Publications
(2025)
Rajeevan, K*., Olakkal, V*., Balakrishnan, M*., Chakrabarty, D*., Charon, F., Noordermeer, D., Kotak, S. Aurora A regulates the material property of spindle poles to orchestrate nuclear organization at mitotic exit. EMBO J. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44318-025-00564-4
*These authors contributed equally
Selected for the Cover of the Journal
Adhikary, K., Kapoor, S., & Kotak, S. A cortical pool of LIN-5 (NuMA) controls cytokinetic furrow formation and cytokinesis completion. (2025). J. Cell Biol, 224, https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.202406059
Selected for the Cover of the Journal
(2024)
Saroha, A., Bosco, M.W., Menon, S., Kumari, P., Maity, T., Rana, S., Kotak, S. Mondal, J & Agasti, S.S. (2024). Regulation of microtubule dynamics and function in living cells via cucurbit[7]uril host–guest assembly. Chem. Sci. 30, doi.org/10.1039/D4SC00204K.
(2023)
Kapoor, S., Adhikary, K. and Kotak, S. (2023). "PP2A-B55SUR-6 promotes nuclear envelope breakdown in C. elegans embryos". Cell Reports 42, 113495, doi:10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113495.
Covered as a spotlight in Trends in Cell Biology https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tcb.2024.01.007
(2022)
Sana, S., Rajeevan, A, and Kotak, S. (2022). “Membrane compartmentalization of Ect2/Cyk4/Mklp1 and NuMA/dynein regulates cleavage furrow formation” Journal of Cell Biology (JCB) 221 (12), 1-21.
Selected for the Cover of the Journal
(2020)
Rajeevan, A., Keshri, R., and Kotak, S. (2020). “NuMA interaction with chromatin is vital for proper chromosomes decondensation at the mitotic exit” Molecular Biology of the Cell (MBoC). 31, 2437-2451.
Selected for the Cover of the Journal
Covered by preLigths community (The company of Biologists)
Keshri, R., Rajeevan, A., and Kotak, S. (2020). “PP2A-B55 counteracts Cdk1 and regulates proper spindle orientation through the cortical dynein adaptor NuMA” J. Cell Sci. 133.
Kapoor, S and Kotak, S. (2020). “Centrosome Aurora A gradient ensures single polarity axis in C. elegans embryos” Biochemical Society Transaction
Sarkar, N. K., Kotak, S., Agarwal, M., Kim, Y.K., and Grover, A (2020). Silencing of class I small heat shock proteins affect seed-related attributes and thermotolerance in rice seedlings. Planta 251
(2019)
Kapoor, S and Kotak, S. (2019). Centrosome Aurora A regulates RhoGEF ECT-2 localization and ensures a single PAR-2 polarity axis in C. elegans embryos. Development. 146
Covered by preLigths community (The company of Biologists)
Kotak S. (2019). Mechanisms of Spindle Positioning: Lessons from Worms and Mammalian Cells. Biomolecules. https://doi.org/10.3390/biom9020080
(2018)
Sana, S*., Keshri, R*., Rajeevan, A., Kapoor, S., and Kotak, S. (2018).
* These authors contributed equally to this work
(2016)
Kilchmann, F., Marcaida, M.J., Kotak, S., Schick, T., Boss, S.D., Awale, M., Gonczy, P., and Reymond, J.L. (2016). Discovery of a Selective Aurora A Kinase Inhibitor by Virtual Screening. J. Med. Chem. 59, 7188-7211.
Kotak, S*., Afshar, K*., Busso, C., and Gonczy, P. (2016). Aurora A kinase regulates proper spindle positioning in C. elegans and in human cells. J. Cell Sci. 129, 3015-3025.
* These authors contributed equally to this work
(before 2015)
Kotak, S., Busso, C., and Gönczy, P. (2014). NuMA interacts with phosphoinositides and links the mitotic spindle with the plasma membrane. EMBO J. 33, 1815-1830.
Kotak S. and Gönczy, P. (2014). NuMA phosphorylation dictates dynein-dependent spindle positioning. Cell Cycle 13, 177-178.
(Editorial Feature for EMBO J. 32, 2517-2529.)
Kotak, S., Busso, C., and Gönczy, P. (2013). NuMA phosphorylation by CDK1 couples mitotic progression with cortical dynein function. EMBO J. 32, 2517-2529.
Kotak, S. and Gönczy, P. (2013). Mechanisms of spindle positioning: cortical force generators in the limelight. Curr Opin Cell Biol. 25(6), 741-748.
Zhu, M*., Settele, F*., Kotak, S., Sanchez-Pulido, L., Ehret, L., Ponting, C.P., Gönczy, P., and Hoffmann, I. (2013). MISP is a novel Plk1 substrate required for proper spindle orientation and mitotic progression. J Cell Biol 200, 773-787.
(Featured in JCB biobytes, * These authors contributed equally to this work)
Kotak, S., Busso, C., and Gönczy, P. (2012). Cortical dynein is critical for proper spindle positioning in human cells. J Cell Biol 199, 97-110.
(Featured in JCB biosights)
Kotak, S., Larkindale, J., Lee, U., von Koskull-Doring, P., Vierling, E., and Scharf, K.D. (2007). Complexity of the heat stress response in plants. Curr Opin Plant Biol 10, 310-316.
Kotak, S., Vierling, E., Baumlein, H., and von Koskull-Doring, P. (2007). A novel transcriptional cascade regulating expression of heat stress proteins during seed development of Arabidopsis. Plant Cell 19, 182-195.
Kotak, S., Port, M., Ganguli, A., Bicker, F., and von Koskull-Doring, P. (2004). Characterization of C-terminal domains of Arabidopsis heat stress transcription factors (Hsfs) and identification of a new signature combination of plant class A Hsfs with AHA and NES motifs essential for activator function and intracellular localization. Plant J 39, 98-112.
Baniwal, S.K., Bharti, K., Chan, K.Y., Fauth, M., Ganguli, A., Kotak, S., Mishra, S.K., Nover, L., Port, M., Scharf, K.D., et al. (2004). Heat stress response in plants: a complex game with chaperones and more than twenty heat stress transcription factors. J Biosci 29, 471-487.