Eukaryotic cells tightly regulate gene expression through diverse post-transcriptional mechanisms, which are essential for cell survival, proliferation, and differentiation. Dysregulation of gene expression is often linked to cellular stress and various diseases, including cancers. However, current understanding of the regulatory processes driving these alterations in gene expression, as well as their physiological functions, remains limited. Our research aims to study the molecular details of RNA-mediated gene regulation in these pathological contexts. Specifically, we investigate riboregulators, RNA-binding protein (RBP)-RNA interactions, cis-acting RNA elements, and their roles in modulating cell signaling pathways and translational control.

To address this, we employ an integrative approach that combines computational analyses, biochemical and molecular techniques, and advanced in-cell RNA structure-probing methods. The insights gained from our studies aim to uncover how post-transcriptional gene regulation can be targeted for therapeutic interventions.

Selected Publications:

Vadivel Gnanasundram S, Wang L, Chen S, Bonczek O, Vojtesek B, Fahraeus R. Cancer-associated synonymous mutations reveal stress signal-dependent mRNA folding that selectively modulates protein function. RNA. 2026 Jun 16;32(7):1147-1155. doi: 10.1261/rna.080976.126.

Habault J, Salomao N, Wang L, Malbert-Colas L, Daskalogianni C, Vadivel Gnanasundram S, Dongre M, Spagnardi M, Martinkova L, Chen S, Hernychová L, Robidas L, Kucera J, Bonczek O, Öhlund D, Garabedian MJ, Logan SK, Vojtesek B, Fahraeus R. MDM2 suppresses c-Myc synthesis by binding to the 5' mRNA translation regulatory sequence. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2026 Jun 30;123(26):e2611131123. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2611131123. 

Chen, S., Wang, L., Malbert-Colas, L., Karakostis, K., Olivares-Illana, V., Vadivel Gnanasundram, S#* and Fahraeus, R*. The p53 mRNA exhibits riboswitch-like features under DNA damage conditions. iScience. 2025. 10.1016/j.isci.2025.113555

Sajwan, R., Wang, L., Casar-Borota, O., Karakostis, K., Chen, S., Fahraeus, R., Gu, X., and Vadivel Gnanasundram, S*. A cancer-associated TP53 synonymous mutation induces synthesis of the p53 isoform p53/47. British Journal of Cancer. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41416-025-03127-w.

Fusée L#, Salomao N, Ponnuswamy A, Wang L, López I, Chen S, Gu X, Polyzoidis S, Vadivel Gnanasundram, S#*, Fahraeus R*. The p53 endoplasmic reticulum stress-response pathway evolved in humans but not in mice via PERK-regulated p53 mRNA structures. Cell Death Differ. 2023 Apr;30(4):1072-1081.

Gu X, Wang L, Coates PJ, Vadivel Gnanasundram, S, Sgaramella N, Sörlin J, Erdogan B, Magan M, Nylander K. Evidence for etiologic field changes in tongue distant from tumor in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oral tongue. J Pathol. 2023 Jan;259(1):93-102.

Bonczek O, Wang L, Vadivel Gnanasundram, S, Chen S, Haronikova L, Zavadil-Kokas F, Vojtesek B. DNA and RNA Binding Proteins: From Motifs to Roles in Cancer. Int J Mol Sci. 2022 Aug 18;23(16):9329.

Vadivel Gnanasundram, S*, Bonczek O, Wang L, Chen S, Fahraeus R. p53 mRNA Metabolism Links with the DNA Damage Response. Genes (Basel). 2021 Sep 20;12(9):1446.

Vadivel Gnanasundram, S, Malbert-Colas L, Chen S, Fusée L, Daskalogianni C, Muller P, Salomao N, Fåhraeus R. MDM2's dual mRNA binding domains co-ordinate its oncogenic and tumour suppressor activities. Nucleic Acids Res. 2020 Jul 9;48(12):6775-6787.

Vadivel Gnanasundram, S, Kos-Braun IC, Koš M. At least two molecules of the RNA helicase Has1 are simultaneously present in pre-ribosomes during ribosome biogenesis. Nucleic Acids Res. 2019 Nov 18;47(20):10852-10864.

Vadivel Gnanasundram, S*, Fåhraeus R*. Translation Stress Regulates Ribosome Synthesis and Cell Proliferation. Int J Mol Sci. 2018 Nov 27;19(12):3757.

Karakostis K, Vadivel Gnanasundram, S, López I, Thermou A, Wang L, Nylander K, Olivares-Illana V, Fåhraeus R. A single synonymous mutation determines the phosphorylation and stability of the nascent protein. J Mol Cell Biol. 2019 Mar 1;11(3):187-199.

Vadivel Gnanasundram, S, Pyndiah S, Daskalogianni C, Armfield K, Nylander K, Wilson JB, Fåhraeus R. PI3Kδ activates E2F1 synthesis in response to mRNA translation stress. Nat Commun. 2017 Dec 13;8(1):2103.

Vadivel Gnanasundram, S, Koš M. Fast protein-depletion system utilizing tetracycline repressible promoter and N-end rule in yeast. Mol Biol Cell. 2015 Feb 15;26(4):762-8.

Bhat P#, Vadivel Gnanasundram, S#, Mani P, Ray PS, Sarkar DP, Das S. Targeting ribosome assembly on the HCV RNA using a small RNA molecule. RNA Biol. 2012 Aug;9(8):1110-9.

*-corresponding author

#-joined first author

BS5004: Advanced Molecular Biology

BT2010: Life Sciences (B. Tech)

PhD Students:

R. Sadhna

Aiswarya R Nath

Interns/trainees:

Rohan Pinto- Summer intern (June 2026)

Karthikeyan R- Summer intern (May- July, 2025)

Haritha P- OELP student (Jan-May, 2025)