Research Groups

Mammalian Biology: Virology

Staff Research Scientist

Research Interests and Description
Group Members
Group Leader

Sunil Kumar Lal

International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology
Aruna Asaf Ali Marg
110 067 New Delhi, India

E-mail: sunillal@icgeb.res.in
Tel: +91-11-26742357/1358/1361
Fax: +91-11-26742316

Education

Panjab University, Chandigarh, India, MSc, 1984
Georgia Tech, School of Biology, Atlanta GA, USA, PhD, 1994

Career History

Since 2006, Staff Research Scientist, Virology Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), New Delhi, India
1994-2006, Senior Research Scientist, Virology Group, ICGEB New Delhi.
1994, Postdoctoral Fellow, California Institute of Technology, Biology Department, Pasadena, CA, USA.

Teaching Activity

Coordinates and teaches the PhD course "Advanced Cell and Molecular Biology" at ICGEB New Delhi.

Scientific Activity

Our main interests lie in discovering and deciphering functions of viral genes. The viruses we have focused on over the past few years have been HEV, SARS-CoV and Avian influenza A (H5N1). The approach we have taken is two-fold. Initially to use sub-genomic expression strategies to study the properties and functions of individual gene products toward understanding their role in viral processes followed by identification of host interacting partners to study host-viral interactions. By studying in detail, the newly identified interactions and elucidating their molecular mechanisms of action, we are in turn able to designate new biological roles to the viral gene in question. This approach has proved very fruitful to us and we have been able to successfully apply it to answer fundamental questions in HEV, SARS-CoV and H5N1.

Selected publications

Lal, S.K., ed. 2007. The Biology of Emerging Virusus. Blackwell Publishers, USA.

Surjit, M., Jameel, S., Lal, S.K. 2007. Cytoplasmic localization of the ORF2 protein of Hepatitis E Virus is dependent on its ability to undergo retro-translocation from the endoplasmic reticulum. J. Virol. 81, 3339-3345

Lal, S.K., ed. 2006. Emerging Viral Infections of Southeast Asia. Karger, Switzerland.

Surjit, M., Liu, B., Chow, V.T.K., Lal, S. K. 2006. The Nucleocapsid protein of SARS-coronavirus inhibits the activity of cyclin-CDK complex and blocks S phase progression in mammalian cells. J. Biol. Chem. 281, 10669-10681

Surjit, M., Oberoi, R., Kumar R., Lal, S. K. 2006. Enhanced α1 microglobulin secretion from Hepatitis E Virus ORF3 expressing human hepatoma cells is mediated by the tumor susceptibility gene 101. J. Biol. Chem. 281: 8135-8142

Tyagi, S., Surjit, M., Lal, S. K. 2005. The 41-amino acid C-terminal region of the Hepatitis E Virus ORF3 protein interacts with Bikunin, a Kunitz-type serine protease inhibitor. J. Virol. 79, 12081-12087

Surjit, M., Kumar, R., Mishra, R. N., Reddy, M. K., Chow V. T. K., Lal, S. K. 2005. The SARS coronavirus nucleocapsid (N) protein is phosphorylated and localizes in the cytoplasm by 14-3-3 mediated translocation. J. Virol.79, 11476-11486

Tyagi, S., Surjit, M., Kar Roy, A., Jameel, S., Lal, S.K. 2004. The ORF3 protein of hepatitis E virus interacts with liver specific α1-microglobulin and its precursor α1-microglobulin/bikunin precursor (AMBP) and expedites their export from the hepatocyte. J. Biol. Chem. 279, 29308-2931