Dey Lab Research
The focus of our laboratory is to investigate the role of non-coding RNAs (microRNAs and novel small/long non-coding RNAs), epigenetics and epitranscriptomics in skeletal muscle stem cell biology, cardiac muscle biology, muscle regeneration, and muscle degenerative diseases, including Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) and DMD-associated cardiomyopathy.
DMD is a fatal X-linked childhood muscle degenerative disease. Progressive skeletal muscle wasting leads to cardiomyopathy and other secondary complications. The children affected by DMD become restricted to wheelchairs within the first decade of their lives and die within the third. There is no effective treatment available yet for this devastating disease. The development of successful therapy for DMD has been significantly hindered due to the lack of a complete understanding of the critical myogenic processes and DMD pathophysiology at the cellular and molecular level. The existing knowledge of the regulation of gene expression in myogenic processes remains inadequate.
We have been particularly studying different modes of posttranscriptional gene regulation in the myogenic processes to elucidate the intricate molecular networks of myogenesis. We use various cutting-edge molecular cell biology, stem cell biology, genetic, epigenetic, and epitranscriptomic techniques, and animal models to understand muscle physiology and pathophysiology at the cellular and molecular level. We aim to understand the fundamental molecular mechanism of muscle development and devise new therapeutic and diagnostic platforms for DMD and related muscle degenerative diseases.
Lab Members
Bijan K. Dey
Principal Investigator, The RNA Institute; Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Biological Sciences
The RNA Institute
Life Sciences 2098 (Office) Life Sciences 2020 (Lab)
Patents
Dey Lab Patents
Compositions and methods for treating diabetic retinopathy. Inventors: Bijan K. Dey and Paul A. Yates. U.S. patent number 10,870,852.
Dey Lab Publications
Selected Publications
Dey P, Soyer MA, Dey BK# (2022) MicroRNA-24-3p promotes skeletal muscle differentiation and regeneration by regulating HMGA1. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences. Vol: 79(3):170. doi: 10.1007/s00018-022-04168-7. PMID: 35238991. (# corresponding author).
Ralbovsky NM, Dey P, Galfano A, Dey BK#, Lednev IK# (2022). A Novel Method for Detecting Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy in Blood Serum of mdx Mice. Genes. Vol: 13(8):1342. doi: 10.3390/genes13081342. PMID: 36011258. (# corresponding author).
Zhou L, Hayden A, Chandrasekaran AR, Vilcapoma J, Cavaliere C, Dey P, Mao S, Sheng J, Dey BK, Rangan P, Halvorsen K (2021). Sequence-selective purification of biological RNAs using DNA nanoswitches. Cell Rep Methods. Vol: 1(8):100126. doi: 10.1016/j.crmeth.2021.100126. PMID: 35072148.
Ralbovsky NM, Dey P, Dey BK#, Lednev IK# (2021). Determining the stages of cellular differentiation using deep ultraviolet resonance Raman spectroscopy. Talanta. Vol: 227:122164. doi: 10.1016/j.talanta.2021.122164. PMID: 33714467. (# corresponding author).
Ray HC, Corliss BA, Bruce AC, Kesting S, Dey P, Mansour J, Seaman SA, Smolko CM, Mathews C, Dey BK, Owens GK, Peirce SM, Yates PA (2020). Myh11+ microvascular mural cells and derived mesenchymal stem cells promote retinal fibrosis. Sci Rep. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-72875-x. PubMed PMID: 32978500; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7519078.
Ralbovsky NM, Dey P, Galfano A, Dey BK#, Lednev IK# (2020). Diagnosis of a model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy in blood serum of mdx mice using Raman hyperspectroscopy. Sci Rep. Vol 10(1):11734. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-68598-8. (# corresponding author).
Chandrasekaran AR, Vilcapoma J, Dey P, Wong-Deyrup SW, Dey BK, Halvorsen K (2020). Exceptional Nuclease Resistance of Paranemic Crossover (PX) DNA and Crossover-Dependent Biostability of DNA Motifs. J Am Chem Soc. Vol 142(14):6814-6821. doi: 10.1021/jacs.0c02211.
Chandrasekaran AR, Dey BK#, Halvorsen K# (2020). How to Perform miRacles: A Step-by-Step microRNA Detection Protocol Using DNA Nanoswitches. Current Protocols in Molecular Biology. Vol130(1):e114. doi: 10.1002/cpmb.114. (# corresponding author).
Chandrasekaran AR, Punoose JA, Zhou L, Dey P, Dey BK#, Halvorsen K# (2019). DNA nanotechnology approaches for microRNA detection and diagnosis. Nucleic Acid Research. doi: 10.1093/nar/gkz580 (# corresponding author).
Chandrasekaran AR, MacIsaac M, Dey P, Levchenko O, Zhou L, Andres M, Dey BK#, Halvorsen K# (2019). Cellular microRNA detection with miRacles: microRNA activated conditional looping of engineered switches. Science Advances. Vol 5(3) doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aau9443. (# corresponding author).
Ralbovskya NM, Egorov V, Moskovets E, Dey, P, Dey BK, Lednev IK (2019). Deep-Ultraviolet Raman Spectroscopy for Cancer Diagnostics: A Feasibility Study with Cell Lines and Tissues. Cancer Studies and Molecular Medicine. Vol 5(1): 1-10. doi: 10.17140/CSMMOJ-5-126.
Mueller AC†, Wegrzynska M†, Dey BK, Layer R, Gagan J, Dutta A (2015). MUNC, a long noncoding RNA that facilitates the function of MyoD in skeletal myogenesis. Molecular and Cellular Biology, Vol 35:498-513. doi: 10.1128/MCB.01079-14 († equal contribution).
Cronk SM et al. (2015). Adipose-derived stem cells from diabetic mice show impaired vascular stabilization in a murine model of diabetic retinopathy. Stem Cells Translational Medicine, Vol 4:459-67. doi: 10.5966/sctm.2014-0108
Ray H, J Park, Mansour J, Seaman S, Dey BK, Peirce S, Yates PA (2015). A Lineage Tracing System to Fate Map Perivascular-Derived Adipose Stem Cells in Retinal Vasculopathy Mouse Models. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. Vol 56(7):1831-1831.
Dey BK, Mueller A, and Dutta A (2014). Long non-coding RNAs as emerging regulators of differentiation, development, and disease. Transcription, Vol 5(4): e944014. doi: 10.4161/21541272.2014.944014.
Dey BK, Pfeifer K, and Dutta A (2014). The H19 long non-coding RNA gives rise to microRNAs miR-675-3p and -5p to promote skeletal muscle differentiation and regeneration. Genes & Development, Vol 28: 491-501.doi: 10.1101/gad.234419.113
Floyd DH†, Zhang Y†, Dey BK, Kefas B, Glass R, Dutta A, Abounader R, and Purow BW (2014). Novel anti-apoptotic microRNAs 582-5p and 363 promote human glioblastoma stem cell survival via direct inhibition of Caspase 3, Caspase 9, and Bim. PLoS One, Vol 9: e96239. († equal contribution).
Zhang Y, Floyd DH, Mueller A†, Dey BK†, Yang Y, Lee DH, HAchmann J, Finderle S, Park DM, Christense J, Schiff D, Purow BW, Dutta A, and Abounader R (2014). Multiple receptor tyrosine kinases converge on microRNA-134 to control KRAS, STAT5B, and glioblastoma. Cell Death & Differentiation, Vol 21:720-734. († equal contribution).
Zhang Y, Floyd DH, Mueller A, Dey BK, Yang Y, Lee DH, HAchmann J, Finderle S, Park DM, Christense J, Schiff D, Purow BW, Dutta A, and Abounader R (2014). Identification and characterization of microRNA-134 as a novel receptor tyrosine kinase-regulated tumor suppressive hub in glioblastoma. Cancer Research, 74:1909.
Dey BK, Mueller A, and Dutta A (2012). Non-micro-short RNAs: the new kids on the block. Molecular Biology of the Cell, Vol 23: 4664–4667.
Gagan J, Dey BK, Layer, R, Yan, Z, and Dutta A (2012). Notch3 and Mef2c are mutually antagonistic via Mkp1 and miR-1/206 in differentiating myoblast. Journal of Biological Chemistry, Vol 287:40360–370.
Dey BK, Gagan J, Yan Z, and Dutta A (2012). MiR-26a promotes skeletal muscle differentiation and regeneration in mice. Genes & Development, Vol 26: 2180–2191.
Gagan J, Dey BK, and Dutta A (2012). MicroRNAs regulate and provide robustness to the myogenic transcriptional network. Current Opinion in Pharmacology, Vol 12:1–6.
Gagan J, Dey BK, Layer R, Yan Z, and Dutta A (2011). MicroRNA-378 targets the myogenic repressor MyoR during myoblast differentiation. Journal of Biological Chemistry, Vol 286:19431–19438.
Dey BK, Gagan J, and Dutta A (2011). MiR-206 and -486 induce myoblast differentiation by downregulating Pax7. Molecular and Cellular Biology, Vol 31: 203–214.
Sarkar S, Dey BK, and Dutta A (2010). MiR-322/424 and -503 are induced during muscle differentiation and promote cell cycle quiescence and differentiation by down-regulation of Cdc25A. Molecular Biology of the Cell, Vol 21:2138–2149
Dey BK, Zhao X, Popoola M, and Campos AR (2009). Mutual regulation of the Drosophila disconnected (disco) and Distal-less (Dll) genes is implicated in the proximal-distal patterning of antenna and leg. Cell Tissue Research, Vol 338: 227–240.
Dey BK, Stalker L, Schnerch A, Bhatia M, Taylor-Papidimtriou J, and Wynder C (2008). The histone demethylase KDM5b/JARID1b plays a role in cell fate decisions by blocking terminal differentiation. Molecular and Cellular Biology, Vol 28:5312–5327.
Funding
2021
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
American Heart Association (AHA)
SUNY Startup
Dey Lab News
Stem Cell Biologist Explores a New RNA Code to Thwart Degenerative Disease
RNA Institute Scientist Bijan K. Dey and his lab team are using a new NIH grant to look the role at epitranscriptomics in skeletal muscle stem cell biology so to find a therapeutic platform to combat childhood muscle degenerative disease.
Dr. Bijan Dey will be editing a special issue of the journal Life
Dr. Bijan Dey will be editing a special issue of the journal Life on "Non-coding RNAs in Cellular Differentiation, Development and Diseases". Submit your manuscript by December 31, 2021.
Bijan Dey, University at Albany – Duchene Muscular Dystrophy Testing Methods
Academic Minute - On University at Albany Week: Early detection is critical for combating Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Bijan Dey, principal investigator at the RNA Institute, looks into better testing methods.
RNA Scientists Advance Early Detection of Duchene Muscular Dystrophy
The devastating effects of Duchene muscular dystrophy (DMD) can be mitigated if detection takes place in early childhood.
Researchers' Newly Discovered Biostability in DNA Structures May Lead to Enhanced Therapeutics
A tremendous potential for biomedical applications, including targeted delivery of drugs, exists through DNA nanostructures, but one key challenge has been the limited stability of these structures in the body’s tissues and blood. Now, a University team of researchers led by Arun Richard Chandrasekaran and Ken Halvorsen of the RNA Institute has circumvented that problem by discovering a potential direct route to biostability: an already existing biostable DNA motif capable of use in the design of new drug carriers and diagnostics. The team, also consisting of Biological Sciences faculty Bijan Dey, Siu Wah Wong-Deyrup and Paromita Dey, and undergraduate researcher Javier Vilcapoma, made two breakthroughs, the first being that the PX DNA has remarkable nuclease resistance and biostability and the second being that the biostability is correlated to the number of crossover points.
We are looking for talented students and postdocs. Please contact Bijan Dey.
Bijan K Dey, PhD
Principal Investigator, The RNA Institute
Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Biological Sciences
University at Albany, State University of New York (SUNY)
Life Sciences Research Building Room LS 2098
1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 518-437-4481