Lankupalle D. Jayanthi, Ph.D.

Professor

Lankupalle D. Jayanthi, Ph.D.

Department: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology

Phone: (804) 828-2067

Fax: 804-827-0377

Email: lankupalle.jayanthi@vcuhealth.org

Address/Location:
Smith Building, Room 740
410 North 12th Street
Box 980613
Richmond, Virginia 23219-0613

Education

  • Christian Medical College Hospital (University of Madras), India, 1992
  • Medical College of Georgia, postdoctoral training
  • Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, postdoctoral training

Research expertise

  1. Our lab investigates monoaminergic system plasticity in neuropsychiatric conditions including mood disorders and substance use.
  2. Our lab’s unique strength lies in our ability to probe monoamine transporters (MATs: NET, DAT and SERT) and their regulation at the molecular and cellular levels.
  3. We apply our knowledge of MAT regulation to produce an in-depth understanding of the neuronal signals and brain circuitry that affect animal behavior in normal and pathophysiological states using novel strategies and interdisciplinary approaches.

Recent publications

  1. Mayer FP, Stewart A, Varman DR, Moritz AE, Foster JD, Owens AW, Areal LB, Gowrishankar R, Velez M, Wickham K, Phelps H, Katamish R, Rabil M, Jayanthi LD, Vaughan RA, Daws LC, Blakely RD, Ramamoorthy S. Kappa opioid receptor antagonism restores phosphorylation, trafficking and behavior induced by a disease-associated dopamine transporter variant. Mol Psychiatry. 2025 30(10):4651-4664. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-025-03055-4. PMCID: PMC12436197.  Also featured in Neuroscience News.com https://neurosciencenews.com/dopamine-opioid-receptors-29181/
  2. Ragu Varman D, Ramamoorthy S*, Jayanthi LD*. Threonine-53 phosphorylation of dopamine transporter dictates kappa opioid receptor mediated locomotor suppression, aversion, and cocaine reward. J Neurosci. 2025 45(25):e0171252025; PMCID: PMC12178280 https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0171-25.2025. Selected as featured Article by Editorial Team and received congratulatory letter from Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Sabine Kastner, Professor of Neuroscience and Psychology, Princeton University. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.twij.45.25.2025. Also featured in VCU News. https://news.vcu.edu/article/2025/08/vcu-study-identifies-potential-therapeutic-strategy-for-treating-cocaine-use-disorder
  3. Ramamoorthy S, Ragu Varman D, and Jayanthi LD. Causal mechanisms of monoamine transporter phosphorylation. Adv Neurobiol. 2025. 46:121-142. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-96364-3_5. PMID: 41051708
  4. Jayanthi LD and Ramamoorthy S. Role of phosphorylation of serotonin and norepinephrine transporters in animal Behavior: Relevance to neuropsychiatric disorders J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(16):7713; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26167713 - 9 Aug 2025. PMCID: PMC12387081
  5. Ragu Varman D, Mannangatti P, Subler MA, Windle JJ, Ramamoorthy S, Jayanthi LD*. Blunted amphetamine-induced reinforcing behaviors and transporter downregulation in knock-in mice carrying alanine mutations at threonine-258 and serine-259 of norepinephrine transporter. J Mol Neurosci. 2022 72(9):1965-1976. PMID: 35852782
  6. Ragu Varman D, Subler MA, Windle JJ, Jayanthi LD, Ramamoorthy S. Novelty induced hyperactivity and suppressed cocaine induced locomotor activation in mice lacking threonine 53 phosphorylation of dopamine transporter. Behav Brain Res. 2021 408:113267. PMID: 33794225
  7. Ragu Varman D, Jayanthi LD, Ramamoorthy S. Glycogen synthase kinase-3ß supports serotonin transporter function and trafficking in a phosphorylation-dependent manner. J Neurochem. 2021 156(4):445-464. PMID: 32797733

Our entire work can be gleaned from https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2545-7045

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