Muthugapatti Kandasamy
Senior Research Scientist
Ph.D. (1985) University of Madras
Phone: 706-542-1410
Email: kandu@uga.edu

Research Interests
I am a molecular cell biologist interested in plant reproductive biology, cell-cell communication and cytoskeleton. As a member of Meagher lab, I am currently examining the functional significance of different actin and actin-related protein isovariants in Arabidopsis. My research interests also include: producing isovariant-specific monoclonal antibodies, analyzing the effects of ectopic expression of vegetative and reproductive actins and profilins on plant development, genetic characterization of mutants, studying actin-organelle association and constructing plants with minimal number of functional actin genes.

  • Meagher, R.B., R.B. Deal, M.K. Kandasamy and E.C. McKinney. 2005. Nuclear actin-related proteins as epigenetic regulators of development. Plant Physiol. 139:  1576-1585.
  • Deal, R.B., M.K. Kandasamy, E.C. McKinney and R.B. Meagher. 2005. The nuclear actin-related protein ARP6 is a pleiotropic developmental regulator required for the maintenance of FLC expression and repression of flowering in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell 17:  2633-2646.
  • Kandasamy, M.K., E.C. McKinney, R.B. Deal and R.B. Meagher. 2005. Arabidopsis ARP7 is an essential actin-related protein required for normal embryogenesis, plant architecture and floral organ abscission. Plant Physiol. 138: 2019-2032.
  • Kandasamy, M.K., Deal, R.B., E.C. McKinney and R.B. Meagher. 2005. Silencing the nuclear actin-related protein AtARP4 in Arabidopsis has multiple effects on plant development, including early flowering and delayed floral senescence. Plant J. 41: 845-858.
  • Kandasamy, M.K., Deal, R.B., E.C. McKinney and R.B. Meagher. 2004. Plant actin-related proteins. Trends Plant Sci. 9: 196-202.
  • Kandasamy, M.K., E.C. McKinney and R.B. Meagher. 2003. Cell cycle dependent association of Arabidopsis actin-related proteins AtARP4 and AtARP7 with the nucleus. Plant J. 33:  939-948.
  • Gilliland, L.U., M.K. Kandasamy, L.C.Pawloski and Meagher, R.B. 2002. Both vegetative and reproductive actin isovariants complement the stunted root hair phenotype of the Arabidopsis thaliana act2-1 mutation. Plant Physiol. 130:  2199-2209.
  • Kandasamy, M.K., E.C. McKinney and R.B. Meagher. 2002. Plant profilin isovariants are distinctly regulated in vegetative and reproductive tissues. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 52:  22-32.
  • McKinney, E.C., M.K. Kandasamy and R.B. Meagher. 2002. Arabidopsis contains ancient classes of differentially expressed actin-related protein genes. Plant Physiol. 128: 997-1007.
  • Kandasamy, M.K., E.C. McKinney and R.B. Meagher. 2002. Functional nonequivalency of actin isovariants in Arabidopsis. Mol. Biol. Cell 13: 251-261.
  • Kandasamy, M.K., L.U. Gilliland, E.C. McKinney and R.B. Meagher. 2001. One plant actin isovariant, ACT7, is induced by auxin and required for normal callus formation. Plant Cell 13: 1541-1554.
  • McKinney, E.C., M.K. Kandasamy and R.B. Meagher. 2001. Small changes in the regulation of one Arabidopsis profilin isovariant, PRF1, alter seedling development. Plant Cell 13:  1179-1191.
  • Kandasamy, M.K. and R.B. Meagher. 1999. Actin-organelle interaction: Association with chloroplast in Arabidopsis leaf mesophyll cells. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 44:  110-118.
  • Meagher, R.B., E.C. McKinney and M.K. Kandasamy. 1999. Isovariant dynamics expands and buffers the responses of complex systems: The diverse plant actin gene family. Plant Cell 6:  995-1005.
  • Kandasamy, M.K., E.C. McKinney and R.B. Meagher. 1999. The pollen-specific actins in angiosperms. Plant J. 18:  681-691.