Project description
Unlocking the potential of jumbo phages in translational enzyme research
Jumbo phages are prokaryotic (bacteria) viruses with genomes >200 kilo base-pair (kb) genomes, whereas small phages possess about 50 kb. Although research on the latter has greatly contributed to translational bioscience in the last decades, many jumbo phage genes still remain uncharacterised. Notably, they carry genes that affect their hosts’ transcriptional and translational machinery. In addition, some gene products may modify or degrade nucleic acids. Assuming the yet uncharacterised genes behave similarly, they could benefit translational enzyme research. The ERC-funded JUPITER project aims to experimentally annotate gene products of unknown function based on their capacity to catalyse the aforementioned reactions. It will also isolate and characterise known and novel specimens to extend existing knowledge of jumbo phage biology.
Objective
Jumbo phages are large viruses of prokaryotes with 200 to 800 kilo base-pair (kb) genomes, well beyond the size of small phages that average around 50 kb. While investigation of small phages over the last century has transformed fundamental and translational biosciences, jumbo phages research is only in its infancy. The majority of jumbo phage genes are uncharacterized and cannot be annotated by comparative genomics. Thus, it is unknown how the genes function in jumbo phage biology. Importantly, jumbo phages generally carry genes to take over their hosts transcriptional and translational machinery, in addition to harboring factors that may modify and degrade nucleic acids. Many of the unannotated genes might have similar characteristics, which could be exploited for translational enzyme research. However, those genes remain experimentally under-explored.
The JUPITER project tests the hypothesis that some of the uncharacterized genes have properties that affect their hosts transcriptional and translational machinery, and that some of the gene products could modify or degrade nucleic acids. Using an innovative high-throughput in vitro characterization strategy, I will experimentally annotate gene products of unknown function according to their ability to catalyze the above-mentioned reactions. Known and novel jumbo phages will be isolated and characterized to expand our current knowledge of jumbo phage biology. Promising candidate factors will be characterized in vitro and in vivo to understand their function and to facilitate translational enzyme research.
My results will provide (i) an innovative method for experimental gene annotation, unraveling new mechanisms in jumbo phage biology, (ii) an expansion of the available jumbo phage diversity and (iii) detailed insights into the function of novel factors, unlocking future translational applications in biotechnology.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology virology
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins enzymes
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
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Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
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(opens in new window) ERC-2024-STG
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01513 Vilnius
Lithuania
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