Biography
Dr. Javed received her M.Sc. in Biotechnology from Rajasthan Vidyapeeth University, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India, and her Ph.D. from Kurukshetra University, Haryana, India. Following her Ph.D., she completed five years of training as a visiting scholar and postdoctoral researcher in Wuhan and Guangzhou, China. Dr. Javed then pursued another postdoctoral fellowship at the University of New Mexico (UNM). In April 2024, she joined the Autophagy, Inflammation, and Metabolism Center within the Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology at the Health Sciences Center, University of New Mexico, as a Research Assistant Professor.
Personal Statement
My research focuses on understanding the role of IRGM (Immunity-Related GTPase Family M) in ATG8ylation as a potential E3 ligase. The IRGM plays a crucial role in the immune system, particularly in innate immunity, and is known to be significantly associated with diseases such as Crohn?s disease, tuberculosis, and other infections. IRGM promotes autophagy by facilitating the formation of autophagosomes, which are structures that engulf and degrade cellular debris and foreign materials. Dysregulation of autophagy, due to impaired IRGM function, has been implicated in conditions such as cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and infectious diseases. IRGM interacts with other autophagy-related proteins (e.g., ATG proteins) to promote the initiation and expansion of the autophagic vesicle. IRGM is located on the mitochondria, where it also interacts with cardiolipin. Deficiency in IRGM causes mitochondrial damage, which leads to the release of damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) that activate STING. We hypothesize that IRGM may function as an E3 ligase or an E3 ligase adaptor, inhibiting STING and inducing VAIL (V-ATPase-ATG16L1-induced LC3 lipidation) or mitochondrial ATG8ylation.
During my tenure as a Research Assistant Professor, I also studied how ATG9A, the only transmembrane protein in the core autophagy machinery, facilitates autophagosome closure by partnering with IQGAP1 and the ESCRT-III complex component CHMP2A. This study is published in the Journal of Cell Biology (JCB)
(https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.202404047). Building on this research, I am also interested in exploring whether ATG9A is present on the autophagosome or if it cycles in and out during the autophagy process.
As a Postdoctoral Fellow in Dr. Deretic?s lab, I studied the role of ATG8s in maintaining autophagic membrane integrity, which is published in ?The EMBO Journal? titled ?Mammalian ATG8 proteins maintain autophagosomal membrane integrity?. (https://doi.org/10.15252/embj.2022112845). Through a combination of techniques including western blotting, co-immunoprecipitation, and high-content microscopy, along with a novel in vitro assay to measure membrane sealing, we discovered that mammalian ATG8 proteins, specifically LC3A and GABARAP, are essential for maintaining autophagic membrane permeability by binding to the ESCRT-I protein VPS37A. Additionally, I have contributed as a co-author to several high-impact journals such as Cell, Nature Cell Biology, Journal of Cell Biology, and Developmental Cell.
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=MjTWEG8AAAAJ&hl=en
Areas of Specialty
Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Autophagy, Autophagosome Closure
Achievements & Awards
Euraxess Science Slam, Travel Grant ($500) One out of five finalist selected from all over China, organizing Committee Euraxess Research in Motion, an European Funding agency, Held at Inno Planet, Beijing, China 13th of December 2018.
Travel Grants ($ 1000.00) from Organizing Committee of Beijing Forum to attend Student Conference for Conservation Science (SCCS) held at Peking University, Beijing during 6th to 10th Nov. 2014.
Honorarium of Rs.1500/- from NISCAIR, Pusa, New Delhi for contributing a popular article in Science Reporter, Vol.47 (5), May 2010.
Key Publications
Journal Article
Javed, Ruheena, ATG9A facilitates closure of mammalian autophagosomes JCB
Journal Article
Javed, Ruheena, 2023 Mammalian ATG8 proteins maintain autophagosomal membrane integrity through ESCRTs EMBO Journal
Journal Article
Javed, Ruheena, 2021 Mammalian hybrid pre-autophagosomal structure HyPAS generates autophagosomes Cell
Journal Article
Javed, Ruheena, 2021 ATG9A protects the plasma membrane from programmed and incidental permeabilization Nature Cell Biology
Gender
Female
Languages
- English
- Hindi
- Urdu