Kumar Alagramam, Ph.D.
The Anthony J. Maniglia Chair for Research and Education
Associate Professor
Director of Research
kna3@case.edu

Dr. Kumar Alagramam earned his Masters in Biotechnology and Ph.D. in Cell and Molecular Biology from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville . He received postdoctoral training at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and Case Western Reserve University.

His research is focused on studying genes associated with development, protection and regeneration of sensory hair cells in the inner ear using the mouse model. Reports from Alagramam's lab provided genetic evidence that mutation in a protocadherin gene causes deafness in mouse and human subjects. 

One of the aims of his lab is to understand the role of protocadherin genes in the development of sensory epithelia in the inner ear in the mouse model.  The other objective of Alagramam's lab is to identify molecular pathways induced or influenced by noise exposure.  They are also conducting exploratory research in the mouse whose ultimate aim is to replace damaged hair cells with new hair cells generated from stem cells.

Publications:

1. Alagramam, K. N. , J. Perry, M. Basrai, F. Naider, and J.M. Becker. (1993) Cloning of peptide transport genes from Eucaryotes. Proceedings of t he Thirteenth American Peptide Symposium.

2. Alagramam, K. N. , Naider, F., and Becker, J. M. (1995) A recognition component of the ubiquitin system is required for peptide transport in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Molecular Microbiology 15(2), p225-234.

3. Woychik, R. P. and Alagramam, K. N. (1998) Insertional mutagenesis in transgenic mice generated by the pronuclear microinjection procedure. Intl. J. Dev. Biol. 42, p1009-1017.

4. Alagramam, K. N ., et al. (1999) A New Mouse Insertional Mutation That Causes Sensorineural Deafness and Vestibular Defects. Genetics 152, p1691-1699.

5. Alagramam, K. N. , et al (2000) Neuroepithelial defects of the inner ear in a new allele of Ames waltzer. Hearing Research 148, p181-191.

6. Alagramam, K. N ., et al. The mouse Ames waltzer hearing loss mutation is associated with a novel protocadherin gene. Nature Genetics 27, p99-102.

7. Alagramam, K. N ., et al (2001) Mutations in the novel protocadherin PCDH15 cause Usher syndrome type 1F. Human Molecular Genetics 10, p1709-1718.

8. Washington, J. W., Davis, R. R., Wright, C. G., Alagramam, K. N. (2005) Characterization of a new ENU allele of Ames Waltzer. Hearing Research 202(1-2):161-169.

9. Adato A, El-Amraoui A, Kikkawa Y, Alagramam K.N. , Weil D, Yonekawa H, El-Amraoui A, Petit C. (2005) Interactions in the Usher syndrome type 1 (USH1) proteins network. Human Molecular Genetics 14(3):347-356.

10. Alagramam K.N et al(2005) Characterization Of Vestibular Dysfunction In The Mouse Model For Usher Syndrome 1F. JARO 6(2):106-18.

12. Semaan MT, Alagramam K.N., Megerian CA. (2005) The basic science of Meniere's disease and endolymphatic hydrops. Curr Opin Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 13(5):301-7.

13. Pawlowski, K. P., C.G. Wright, and K.N. Alagramam . (2006) Progression of inner ear pathology in Ames waltzer mice and the role of protocadherin 15 in hair cell development. JARO Jun;7(2):83-94.

14. Pagedar, N., Wang, W., Chen, D., Wright, C.G., Davis, R., and Alagramam, K.N. (2006) Gene Expression Analysis Of Specific Cell Types Isolated From The Mouse Inner Ear Using Laser Capture Microdissection. Brain Res. May 26;1091(1):289-99.

15. Zheng Q. Y., Rozanas, C. R., Isolde T; Mark, C. R., Alagramam, K. N. (2006) Inner Ear Gene Expression and Proteomics of Mouse Models for Deafness, a Discovery Strategy. Brain Res. 1091:113-21.

16. Davis , R. R., Kuo, M-W, Stanton , S., Canlon, B., Krieg, E., Alagramam, K.N. (2007) No Protection from Premature Presbycusis by N-Acetyl Cysteine in C57BL/6J Mice. Hearing Research 226(1-2):203-8.

17. Yerukhimovich, MV, Bi, L., Chen, H-C, Miller, RH, Alagramam, K.N . (2007) Identification and Characterization of Mouse Cochlear Stem Cells. Dev. Neuroscience 29(3):251-60.

18. Zheng, QY., H. Yu, J.L. Washington III, L.B. Kisley, K. S. Pawlowski, C.G. Wright, K.N. Alagramam . (2006) A New Spontaneous Mutation in the Mouse Pcdh15 Gene. Hearing Research 219(1-2):110-20.

18. K. L. Hall, D. R. Pitts, S. Anne, M. T. Semaan, K.N. Alagramam , C. A. Megerian. (2007) Optimization of RNA Detection from Archival Guinea Pig Temporal Bone Specimens. Otolol. Neurotol. Jan;28(1):116-23.

19. Anne, S., Kisley, L, Tajuddin, S.T., Leahy, P., Alagramam, K.N. , Megerian, C. A. (2007) Molecular Changes Associated with Endolymphatic Hydrops. Otol. Neurotol. 28(6):834-41.

20. Alagramam, K. N., Miller , N. D., Adappa, N.A., Pitts, D. R., Heaphy, J. C. Yuan, H., R. J. Smith (2007), Promoter, Alternative splicing and Genomics Structure of Protocadherin 15. Genomics 90(4):482-92

21. Zheng, Q.Y., Tong,Y.C.,  Alagramam, K. N., Yu, H. (2007) Tympanometry assessment of 61 inbred strains of mice.Hearing Research. 2007 sep; 231(1-2):23-31

22. Kikkawa, Y.S., Pawlowski, K.S., Wright, C.G., Alagramam, K.N. (2008) Development of Outer Hair Cells in Normal and Ames Waltzer Mice: Cuticular Plate and Associated Structures. J. Anatomical Rec 291(2):224-32. 

23. C.A. Mergerian, Semaan, M. Kisey, L., Zheng, Q.Y., Pawlowski, K.S., Wright, C.G.,  Alagramam, K.N. , (2008) A mouse model of Endolymphatic Hydrops. Hearing Research. 237(1-2):90-105.

24. Bixenstine, P. J., Maniglia, M. P., Vasanji, A., Alagramam, K.N., Megerian, C. A. (2008) Spiral Ganglion Degeneration Patterns in Endolymphatic Hydrops. Laryngoscope. 118(7):1217-23.

25. Geng, R., Geller, S., Hayashi, T., Ray, C.A., Reh, T.A., Bermingham-McDonogh, O., Jones, S.M., Wright, C.G., Melki, S., Imanishi, Y, Palczewski, P. Alagramam, K.N.1,*, Flannery, J.G.1 (2009) Usher Syndrome IIIA Gene Clarin-1 is Essential for Hair Cell Function and Associated Neural Activation. Hum. Mol. Genet. 18(15):2748-60. Epub 2009 May 3. 1Joint senior authors; *Corresponding author.

26. Tian G, Zhou Y, Hajkova D, Miyagi M, Dinculescu A, Hauswirth WW, Palczewski K, Geng R, Alagramam KN, Isosomppi J, Sankila EM, Flannery JG, Imanishi Y. (2009) Clarin-1, encoded by the Usher syndrome III causative gene, forms a membranous microdomain: Possible role of Clarin-1 in organizing the actin cytoskeleton. J Biol Chem. 284 (28):18980-93. Epub 2009 May 7.

27. Huertas-Vazquez, A., Plaisier, C.L., Geng, R., Jenny Lee, J., Greevenbroek, M. M., Kallen, C.v.D., Bruin, T.W.A., Alagramam, K.N., Pajukanta, P. (2009) A nonsynonymous SNP within PCDH15 is associated with lipid traits in Familial Combined Hyperlipidemia. Hum Genet [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 19816713.

28. Momin SR, Melki SJ, Alagramam K.N., Megerian CA. (2009) Spiral ganglion loss outpaces inner hair cell loss in endolymphatic hydrops. Laryngoscope. [Epub ahead of print]PMID: 19877178

29. Megerian, CA., Heddon, C., Melki, S., Momin, S., Paulsey, J., Obokhare, J., Alagramam, K.N. (2009) Surgical Induction of Endolymphatic Hydrops by Obliteration of the Endolymphatic Duct. Journal of Visualized Experiments (accepted 12.2.09). http://www.jove.com/index/Details.stp?ID=1728

30. Chance, MR., Chang, J., Liu, S., Chen, D., Lindsay, A., Geng, R., Zheng, QY., Alagramam, K.N. (2009) Proteomics, bioinformatics and targeted gene expression analysis reveals up-regulation of cochlin and identifies other potential biomarkers in the mouse model for deafness in Usher Syndrome type 1F. Revised and resubmitted to Hum. Mol. Genetics

Lab members

• Daniel Chen - Research Assistant IV
• Ruishuang Geng - Postdoctoral Research Associate
• Sami Melki - Research Associate
• Alex Levitt – Medical Student
• Jonathan Frankel- Medical Student
• Janis Paulsey – Research Assistant II
• Suhael Momin – Medical Student