Rekha Rai, PhD
Senior Research Scientist in Laboratory Medicine
Research & Publications
Biography
Research Summary
My research program seeks to understand how telomeres are protected from end-to-end chromosome fusions, homologous recombination or unregulated nucleolytic degradation in cancer.
Coauthors
Selected Publications
- Author Correction: Homology directed telomere clustering, ultrabright telomere formation and nuclear envelope rupture in cells lacking TRF2B and RAP1Rai R, Biju K, Sun W, Sodeinde T, Al-Hiyasat A, Morgan J, Ye X, Li X, Chen Y, Chang S. Author Correction: Homology directed telomere clustering, ultrabright telomere formation and nuclear envelope rupture in cells lacking TRF2B and RAP1. Nature Communications 2023, 14: 3319. PMID: 37286532, PMCID: PMC10247812, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39144-7.
- Homology directed telomere clustering, ultrabright telomere formation and nuclear envelope rupture in cells lacking TRF2B and RAP1Rai R, Biju K, Sun W, Sodeinde T, Al-Hiyasat A, Morgan J, Ye X, Li X, Chen Y, Chang S. Homology directed telomere clustering, ultrabright telomere formation and nuclear envelope rupture in cells lacking TRF2B and RAP1. Nature Communications 2023, 14: 2144. PMID: 37059728, PMCID: PMC10104862, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37761-w.
- Microcephalin 1/BRIT1-TRF2 interaction promotes telomere replication and repair, linking telomere dysfunction to primary microcephalyCicconi A, Rai R, Xiong X, Broton C, Al-Hiyasat A, Hu C, Dong S, Sun W, Garbarino J, Bindra RS, Schildkraut C, Chen Y, Chang S. Microcephalin 1/BRIT1-TRF2 interaction promotes telomere replication and repair, linking telomere dysfunction to primary microcephaly. Nature Communications 2020, 11: 5861. PMID: 33203878, PMCID: PMC7672075, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19674-0.
- The Replisome Mediates A-NHEJ Repair of Telomeres Lacking POT1-TPP1 Independently of MRN FunctionRai R, Gu P, Broton C, Kumar-Sinha C, Chen Y, Chang S. The Replisome Mediates A-NHEJ Repair of Telomeres Lacking POT1-TPP1 Independently of MRN Function. Cell Reports 2019, 29: 3708-3725.e5. PMID: 31825846, PMCID: PMC7001145, DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.11.012.
- Structural and functional analyses of the mammalian TIN2-TPP1-TRF2 telomeric complexHu C, Rai R, Huang C, Broton C, Long J, Xu Y, Xue J, Lei M, Chang S, Chen Y. Structural and functional analyses of the mammalian TIN2-TPP1-TRF2 telomeric complex. Cell Research 2017, 27: 1485-1502. PMID: 29160297, PMCID: PMC5717407, DOI: 10.1038/cr.2017.144.
- Structural insights into POT1-TPP1 interaction and POT1 C-terminal mutations in human cancerChen C, Gu P, Wu J, Chen X, Niu S, Sun H, Wu L, Li N, Peng J, Shi S, Fan C, Huang M, Wong CC, Gong Q, Kumar-Sinha C, Zhang R, Pusztai L, Rai R, Chang S, Lei M. Structural insights into POT1-TPP1 interaction and POT1 C-terminal mutations in human cancer. Nature Communications 2017, 8: 14929. PMID: 28393832, PMCID: PMC5394241, DOI: 10.1038/ncomms14929.
- Cytogenetic Analysis of Telomere DysfunctionRai R, Multani AS, Chang S. Cytogenetic Analysis of Telomere Dysfunction. 2017, 1587: 127-131. PMID: 28324504, DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-6892-3_12.
- Probing the Telomere Damage ResponseRai R, Chang S. Probing the Telomere Damage Response. 2017, 1587: 133-138. PMID: 28324505, DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-6892-3_13.
- NBS1 Phosphorylation Status Dictates Repair Choice of Dysfunctional TelomeresRai R, Hu C, Broton C, Chen Y, Lei M, Chang S. NBS1 Phosphorylation Status Dictates Repair Choice of Dysfunctional Telomeres. Molecular Cell 2017, 65: 801-817.e4. PMID: 28216226, PMCID: PMC5639704, DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2017.01.016.
- TRF2-RAP1 is required to protect telomeres from engaging in homologous recombination-mediated deletions and fusionsRai R, Chen Y, Lei M, Chang S. TRF2-RAP1 is required to protect telomeres from engaging in homologous recombination-mediated deletions and fusions. Nature Communications 2016, 7: 10881. PMID: 26941064, PMCID: PMC4785230, DOI: 10.1038/ncomms10881.
- Monitoring the DNA Damage Response at Dysfunctional TelomeresRai R, Chang S. Monitoring the DNA Damage Response at Dysfunctional Telomeres. 2015, 1343: 175-180. PMID: 26420717, DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-2963-4_14.
- The E3 ubiquitin ligase Rnf8 stabilizes Tpp1 to promote telomere end protectionRai R, Li JM, Zheng H, Lok GT, Deng Y, Huen MS, Chen J, Jin J, Chang S. The E3 ubiquitin ligase Rnf8 stabilizes Tpp1 to promote telomere end protection. Nature Structural & Molecular Biology 2011, 18: 1400-1407. PMID: 22101936, PMCID: PMC3657743, DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.2172.
- TERRA and hnRNPA1 orchestrate an RPA-to-POT1 switch on telomeric single-stranded DNAFlynn RL, Centore RC, O’Sullivan R, Rai R, Tse A, Songyang Z, Chang S, Karlseder J, Zou L. TERRA and hnRNPA1 orchestrate an RPA-to-POT1 switch on telomeric single-stranded DNA. Nature 2011, 471: 532-536. PMID: 21399625, PMCID: PMC3078637, DOI: 10.1038/nature09772.
- Probing the Telomere Damage ResponseRai R, Chang S. Probing the Telomere Damage Response. 2011, 735: 145-150. PMID: 21461819, PMCID: PMC3690558, DOI: 10.1007/978-1-61779-092-8_14.
- A conserved motif within RAP1 has diversified roles in telomere protection and regulation in different organismsChen Y, Rai R, Zhou ZR, Kanoh J, Ribeyre C, Yang Y, Zheng H, Damay P, Wang F, Tsujii H, Hiraoka Y, Shore D, Hu HY, Chang S, Lei M. A conserved motif within RAP1 has diversified roles in telomere protection and regulation in different organisms. Nature Structural & Molecular Biology 2011, 18: 213-221. PMID: 21217703, PMCID: PMC3688267, DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.1974.
- The function of classical and alternative non‐homologous end‐joining pathways in the fusion of dysfunctional telomeresRai R, Zheng H, He H, Luo Y, Multani A, Carpenter PB, Chang S. The function of classical and alternative non‐homologous end‐joining pathways in the fusion of dysfunctional telomeres. The EMBO Journal 2010, 29: 2598-2610. PMID: 20588252, PMCID: PMC2928694, DOI: 10.1038/emboj.2010.142.
- Differential regulation of centrosome integrity by DNA damage response proteinsRai R, Phadnis A, Haralkar S, Badwe RA, Dai H, Li K, Lin SY. Differential regulation of centrosome integrity by DNA damage response proteins. Cell Cycle 2008, 7: 2225-2233. PMID: 18635967, PMCID: PMC2557875, DOI: 10.4161/cc.7.14.6303.
- DNA damage response: the players, the network and the role in tumor suppression.Rai R, Peng G, Li K, Lin SY. DNA damage response: the players, the network and the role in tumor suppression. Cancer Genomics & Proteomics 2007, 4: 99-106. PMID: 17804872.
- BRIT1/MCPH1: A Guardian of Genome and an Enemy of TumorsChaplet M, Rai R, Jackson-Bernitsas D, Li K, Lin SY. BRIT1/MCPH1: A Guardian of Genome and an Enemy of Tumors. Cell Cycle 2006, 5: 2579-2583. PMID: 17172830, DOI: 10.4161/cc.5.22.3471.
- BRIT1 regulates early DNA damage response, chromosomal integrity, and cancerRai R, Dai H, Multani AS, Li K, Chin K, Gray J, Lahad JP, Liang J, Mills GB, Meric-Bernstam F, Lin SY. BRIT1 regulates early DNA damage response, chromosomal integrity, and cancer. Cancer Cell 2006, 10: 145-157. PMID: 16872911, PMCID: PMC1557410, DOI: 10.1016/j.ccr.2006.07.002.
- BRIT1/MCPH1 is a DNA damage responsive protein that regulates the Brca1–Chk1 pathway, implicating checkpoint dysfunction in microcephalyLin SY, Rai R, Li K, Xu ZX, Elledge SJ. BRIT1/MCPH1 is a DNA damage responsive protein that regulates the Brca1–Chk1 pathway, implicating checkpoint dysfunction in microcephaly. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America 2005, 102: 15105-15109. PMID: 16217032, PMCID: PMC1257745, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0507722102.
- Genome wide instability scanning in chewing-tobacco associated oral cancer using inter simple sequence repeat PCRRai R, Kulkarni V, Saranath D. Genome wide instability scanning in chewing-tobacco associated oral cancer using inter simple sequence repeat PCR. Oral Oncology 2004, 40: 1033-1039. PMID: 15509495, DOI: 10.1016/j.oraloncology.2004.05.009.
- Molecular cloning, isolation and characterisation of ERK3 gene from chewing-tobacco induced oral squamous cell carcinomaRai R, Mahale A, Saranath D. Molecular cloning, isolation and characterisation of ERK3 gene from chewing-tobacco induced oral squamous cell carcinoma. Oral Oncology 2004, 40: 705-712. PMID: 15172640, DOI: 10.1016/j.oraloncology.2004.01.010.