Objective
Most studies on amphibian skin peptides have an explicit pharmacological focus, and the origin, diversity, and functional diversification of these molecules therefore remain poorly understood. Antimicrobial peptide research in amphibians has been restricted to relatively few closely related genera in a limited number of families. Furthermore, although behavioral tests indicate chemical communication during courtship in many amphibian species, only a single pheromone peptide has been characterized in anurans (frogs and toads), and only two in caudates (salamanders and newts). We propose an integration of transcriptome analyses, peptidome analyses, functional assays, and phylogenetic analyses to: 1. Identify and characterize novel antimicrobial and pheromone skin peptides in a representative of all amphibian families. 2. Study the evolution of these molecules by mapping diversity and function on well-supported phylogenies. 3. Determine the relative contribution of different genetic mechanisms to the rise of antimicrobial and pheromone peptide diversity (e.g. recruitment from genes with other functions, tandem duplications, gene conversion, ...). 4. Test the relative contributions of skin peptide evolution (ecological adaptation and/or sexual signal differentiation) in shaping species diversity in amphibian evolutionary radiations. The results of this project are expected to throw a new light on amphibian defense and chemical communication. Since (1) there is a correlation between resistance to lethal infection and synthesis of antimicrobial peptides by the host amphibian, and (2) because systems of chemical communication are especially vulnerable to disruption by anthropogenic change, this project is expected to form an important contribution in the struggle against amphibian decline.
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 biological morphology comparative morphology
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules
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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)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
ERC-2007-StG
See other projects for this call
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Host institution
1050 BRUSSEL
Belgium
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.