Academic Background
Research Associate, School of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri-Kansas City, 2011
Research Associate Scientist, National Institute for Malaria Research (NIMR), India, 2006
Research Fellow, International Centre for Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology (ICGEB), India, 2004
Ph.D. Biotechnology, Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University and Indian Agriculture Research Institute, India, 2002
MTech. Biotechnology, Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University and International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), 1995
Research Interests and Current Efforts
Anju Verma, a Research Professional in the Department of Plant Pathology, focuses on understanding cyst nematode effector molecules and their roles in parasitism. Her studies on the novel 30D08 effector protein demonstrated that this protein is targeted to the host plant cell nucleus where it interacts with the plant protein SMU2, an auxiliary spliceosome component, to affect its function in splicing and/or alternative splicing of specific splicing regulators, leading to changes in gene expression that favor nematode feeding site formation. Her current work is focused on characterizing the function of the novel dorsal gland expressed effectors 16B09 and 2D01, both members of an effector superfamily that is highly expanded in cyst nematode genomes, suggesting a dynamic role in plant-cyst nematode interactions. Additionally, in a recent study carried out in our lab using the SCN transcriptome, a series of novel effectors were identified utilizing new prediction tools. Some of these novel effectors harbor predicted nuclear localization sequences suggesting they may be targeted to the host nucleus to exert their function. Anju is currently working to confirm the nuclear localization of these novel effector proteins in the plant host.
Publications
Verma A, Lee C, Morriss S, Odu F, Kenning C, Rizzo N, Spollen WG, Lin M, McRae AG, Givan SA, Hewezi T, Hussey R, Davis EL, Baum TJ and Mitchum MG. The novel cyst nematode effector protein 30D08 targets host nuclear functions to alter gene expression in feeding sites. New Phytologist 2018;219(2):697-713. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.15179
Gardner M*, Verma A*, Mitchum MG. Emerging roles of cyst nematode effectors in exploiting plant cellular processes (2015). Advances in Botanical Research, Eds: Carolina Escobar & Carmen Fenoll. Volume 73, March 2015, Pages 259–291. (*Equal contribution) https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.abr.2014.12.009