The specific areas of research under molecular genetics & Developmental Biology revolves around the understanding of human genetic disease processes and their inheritance; the phenomenon of genomic imprinting and parental-origin-effect in development and gene expression. The human fragile-X syndrome leading to mental retardation, a triplet repeat expansion disease is one of the present focuses. Apart from developing tools for DNA based diagnosis, the mechanism of triplet repeat expansion is being investigated intensely through transgenic mice approach. In these efforts the intra-organismal, but intertissue differences and intergenerational differences in triplet repeat numbers are being analyzed. In the context of genomic imprinting the transgenic mice for (CGG) triplet are being analyzed for parental effect on repeat expansion in a developmental time frame.
Genomic imprinting in unusual genetic systems like coccid insects is yet another area of research. Broadly the theme is to understand imprinting mechanisms to investigate the role of chromatin as a unit of heredity in contrast to naked DNA. To understand the phenomenon from various angles the molecular mechanisms are being dissected in the coccid system per se as well as in comparison with molecular correlates of global silencing known in other systems. The approach of comparative genomics is taken up to identify cis acting DNA sequences and transacting protein/RNA factors involved in chromosome silencing. More recently this group is embarking on novel approaches of transactivation of genes in vivo through triple helix forming DNA sequences.
There are several neurological disorders resulting from a novel class of mutations called as the Dynamic Mutations. These mutations lead to expansion of the triplet repeats in the disease causing genes- in the 5' untranslated region or exons or introns or the 3' untranslated region.
