Martha R.C. Bhattacharya, Ph.D.

Associate Professor
(520) 626-3321 office
marthab1@arizona.edu

Documents

Bhattacharya, Martha_CV

Rm 612 Gould-Simpson

Research Interests:

My work investigates the molecular mechanisms of axon degeneration, a molecular program triggered by toxic, metabolic, or traumatic stress to the axonal compartment of neurons. I use both fruit fly and mouse tools to ask questions about genes involved in axon degeneration and to place these genes in the context of pathways required for axon and synapse maintenance in the face of insults. I have discovered a number of axon degeneration mediators, including MORN4 and TMEM184b as well as others, and am currently following up on their roles within neurons during normal neuronal functioning and in the context of neurodegenerative disorders such as ALS and Alzheimer’s Disease.

Publications:

  1. Chapman KA, Ullah F, Yahiku ZA, Khan S, Kodiparthi SV, Kellaris G, White HG, Powell AT, Correia SP, Stödberg T, Sofocleous C, Marinakis NM, Fryssira H, Tsoutsou E, Traeger-Synodinos J, Accogli A, Sciruicchio V, Salpietro V, Striano P, Muss C, Keren B, Heron D, Berger SI, Pond KW, Sirimulla S, Davis EE, Bhattacharya MRC. Pathogenic variants in TMEM184B cause a neurodevelopmental syndrome associated with alteration of metabolic signaling. Am J Hum Genet. 2025 Oct 2;112(10):2381-2401. doi: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2025.08.004. Epub 2025 Aug 29. PubMed PMID: 40885185; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC12440709.
     
  2. Wright EB, Larsen EG, Padilla-Rodriguez M, Langlais PR, Bhattacharya MRC. TMEM184B modulates endolysosomal acidification via the vesicular proton pump. J Cell Sci. 2025 Aug 1;138(15). doi: 10.1242/jcs.263908. Epub 2025 Aug 8. PubMed PMID: 40586707; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC12377713.
     
  3. Wright EB, Larsen EG, Coloma-Roessle CM, Hart HR, Bhattacharya MRC. Transmembrane protein 184B (TMEM184B) promotes expression of synaptic gene networks in the mouse hippocampus. BMC Genomics. 2023 Sep 20;24(1):559. doi: 10.1186/s12864-023-09676-9. PubMed PMID: 37730546; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC10512654.
     
  4. Bhattacharya MRC. A nerve-wracking buzz: lessons from Drosophila models of peripheral neuropathy and axon degeneration. Front Aging Neurosci. 2023;15:1166146. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1166146. eCollection 2023. Review. PubMed PMID: 37614471; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC10442544.
     
  5. Larsen EG, Cho TS, McBride ML, Feng J, Manivannan B, Madura C, Klein NE, Wright EB, Wickstead ES, Garcia-Verdugo HD, Jarvis C, Khanna R, Hu H, Largent-Milnes TM, Bhattacharya MRC. Transmembrane protein TMEM184B is necessary for interleukin-31-induced itch. Pain. 2022 May 1;163(5):e642-e653. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002452. PubMed PMID: 34629389; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8854445.
     
  6. Cho TS, Beigaitė E, Klein NE, Sweeney ST, Bhattacharya MRC. The Putative Drosophila TMEM184B Ortholog Tmep Ensures Proper Locomotion by Restraining Ectopic Firing at the Neuromuscular Junction. Mol Neurobiol. 2022 Apr;59(4):2605-2619. doi: 10.1007/s12035-022-02760-3. Epub 2022 Feb 2. PubMed PMID: 35107803; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC9018515.
     
  7. Bhattacharya MR. A Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy Model in Drosophila melanogaster. In: Babetto E, editor. Axon Degeneration 1st ed. London, UK: Springer Nature; 2020. Chapter 22;
     
  8. Bhattacharya MRC. A Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy Model in Drosophila melanogaster. Methods Mol Biol. 2020;2143:301-310. doi: 10.1007/978-1-0716-0585-1_22. PubMed PMID: 32524489.
     
  9. Bhattacharya MR, Geisler S, Pittman SK, Doan RA, Weihl CC, Milbrandt J, DiAntonio A. TMEM184b Promotes Axon Degeneration and Neuromuscular Junction Maintenance. J Neurosci. 2016 Apr 27;36(17):4681-9. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2893-15.2016. PubMed PMID: 27122027; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4846669.