Dr. Saroj K. Pramanik, Ph.D
Associate Professor and Director, Green House
Department of Biology
School of Computer, Mathematical and Natural Sciences
Morgan State University
1700 E. Coldspring Lane
Baltimore, Maryland 21251

Key 151 
443-885- 3709 
spramani@jewel.morgan.edu

Research Interest

Translational Control of Gene Expression during Cellular Differentiation

• Repressed mRNA during myoblast differentiation
• Cytosolic distribution of polysome during seed storage protein synthesis in particular somatic and zygotic distribution.
• More recently we have cloned AGT (Alanine Glyoxalate Amino Transferase) cDNA from human hepatoma cell lines. This protein has two targeting signals: N-terminal target towards mitochondria and C-terminal target towards peroxiome. Premature translation of AGT will be ended up into mitochondria and that causes hyperoxalourea type I (PH-1) disease.

Bioremediation of Hazardous Chemicals in particular PCBs:

Our biosphere contains approx. 750,000 tons of released polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs), known to cause reproductive and birth defects, and damage to the kidney, nervous and immune systems. Our goal is how to clean-up PCBs using plant/microbe interactions. We hypothesize that specific plants accelerate the PCB biodegradation by interacting with specific microbes, which is structurally augmented and continually changes. Thus, needs to adopt a high throughput molecular technique 16SrDNA/T-RFLP (Terminal Restricted Fragment Length Polymorphisms) to study the structure of these microbial communities under various plant growth and ecological conditions.

Publications

1. PRAMANIK, S. K . and Bewley, J. D. (1996): Post-transcriptional regulation of protein synthesis during alfalfa embryogenesis. Proteins associated with the cytoplasmic polysomal and non-polysomal mRNAs (messenger ribonucleoprotein complex). Journal of Experimental Botany,47:1871 - 1879.
2. Bewley, J. D. and PRAMANIK, S. K. (1996): Post-transcriptional Regulation of Storage Protein Synthesis during Early Embryogenesis. In Proceedings of the 5 th. International Workshop on Seeds. Ed R.H.Ellis, Kluwer Academic.
3. Fich-Savage, W. E., PRAMANIK, S. K., and Bewley, J. D. (1994): The Expression of Dehydrin Proteins in Desiccation-sensitive (Recalcitrant) Seeds of Temperate Trees. Planta, 193:478-485.
4. PRAMANIK, S. K. and Bewley, J. D. (1993): A Ubiquitin Carrier Protein cDNA from Developing Alfalfa Embryos. Plant Physiology, 102:1049-1050.
5. PRAMANIK, S. K., Reynolds, T. L., MacIcssac, S. A., and Bewley, J. D. (1993): Rapid and Efficient Purification of Seed Messenger RNA without Phenol : Chloroform Extraction. Seed Science Research, 3:137-139.
6. PRAMANIK, S. K ., Krochko, J. E., and Bewley, J. D. (1992): Distribution of Cytosolic mRNAs Between Polysomal and Ribonucleoprotein Complex Fractions in Alfalfa Embryos (Stage-Specific Translational Repression of Storage Protein Synthesis during Early Somatic Embryo Development). Plant Physiology, 99:1590-1596.
7. Krochko, J. E., PRAMANIK, S. K., and Bewley, J. D. (1992): Contrasting Storage Protein Synthesis and Messenger RNA Accumulation during Development of Zygotic and Somatic Embryos of Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). Plant Physiology, 99:46 - 53.
8. PRAMANIK, S. K . and Bewley, J. D. (1992): A Simple and Efficient Method for Purification of Multiple cDNAs by Using A Single Hybridization Step on Nylon Discs. Plant Molecular Biology, 20:31 -35.
9. Bewley, J., PRAMANIK, S. K., Krochko, J. E. (1992): Regulation of Storage Protein Synthesis during Development of Somatic and Zygotic Embryos of Alfalfa (Medicago sativa): Transcriptional and Post-transcriptional Control. Proceeding Int. Conf. Seed Science & Technology, Angers, France. Vol. 1.
10. Bewley, J. D., Krochko. J. E., Coulter, K. M., Xu, N., PRAMANIK, S. K., and Greenwood, J. S. (1991): Protein Synthesis and Its Regulation during Zygotic and Somatic Embryogenesis in Alfalfa (Medicago sativa): In Advances in the Science and Technology of Seeds, ed. Fu, J. and Khan, A. A., Science Press, Beijing, China. p. 23 - 35.
11. Meadus, J. W., PRAMANIK, S. K., and Bag, J. (1990): Cytoskeleton Bound mRNA for A 40 kDa Polypeptides in Rat L-6 Cells is not always translated. Experimental Cell Research, 187: 25-32.
12. PRAMANIK, S. K . and Bag, J. (1989): Expression of Muscle Proteins is Necessary to Regulate Translation of the mRNA for A 40 kDa Housekeeping Polypeptide in Rat L-6 Cells. European J. Biochem. 182: 687 - 698.
13. Kermode, A. R., PRAMANIK, S. K., and Bewley, J. D. (1989): The Role of Maturation Drying in the Transition from Seed Development to Germination. VI. Desiccation Induced Changes in mRNA Populations within the Endosperm of Ricinus communis L. Seeds. J.Experimental Botany, 40: 33- 41.
14. PRAMANIK, S. K ., Medus, J. W., and Bag, J. (1988): Regulation of Translation and Stability of mRNA Coding for A 40 kDa Polypeptide in Rat L-6 Muscle Cells. European J. Biochemistry, 172: 355 - 362.
15. PRAMANIK, S. K., and Bag, J. (1987): Translation of an mRNA in Rat L-6 Muscle Cells is Regulated within the Cell Cycle. European J. Biochemistry, 170: 59 - 67.
16. Bag, J., and PRAMANIK, S. K. (1987): Association of Messenger RNA-Protein Complexes with the Cytoskeleton Framework in Myogenic Cells. Biochemistry and Cell Biology, 65: 565 - 575.
17. PRAMANIK, S. K ., Walsh, S. R., and Bag, J. (1986): Association of mRNAs with the Cytoskeleton Framework in Rat L-6 Myogenic Cells. European J. Biochemistry, 160: 221 – 230

Teaching

• Plant Physiology and Plant Development (Biol 411)
• Introductory Biology (Biol. 101)
• Introductory Biology (Biol. 102)
• Special Lectures on Muscle Anatomy and Physiology Course (Anatomy and Physiology)