Objective Increasingly, the glypicans, major membrane proteins that supply heparan sulfate at the surface of cells, emerge as essential for the reception and dissemination of morphogenetic signals. While the best recognized role of endocytosis in signaling is to down-regulate the signal by sending the receptor and/or the ligand to degradative compartments such as lysosomes, it has now become clear that endocytosis also contributes to activation of signalling. In this project, we propose to explore the importance of glypicans for mechanisms of endocytic/exocytic trafficking and fine-tuning of signalling. We suspect that, by associating with specific protein sorting and trafficking machineries, glypicans control the formation of distinctive ‘signalling endosomes’, involved in the transcytosis of HS-cargo and its recycling to the cell surface, influencing what signal-transduction machineries are activated, where they are activated, and for how long. This working hypothesis is explored, concentrating on the effect of Glypican-5 on Bmp-4 signaling, in vitro, by cellular and biochemical assays, tracing glypican and glypican-interacting proteins, and by functional interference, using siRNA, and in vivo, in zebra fish embryos, using the injection of anti-sense morpholinos and mRNAs. Using these combined and integrated approaches in test tubes, cells and model organisms, we expect identifying novel mechanisms of vesicular trafficking that are important for development, developmental disorders, and acquired disease. In general, this project proposed will support the career development of the researcher by enhancing her competence diversification through a complete training. This fellowship is an opportunity for the applicant to attain a leading independent position. Fields of science natural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculesproteinsmedical and health sciencesclinical medicineembryology Programme(s) FP7-PEOPLE - Specific programme "People" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) Topic(s) FP7-PEOPLE-2009-IEF - Marie Curie Action: "Intra-European Fellowships for Career Development" Call for proposal FP7-PEOPLE-2009-IEF See other projects for this call Funding Scheme MC-IEF - Intra-European Fellowships (IEF) Coordinator VIB VZW EU contribution € 159 100,00 Address SUZANNE TASSIERSTRAAT 1 9052 ZWIJNAARDE - GENT Belgium See on map Region Vlaams Gewest Prov. Oost-Vlaanderen Arr. Gent Activity type Research Organisations Administrative Contact Rik Audenaert (Mr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data