2025

Alassaf M*, Madan A*, Ranganathan S, Marschall S, Wang JW, Goldberg ZH, Brent AE, & Rajan A. Adipocyte metabolic state regulates glial phagocytic function. Cell Reports (2025). 10.1016/j.celrep.2025.115704 . * equal contribution- co first- authors.

Rajan A* and Karpac J. Inter-organ communication in Drosophila: Lipoproteins, adipokines, and immune-metabolic coordination. Current Opinion in Cell Biology (2025). download PDF. *corresponding author.

Rajan A* and Keene AC. The ABCs of lipid exposure in maintaining neural health. Trends in Neuroscience (2025). download PDF. *corresponding author.

Corvera S, Rajan A*, Townsend KL, Shamsi F, Wu J, Svensson KJ, Zeltser LM, Collins S, Reis T, Tseng YH, Goodyear LJ. Advances in Adipose Tissue Biology. Endocrine Reviews (2025). download PDF.

Commissioned by the NIDDK for its 75th Anniversary to highlight landmark advances in adipose tissue biology. *Akhila Rajan contributed the section on how model organisms such as Drosophila and C. elegans have revealed conserved adipose–brain communication pathways.

Rajan, A*. and Melkani, G.C. Inter-organ communication networks in Drosophila : Integration of circadian rhythms and metabolic signaling in systemic physiology. In: Atkinson, P and Yamanaka, N. (eds.) Comprehensive Molecular Insect Science, 2nd Edition. Vol. 1, pp. 240-274.UK: Elsevier. (2025). download PDF. *corresponding author & equal contribution.

This book chapter explores how inter-organ signals coordinate spatiotemporal activity. The first section outlines the molecular basis of circadian rhythms and how disruptions can be realigned through time-restricted feeding, which synchronizes temporal rhythms and inter-organ communication. The second section surveys major inter-organ signals—adipokines, myokines, and tumor-derived factors—with emphasis on their circadian regulation and temporal dynamics. Examples from diverse insect species illustrate conserved and adaptive principles throughout.

2024

Madan A*, Kelly KP*, Sullivan CE, Poling ME, Brent AE, Alassaf M, Dubrulle J, Rajan A.
**Atg8-LC3 controls systemic nutrient surplus signaling in flies and humans.** *bioRχiv (2023)*. ***Current Biology*** *(2024)*. Highlighted as a Featured article with a Dispatches essay by Andrew Leidal.

Atg8/LC3’s bidirectional role in nutrient sensing—conveying nutrient surplus and responding to nutrient deprivation—enables organisms to manage nutrient flux effectively.

Rajan A. Communication between organs defines their sex-specific shapes. Nature(2024).

2023

Alassaf M & Rajan A. Diet-induced glial insulin resistance impairs the clearance of neuronal debris. PLoS Bio (2023). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3002359

2022

Kelly KP*, Alassaf M*, Sullivan CE, Brent AE, Goldberg ZH, Poling ME, Dubrulle J, Rajan A. Fat Body Phospholipid State Dictates Hunger Driven Feeding Behavior. eLife (2022). *equal contribution. https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.80282

2019/ 2020

Brent AE and Rajan A. (2019). Insulin and Leptin/Upd2 exert opposing control on fat-sensing neurons synapse number. bioRχiv (2019). Cell Metabolism (2020). doi: 10.1016/j.cmet.2020.08.017. PMID: 32976758. PMCID: PMC7642105 (available on 2021-11-03) pdf.

2017

Rajan A#*, Housden BE, Wirtz-Peitz, Holderbaum L, Perrimon N#. (2017). A mechanism coupling systemic energy sensing to adipokine secretion. Developmental Cell, 43(1): 83-98. PMCID: PMC5650192. (#corresponding authors; *Lead author). download pdf.

Pre-Rajan Lab publications

2013

Rajan A# and Perrimon N#. (2013). Of flies and men: insights on organismal metabolism from fruit flies. BMC Biology, 11: 38. PMCID: 23587196. (#corresponding authors). download pdf.

2012

Rajan A# and Perrimon N#. (2012). The Drosophila cytokine Unpaired2 regulates physiological homeostasis by remotely controlling Insulin secretion. Cell, 151: 123-137. PMCID: PMC3475207. (#corresponding authors). download pdf.

2011

Rajan A and Perrimon N. (2011). Drosophila as a model for interorgan communication: Lessons from studies on energy homeostasis. Developmental Cell, 21:29-31. PMID: 21763605. download pdf.

Tong C, Ohyama T, Tien AC, Rajan A, Haueter CM, Bellen HJ. (2011). Rich regulates target specificity of photoreceptor cells and N-Cadherin trafficking in the Drosophila visual system via Rab6. Neuron, 71: 447-459. PMCID: PMC3166630. download pdf.

2010

Rajan A and Perrimon N. (2010). Steroids make you bigger? Fat chance says dMyc. Cell Metabolism, 12:7-9. PMID: 20620990. download pdf.

2009

Rajan A*, Tien AC*, Haueter CM, Schulze KL, Bellen HJ. (2009). The Arp2/3 complex and WASp are required for apical trafficking of Delta into microvilli during cell fate specification of sensory organ precursors. Nature Cell Biology, 11:815-24. (*equal contribution). PMCID: PMC3132077. download pdf.

2008

Tien AC*, Rajan A*, Schulze KL, Ryoo HD, Acar M, Steller H, Bellen HJ. (2008). Ero1L, a thiol oxidase, is required for Notch signaling through cysteine bridge formation of Lin12-Notch repeats in Drosophila melanogaster. Journal of Cell Biology, 182: 1113-1125. (*equal contribution). PMCID: PMC2542473. download pdf.

2007

Acar M, Jafar-Nejad H, Takeuchi H, Rajan A, Ibrani D, Rana NA, Pan H, Haltiwanger RS, Bellen HJ. (2007). Rumi, a CAP10 domain protein, is a glycosyltransferase that modifies Notch and is required for Notch signaling. Cell, 132: 247-258. PMCID: PMC2275919. download pdf.

Ohyama T, Verstreken P, Ly CV, Rosenmund T, Rajan A, Tien AC, Haueter C, Schulze KL, Bellen HJ. (2007). Huntingtin-interacting protein 14, a palmitoyl transferase required for exocytosis and targeting of CSP to synaptic vesicles. Journal of Cell Biology, 179: 1481-1496. PMCID: PMC2373489. download pdf.