26544-Gupta, Dipika

Dipika Gupta, PHD

Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology


Dr. Gupta is an Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Indiana University School of Medicine. Her research has discovered a new family of innate immunity proteins and identified their role in the regulation of microbiome, host-bacterial interactions, and development of inflammatory disease, including obesity and colitis. These discoveries enhance our understanding of the host-microbe interactions and their role in pathogenesis and will also pave the way for the development of new approaches for the prevention and treatment of inflammatory diseases. Dr. Gupta is the course director and a lecturer for the course Molecules to Cells and Tissues taught to first-year medical students.

Selected peer-reviewed research publications

1.      Li, X, Wang, S, Qi, J, Echtenkamp, SF, Chatterjee, R, Wang, M, Boons, G-B, Dziarski, R, and Gupta, D. 2007. Zebrafish peptidoglycan recognition proteins are bactericidal amidases essential for defense against bacterial infections. Immunity, 27:518-527, PMID: 17892854
2.      Gupta, D. 2008. Peptidoglycan recognition proteins-maintaining immune homeostasis and normal development. Cell Host & Microbe, 15:273-274, (invited preview) PMID: 18474351
3.      Saha, S, Qi, J, Wang, S, Wang, M, Li, X, Kim, Y-G, Nunez, G, Gupta, D, and Dziarski, R. 2009. PGLYRP-2 and Nod2 are both required for peptidoglycan-induced arthritis and local inflammation. Cell Host and Microbe, 5:137-150, PMID: 19218085
4.      Saha, S, Jing, X, Park, SH, Wang, S, Li, X, Gupta, D, and Dziarski, R. 2010. Peptidoglycan recognition proteins protect mice from inflammatory bowel disease by promoting normal gut flora and preventing induction of interferon-gamma. Cell Host and Microbe, 8:147-162. PMID: 20709292
5.      Kashyap, DR, Wang, M, Liu, L-H, Boons, G-J, Gupta, D, Dziarski, R. 2011. Peptidoglycan Recognition Proteins kill bacteria by activating protein-sensing two-component systems. Nature Medicine, 17:676-683 (featured in a Commentary in the same issue of the journal). PMID: 21602801
6.      Park, SY, Gupta, D, Kim, CH, and Dziarski, R. 2011. Differential effects of peptidoglycan recognition proteins on experimental atopic and contact dermatitis mediated by Treg and Th17 cells. PLoS One, 6: e24961. p. 1-16, doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0024961. PMID: 21949809
7.      Park, SY, Gupta, D, Hurwich, R, Kim, CH, and Dziarski, R. 2011. Peptidoglycan recognition protein Pglyrp2 protects mice from psoriasis-like skin inflammation by promoting regulatory T cells and limiting Th17 responses. Journal of Immunology, 187: 5813-5823. PMID: 22048773
8.      Park SY, Jing X, Gupta D, Dziarski R. 2013. Peptidoglycan recognition protein 1 enhances experimental asthma by promoting Th2 and Th17 and limiting regulatory T cell and plasmacytoid dendritic cell responses. Journal of Immunology, 190:3480-3492, PMID: 23420883
9.      Zulfiqar F, Hozo I, Rangarajan S, Mariuzza R, Dziarski R, Gupta D. 2013. Genetic association of peptidoglycan recognition protein variants with inflammatory bowel disease. PLoS One, 8: e67393, p.1-14, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0067393. PMID: 23840689
10.    Kashyap DR, Rompca A, Gaballa A, Helmann JD, Chan J, Chang CJ, Hozo I, Gupta D, Dziarski. R. 2014. Peptidoglycan recognition proteins kill bacteria by inducing oxidative, thiol, and metal stress. Plos Pathogens, 10: e1004280, doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1004280. PMID: 25032698
11.    Jing X, Zulfiqar F, Park SY, Nunez G, Dziarski R, Gupta D. 2014. Peptidoglycan recognition protein 3 and Nod2 synergistically protect mice from dextran sodium sulfate-induced colitis. Journal of Immunology , 193: 3055-3069. PMID: 25114103
12.    Dziarski, R, Park SY, Kashyap DR, Dowd, S, Gupta D. 2016. Pglyrp-regulated gut microflora Prevotella falsenii, Parabacteroides distasonis and Bacteroides eggerthii enhance and Alistipes finegoldii attenuates colitis in mice. PLoS One, 11(1):e0146162. doi:10.1371/ journal.pone.0146162. PMID: 26727498

Titles & Appointments

  • Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
  • Adjunct Associate Professor of Chemistry, IU Northwest-Gary
  • Education
    1990 PhD Clemson University
    1990 PHD Clemson University
    1990 PHD Clemson University
    1983 MS University of Ponna
    1983 MS University of Ponna
    1983 MSC University of Poona
    1981 BSC University of Poona
  • Research

    Dr. Gupta's research is focused on elucidating the molecular mechanisms by which innate immunity proteins regulate the microbiota and sensitivity to inflammatory diseases. Dr. Gupta together with her research group identified a family of proteins present in humans called Peptidoglycan Recognition Proteins (PGRPs), because they bind to peptidoglycan, an essential component of the outer surface of all bacteria. They cloned the genes for human peptidoglycan recognition proteins, identified cell types that express the different PGRPs and have identified the in vitro and in vivo functions of these proteins.
             These proteins are expressed in eosinophils, neutrophils, and macrophages or in epithelial cells from different tissues, including skin, eyes, mouth, throat, esophagus, and liver. PGRPs are antibacterial, i.e., they kill bacteria and one of the PGRP’s is also an enzyme that degrades peptidoglycan and thus prevents some of the harmful effects caused during bacterial infections.
             PGRPs protect the host from inflammatory diseases, such as colitis, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and asthma. PGRPs are important in maintaining beneficial normal bacterial flora in the intestinal tract. The proper balance in the intestinal bacterial flora (probiotics) is important because it protects the host from developing inflammatory diseases, such as ulcerative colitis, asthma, and obesity. Genetic variants in PGRP genes significantly associate with sensitivity to inflammatory bowel disease in patients.
            The research on the role of PGRPs and other innate immunity proteins in maintaining a healthy microbiota and protecting the host against intestinal inflammation, skin diseases, asthma, and obesity will offer opportunities to design new approaches for the prevention and treatment of these inflammatory diseases.

    For a complete list of publications:

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