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Cambridge Immunology Network

 

Research

My current research interest is in T-cell signaling and identification of cellular events/proteins needed to sustain homeostasis of immune-system. I use biochemistry, biophysics and other tools including mouse models to characterize and evaluate the function of novel proteins in T-cells. I am particularly interested in the proximal T-cell signaling events that are initiated when cross-liking of T-cell receptor occurs by peptide-MHC complex of antigen presenting cells. I use immunological and cross-disciplinary approach to address some of these issues.

My other interest include role of Ras signaling pathway in T-cell biology.

Previously, I have worked on functional and structural aspects of proton pump (V-ATPase) of yeast, regulation of apoptosis by ARTS/Livin protein homeostasis, and studies on Salmonella prevalence and development of molecular typing methods.

 

Publications

Key publications: 

Liu H., Thaker Y. R., Stagg, L., Scheinder H., Ladbury J., Rudd C.E. (2013) SLP-76 sterile alpha motif (SAM) and individual H5 helix mediate oligomer formation for microclusters and T cell activation. J. Biol.Chem. (doi:10.1074/jbc.M112.424846)

Bin Wei, Lei Han, Truus E Abbink, Elisabetta Groppelli, Daina Lim, Youg Raj Thaker, Wei Gao, Rongrong Zhai, Jianhua Wang, Andrew Lever, Clare Jolly, Hongyan Wang and Christopher E Rudd (2013) Immune adaptor ADAP and its binding module regulate HIV-1 transcription and cell-cell viral spread via different co-receptors. Retrovirology (doi:10.1186/1742-4690-10-101)

Rishikesan S, Thaker Y.R., Grüber (2011) NMR solution structure of subunit E (fragment E(1-69)) of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae V1VO ATPase. J Bioenerg. Biomembr.43(2):187-93

Thaker, Y. R., Hunke, C., Yau, Y. H., Shochat, S. G., Li, Y. and Grüber, G. (2009) Association of the eukaryotic V1VO ATPase subunits a with d and d with A. FEBS Lett. 583, 1090-1095

Thaker, Y. R., Rössle, M. and Grüber, G. (2007) The boxing glove shape of subunit d of the yeast V-ATPase in solution and the importance of disulfide formation for folding of this protein. J. Bioenerg. Biomembr, 39, 275-89

Thaker, Y.R. and Bajaj, B.K. (2006) Antibiotic resistance and molecular characterization of poultry isolates of Salmonella by RAPD PCR. World J. Microbiol. Biotechnol.22, 1177-1183.

Dr Raj  Thaker
Not available for consultancy

Affiliations

Classifications: 
Departments and institutes: 
Person keywords: 
T-cell receptor complex
proton-pumps
CD28
V-ATPases
ADAP
T cells
VAV1
CD4
SKAP
Ras
adaptors
CD3
LAT
CD8
ZAP-70
SLP-76