Career

• Scientist D: Institute of Life Sciences (Nov 2015 onwards)
• Project Scientist: University of California, San Diego, USA (2011 to 2015)
• Post-Doctoral Fellow: University of California, San Diego, USA (2008 to 2011)
• PhD: University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India (2001-2007)

Fellowships and Awards

• Wellcome Trust-DBT India Alliance Intermediate Fellowship-2015
• Ramalingaswami Re-entry Fellowship, Department of Biotechnology, New Delhi 2014 (Fellowship not availed)
• Senior Research Fellowship, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi
• Junior Research Fellowship, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi

Recognitions

Recognized as Ph.D guide in the following universities;

• Utkal University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha
• Manipal University, Manipal, Karnataka
• KIIT University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha

Membership:

• American Society for Microbiology (ASM)                                    : 2014 to Present
• American Society for Studies on Liver Diseases (AASLD)          : 2012 to Present
• Indian Virological Society                                                                : 2016 onwards

Research Interest

1. Characterise the virus-host interaction at the interface of mitochondrial processes/signalling implicated in cellular and mitochondrial homeostasis, metabolism, innate immunity and inflammation. We attempt to decipher how the flaviviruses exploit cellular mitochondria and determine the significance of these virus triggered events in the onset of disease pathogenesis.
2. Understanding viral life cycle (such as entry, replication, assembly & egress) at the molecular level to identify viral and host proteins and cellular processes crucial for viral propagation.
3. Mining and development of Antiviral compounds.

Viruses are obligate intracellular parasites with limited genome and thereby rely on the host cell machinery for their proliferation. Thereby viruses have evolved molecular strategies to escape the cellular innate immune surveillance and to usurp/hijack the host cell signaling to benefit their proliferation.  The virus-mediated alterations to the host signalling pathways or the host response to infection often predisposes the host to viral disease.

The cellular mitochondria, membranes and cytoskeleton are primary targets of many viruses. Mitochondria serve as the hub for many cellular events and mitochondrial dynamics is considered an integral cellular process with implications in cellular homeostasis, metabolism, inflammation and innate immunity. The cellular physiological perturbation associated with viral infection may affect host cell mitochondria and their dynamics.  On the contrary, the viruses may directly target or exploit mitochondria  and/or mitochondrial dynamics as a viral strategy to escape cellular defense mechanisms and promote viral proliferation.

The complex interplay between the virus and the cellular mitochondria and the subsequent consequence on mitochondrial- metabolism,  antiviral and inflammatory signaling may influence the outcome of viral infection and pave way for viral disease pathogenesis.

Currently the lab will be working with the flaviviruses, Dengue virus (DENV) and Hepatitis C virus (HCV) and the hepadnavirus, Hepatitis B virus (HBV). This is an emerging and unexplored area with many viruses remaining to be characterized in this direction. In future we will also explore other pathogenic viruses and determine the significance of the virus and host mitochondria interaction on viral proliferation and disease pathogenesis. We will also explore/elucidate the yet unknown/uncharacterized events in DENV, HCV and HBV lifecycle.

The major focus of the lab will be;

1. Characterize the virus-host interaction at the mitochondrial perspective and elucidate the viral strategies that exploit host signalling/responses to promote viral proliferation and predispose to disease pathogenesis
2. Characterize the yet uncharacterised events in HCV, DENV and HBV life cycle such as the assembly/morphogenesis and secretion of virus particle.
3. Identify crucial targets and develop potential therapeutic strategies to curb viral infection and disease pathogenesis.

2017

1. Syed GH (co-corresponding author), Khan M, Yang S, Siddiqui A. Hepatitis C virus lipoviroparticles (HCV-LVP) assemble in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and bud off from the ER to Golgi in COPII vesicles. J Virol. 2017, doi: 10.1128/JVI.00499-17.
2. Börgeson E, Wallenius V, Syed GH, Darshi M, Lantero Rodriguez J, Biörserud C, Ragnmark Ek M, Björklund P, Quiding-Järbrink M, Fändriks L, Godson C, Sharma K. AICAR ameliorates high-fat diet-associated pathophysiology in mouse and ex vivo models, independent of adiponectin. Diabetologia. 2017, 60(4):729-739. doi: 10.1007/s00125-017-4211-9

2016

1. Khan M, Syed GH, Kim SJ, Siddiqui A. Hepatitis B Virus-Induced Parkin-Dependent Recruitment of Linear Ubiquitin Assembly Complex (LUBAC) to Mitochondria and Attenuation of Innate Immunity. PLoS Pathog. 2016, 12(6):e1005693. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1005693

2015

1. Till A, Saito R, Merkurjev D, Liu JJ, Syed GH, Kolnik M, Siddiqui A, Glas M, Scheffler B, Ideker T, Subramani S. 2015. Evolutionary trends and functional anatomy of the human expanded autophagy network. Autophagy 11(9):1652-67.
2. Borgeson E, Johnsson A, Lee YS, Till A, Syed GH, Ali-Shah ST, Guiry PJ, Dalli J, Colas RA, Serhan NC, Sharma K, Godson C. Lipoxin A4 attenuates obesity-induced adipose inflammation and associated liver and kidney disease. 2015. Cell Metabolism 22(1):125-37.
3. Khan M, Syed GH, Seong-Jun K and Siddiqui A. 2015. Mitochondrial Dynamics and Viral infections: a close nexus. 2015. Biochim Biophys Acta Molecular Cell Research 1853 (10 Pt B): 2822-33.

2014

1. Soto-Acosta R, Bautista-Carbajal P, Syed GH, Siddiqui A, Del Angel MR. 2014. Nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) inhibits replication and viral morphogenesis of Dengue virus. Antiviral Research, 109:132-40
2. Seong-Jun K, Syed GH (equal contribution), Khan M, Chiu W, Sohail AM, Gish GR, & Siddiqui A. 2014. Hepatitis C Virus Triggers Mitochondrial Fission and Attenuates Apoptosis to Promote Viral Persistence. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci, 111:6413-8.
3. Syed GH, Tang H (equal contribution), Khan M, Hassanein T, Liu J, & Siddiqui A. 2014. Hepatitis C Virus stimulates Density Lipoprotein Receptor (LDLR) expression to facilitate viral propagation. J. Virol, 88:2519-29.

2013

1. Seong-Jun K, Syed GH, Siddiqui A. 2013. Hepatitis C virus induces mitochondrial translocation of Parkin and subsequent mitophagy. PLoS Pathog, 9(3):e1003285.
2. Yadaiah M, Sudhamalla B, Rao PN, Roy KR, Ramakrishna D, Syed GH, Ramaiah KV, AK bhuyan. 2013. Arrested Cell Proliferation through Cysteine Protease Activity of Eukaryotic Ribosomal Protein S4. FASEB J, 27:803-10.

2012

1. Bishé B, Syed GH, Field SJ, Siddiqui A. 2012. Role of phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PI4P) and its binding protein GOLPH3 in hepatitis C virus secretion. J Biol Chem, 287, 27637-47.
2. Bishe B, Syed GH, Siddiqui A. 2012. Phosphoinositides in the Hepatitis C virus Life Cycle. Viruses, 4, 2340-58.

2011

1. Syed GH, Siddiqui A. 2011. Effects of hypolipidemic agent nordihydroguaiaretic acid on lipid droplets and hepatitis C virus. Hepatology, 54, 1936-46.
2. Amako Y, Syed GH (equal contribution), Siddiqui A. 2011. Protein kinase D negatively regulates hepatitis C virus secretion through phosphorylation of oxysterol binding protein and ceramide transfer protein. J Biol Chem, 286, 11265-274.

2010

1. Syed GH, Amako Y, Siddiqui A. 2010. Hepatitis C virus hijacks host lipid metabolism. Trends Endocrinol Metab, 21: 33-40.

2007

1. Syed GH, Ramaiah KVA. 2007. Reduced eIF2alpha phosphorylation and increased proapoptotic proteins in aging. Biochem Biophys Res Commun, 355:365-70.
2. Syed GH, Ramaiah KVA. 2007. Endoplasmic reticulum: Stress, signaling and apoptosis. Current Science, 93: 1684-96.

Book Chapters

1. Syed GH, Wyles DL and Siddiqui A. 2014. Chapter on ‘Hepatitis Viruses’ in the Reference Module in Biomedical Sciences. Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-801238-3.00087-8.
2. Seong-Jun K, Syed GH, Sohail M, Khan M and Siddiqui A. Chapter on ‘The Emerging Role of Mitochondrial Dynamics in Viral Hepatitis’ in the book ‘Mitochondria in Liver Disease’ by Neil Kaplowitz and Derick Han published by CRC press.

Current Members

Ph.D students:

1. Bharti Singh
2. Kokavalla Poornima
3. Mohd Faraz Alam
4. Avula Kiran

National Postdoctoral Fellow: Debjani Tarapdhar

Research assistant: Sushree K Tanaya

Lab Technician: Subham K Sahu

Past Members:  JRF (Wellcome-DBT project):   Ruthu Nagraj, MSc

The lab welcomes applications from suitable applicants interested to pursue any postdoctoral fellowships in India I will guide them through the application process. All prospective candidates please do email your resume at gulamsyed@ils.res.in with a brief write up on your research interests and future goals.

Ongoing

• In 2014 was awarded the Ramalingswami Re-entry Fellowship from the Dept. of Biotechnology, Govt of India (Fellowship not availed).
• In June-2015 was awarded the Wellcome Trust-DBT India Alliance Intermediate Fellowship.