Nichenametla Lab
Sailendra N. Nichenametla, Ph.D.
Associate Scientist
Dr. Nichenametla received his PhD in Integrative Biosciences from Pennsylvania State University (Hershey, PA) and DVM from Sri Venkateswara Veterinary University (Tirupati, India). He has a longstanding interest in understanding how genetics and the environment—diet, in particular—shape health. During graduate and postdoctoral training, he investigated the effects of bioactive compounds in milk, berries, and dietary fiber on diseases such as colon cancer and metabolic syndrome. While training for his PhD, he investigated how genetic variation in humans alters an individual’s capacity to combat oxidative stress and risk for cancers.
Dr. Nichenametla currently focuses on sulfur amino acid restriction (SAAR), a dietary intervention in which the intake of the amino acids methionine and cysteine is decreased. SAAR extends lifespan and lowers the risk for metabolic diseases and cancers in rodent models. The primary aim of his work is to delineate the biochemical and molecular mechanisms by which SAAR induces these benefits. His secondary aim is to test whether SAAR-induced molecular pathways can be harnessed by means of pharmaceutics and nutraceutics to promote human and companion animal health. His approach to achieve these aims includes integrating the knowledge and research methods from multiple disciplines, including nutritional biochemistry, aging, and redox biology.
A summary of findings from Dr. Nichenametla’s Lab.
Ph.D. Penn State University
M.S. University of Idaho
B. V. Sc. & A. H. College of Veterinary Science: Tirupathi, Andhra Pradesh, India
- Dietary Methionine and Total Sulfur Amino Acid Restriction in Healthy Adults
Richie Jr JP, Sinha R, Dong Z, Nichenametla SN, Ables GP, Ciccarella A, Sinha I, Calcagnotto AM, Chinchilli VM, Reinhart L, Orentreich D
The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging 2023; 27(2): 111-123| PubMed ID: 36806866Cysteine restriction-specific effects of sulfur amino acid restriction on lipid metabolism
Nichenametla SN, Mattocks DAL, Cooke D, Midya V, Malloy VL, Mansilla W, Øvrebø B, Turner C, Bastani NE, Sokolová J, Pavlíková M, Richie JP, Shoveller AK, Refsum H, Olsen T, Vinknes KJ, Kožich V, Ables GP
Aging Cell 2022; 21(12): e13739| PubMed ID: 36403077Cumulative consumption of sulfur amino acids and risk of diabetes: a prospective cohort study
Dong Z, Richie JP, Gao X, Al-Shaar L, Nichenametla SN, Shen B, Orentreich D
Journal of Nutrition 2022; 152(11): 2419| PubMed ID: 35945644Differential effects of sulfur amino acid-restricted and low-calorie diets on gut microbiome profile and bile acid composition in male C57BL6/J mice
Nichenametla SN, Mattocks DAL, Midya V, Shneyder J
The Journals of Gerontology: Series A 2021; 76 (11): 1922-29| PubMed ID: 33106871Age-at-onset-dependent effects of sulfur amino acid restriction on markers of growth and stress in male F344 rats
Nichenametla SN, Mattocks DAL, Malloy VL
Aging Cell 2020; 19 (7): e13177| PubMed ID: 32573078Weight loss and concomitant adipose autophagy in methionine-restricted obese mice is not dependent on adiponectin or FGF21
Cooke D, Mattocks DAL, Nichenametla SN, Anunciado-Koza RP, Koza RA, Ables GP
Obesity 2020; 28 (6): 1075-1085| PubMed ID: 32348021Dietary methionine influences therapy in mouse cancer models and alters human metabolism.
Gao X, Sanderson SM, Dai Z, Reid MA, Cooper DE, Lu M, Richie JP Jr, Ciccarella A, Calcagnotto A, Mikhael PG, Mentch SJ, Liu J, Ables G, Kirsch DG, Hsu DS, Nichenametla SN, Locasale JW
Nature 2019; 572 (7769): 397-401| PubMed ID: 31367041Methionine metabolism influences genomic architecture and gene expression through H3K4me3 peak width
Dai Z, Mentch SJ, Gao X, Nichenametla SN, Locasale JW
Nature Communications 2018; 9 (1): 1955| PubMed ID: 29769529Sulfur amino acid restriction-induced changes in redox-sensitive proteins are associated with slow protein synthesis rates
Nichenametla SN, Mattocks DAL, Malloy VL, Pinto JT
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 2018; 1418 (1): 80-94| PubMed ID: 29377163Short term methionine restriction increases hepatic global DNA methylation in adult but not young male C57BL/6J mice
Mattocks DA, Mentch SJ, Shneyder J, Ables GP, Sun D, Richie JP Jr, Locasale JW, Nichenametla SN
Experimental Gerontology 2017; (88): 1-8| PubMed ID: 27940170Impact of dietary resistant starch type 4 on human gut microbiota and immunometabolic functions
Upadhyaya B, McCormack L, Fardin-Kia AF, Juenemann R, Nichenametla S, Clapper J, Specker B, Dey M
Scientific Reports 2016; 6: 28797| PubMed ID: 27356770Methionine restriction beyond life-span extension
Ables GP, Hens JR, Nichenametla SN
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 2016; 1363 (1): 68-79| PubMed ID: 26916321Histone methylation dynamics and gene regulation occur through the sensing of one-carbon metabolism
Mentch SJ, Mehrmohamadi M, Huang L, Liu X, Gupta D, Mattocks D, Gόmez Padilla P, Ables G, Bamman MM, Thalacker-Mercer AE, Nichenametla SN, Locasale JW
Cell Metabolism 2015; 22 (5): 861-73| PubMed ID: 26411344Resistant starch type 4-enriched diet lowered blood cholesterols and improved body composition in a double blind controlled cross-over intervention
Nichenametla SN, Weidauer LA, Wey HE, Beare TM, Specker BL, Dey M
Molecular Nutrition and Food Research 2014; 58 (6): 1365-9| PubMed ID: 24478107Methionine restriction affects oxidative stress and glutathione-related redox pathways in the rat
Maddineni S, Nichenametla S, Sinha R, Wilson RP, Richie, JP
Experimental Biology and Medicine 2013; 238 (4): 392-9| PubMed ID: 23760005A functional trinucleotide repeat polymorphism in the 5′-untranslated region of the glutathione biosynthetic gene GCLC is associated with increased risk for lung and aerodigestive tract cancers
Nichenametla SN Muscat JE, Liao JG, Lazarus P, Richie JP
Molecular Carcinogenesis 2012; 45 (10): 791-9| PubMed ID: 22610501A GAG trinucleotide-repeat polymorphism in the gene for glutathione biosynthetic enzyme, GCLC, affects gene expression through translation
Nichenametla SN, Lazarus P, Richie JP
FASEB Journal 2011; 25 (7): 2180-7| PubMed ID: 21444626Functional significance of the GAG trinucleotide-repeat polymorphism in the gene for the catalytic subunit of gamma-glutamylcysteine ligase
Nichenametla SN, Ellison I, Calcagnotto A, Lazarus P, Muscat JE, Richie JP
Free Radical Biology and Medicine 2008; 45 (5): 645-50| PubMed ID: 18549827
 Dwight Mattocks, Senior Research Associate |
 Naidu Babu Ommi, Postdoctoral Associate |
 Virginia Malloy, Senior Research Associate |
In April, Dr. Nichenametla received the Vernon Young International Award for Amino Acid Research from the American Society for Nutrition.