in MAPT using endogenous pre-messenger RNA structure probing J Kumar, L Lackey, JM Waldern, A Dey, AM Mustoe, KM Weeks, ... elife 11, e73888 , 2022 2022 Citations: 24
Sequence and tissue targeting specificity of ZFP36L2 reveals Elavl2 as a novel target with co-regulation potential SBVR Ian C Redmon, Matthew Ardizzone, Hilal Hekimoğlu, Breanne M Hatfield ... Nucleic Acid Research 50 (7) , 2022 2022 Citations: 10
MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
To Knot or Not to Knot: Multiple Conformations of the SARS-CoV-2 Frameshifting RNA Element LA Schlick Tamar, Zhu Qiyao, Dey Abhishek, Jain Swati, Yan Shuting Journal of American Chemical Society , 2021 2021 Citations: 79
Current Perspectives of Telomerase Structure and Function in Eukaryotes with Emerging Views on Telomerase in Human Parasites D Abhishek, C Kausik International Journal of Molecular Sciences 19 (333), 1-28 , 2018 2018 Citations: 66
Sequence variation of rare outer membrane protein β-barrel domains in clinical strains provides insights into the evolution of Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum, the syphilis … S Kumar, MJ Caimano, A Anand, A Dey, KL Hawley, ME LeDoyt, ... MBio 9 (3), 10.1128/mbio. 01006-18 , 2018 2018 Citations: 49
Peptide Uptake Is Essential for Borrelia burgdorferi Viability and Involves Structural and Regulatory Complexity of its Oligopeptide Transporter AM Groshong, A Dey, I Bezsonova, MJ Caimano, JD Radolf MBio 8 (6), 10.1128/mbio. 02047-17 , 2017 2017 Citations: 46
High-throughput sequencing: a breakthrough in molecular diagnosis for precision medicine NSAD Dipali Barku Dongare, Shaik Shireen Nishad, Sakshi Y. Mastoli, Shubhini ... Functional & Integrative Genomics 25 , 2025 2025 Citations: 24
Quantitative prediction of variant effects on alternative splicing in MAPT using endogenous pre-messenger RNA structure probing J Kumar, L Lackey, JM Waldern, A Dey, AM Mustoe, KM Weeks, ... elife 11, e73888 , 2022 2022 Citations: 24
Crystal structure of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv AldR (Rv2779c), a regulator of the ald gene: DNA binding and identification of small molecule inhibitors A Dey, S Shree, SK Pandey, RP Tripathi, R Ramachandran Journal of Biological Chemistry 291 (23), 11967-11980 , 2016 2016 Citations: 23
Abolished frameshifting for predicted structure-stabilizing SARS-CoV-2 mutants: Implications to alternative conformations and their statistical structural analyses TS Abhishek Dey, Alain Laederach, Shuting Yan BiorXiv , 2024 2024 Citations: 22
Ligand-Induced Structural Transitions, Mutational Analysis, and ‘Open’ Quaternary Structure of the M. tuberculosis Feast/Famine Regulatory Protein (Rv3291c) ADRR Tripti Shrivastava JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 392, 1007-1019 , 2009 2009 Citations: 19
The major outer sheath protein forms distinct conformers and multimeric complexes in the outer membrane and periplasm of Treponema denticola. JDR Robbins Puthenveetil, Sanjiv Kumar, Melissa J. Caimano, Abhishek Dey ... Scientific Reports: NPG 7, 13260-13278 , 2017 2017 Citations: 17
In vivo architecture of the telomerase RNA catalytic core in Trypanosoma brucei CK Abhishek Dey, Monroy-Eklund Anais, Klotz Kaitlin, Saha Arpita, Davis ... Nucleic Acids Research 49 (21), 12445–12466 , 2021 2021 Citations: 16
The RNA Structurome in the Asexual Blood Stages of Malaria Pathogen Plasmodium falciparum SKKC Diana Renteria Alvarez , Alejandra Ospina, Tiffany Barwell, Bo Zheng ... RNA Biology , 2021 2021 Citations: 14
Structural Modifications and Novel Protein-Binding Sites in Pre-miR-675—Explaining Its Regulatory Mechanism in Carcinogenesis D Abhishek Non-Coding RNA 9 (4) , 2023 2023 Citations: 11
Water-Soluble Isatoic Anhydrides: A Platform for RNA-SHAPE Analysis and Protein Bioconjugation OCA Fessler AB, Dey A, Garmon CB, Finis DS, Saleh NA, Fowler AJ, Jones DS ... Bioconjugate chemistry 29 (9), 3196-3202 , 2018 2018 Citations: 11
Sequence variation of rare outer membrane protein β-barrel domains in clinical strains provides insights into the evolution of Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum, the syphilis … S Kumar, MJ Caimano, A Anand, A Dey, KL Hawley, ME LeDoyt Cited Here , 2018 2018 Citations: 11
Sequence and tissue targeting specificity of ZFP36L2 reveals Elavl2 as a novel target with co-regulation potential SBVR Ian C Redmon, Matthew Ardizzone, Hilal Hekimoğlu, Breanne M Hatfield ... Nucleic Acid Research 50 (7) , 2022 2022 Citations: 10
Cloning, overexpression, purification and preliminary X-ray analysis of a feast/famine regulatory protein (Rv2779c) from Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv A Dey, R Ramachandran Acta Crystallographica Section F 70, 97-100 , 2014 2014 Citations: 10
A Cascade of Conformational Switches in SARS-CoV‑2 Frameshifting: Coregulation by Upstream and Downstream Elements TS Samuel Lee, Shuting Yan, Abhishek Dey, Alain Laederach Biochemistry , 2025 2025 Citations: 7
Innately Water-Soluble Isatoic Anhydrides with Modulated Reactivities for RNA SHAPE Analysis. OCA Fessler AB, Abhishek Dey, Finis DS, Fowler AJ, Chakrabarti K Bioconjugate Chemistry 31 (3), 884-888 , 2020 2020 Citations: 6
Dual-State Emissive and Substituent-Tunable pH-Sensitive Bis-Heterocyclic Fluorescent Probes AS Preeti Ashokkumar Chaudhran, Sakshi Y. Mastoli, Abhishek Dey, Shubhini A ... The Journal of Organic Chemistry , 2025 2025 Citations: 5