Objective
Type II DNA topoisomerases (topoII) control DNA topology during replication, transcription and chromosome segregation. Essential for cell proliferation, topoII are targets of antibacterial and antineoplasic compounds of prime importance for human health. The emergence of antibiotic resistant bacterial strains and the selection of resistance clones during cancer treatment urge for the development of new drugs and for a better understanding of their mode of action. This proposal aims at the functional and structural study of eukaryotic and prokaryotic DNA topoisomerases to provide knowledge on their mechanisms and on drug interference. Structural research in the field is to date limited to individual domains which do not recapitulate the enzymatic functions. Solving the atomic structure of a full length topoII is key to understand their mechanism and the molecular basis for inhibition by drugs binding at domain interfaces. Our primary goal is to conduct structural studies on a full length bacterial topoII, DNA gyrase, in complex with molecules of therapeutic interest such as the leading quinolone antibiotic family. The success of our project is bound to our ability to stabilize a defined conformation of the enzyme. The human topoII shares high sequence conservation and a similar structural organization with the bacterial enzyme. It is a biomarker for cancer and a key chemotherapy target for anti-tumour drugs such as the etoposides. Results obtained on DNA gyrase will provide valuable information to study the structure of human topoII, its drug binding mechanisms, and the effect of mutations found in resistant tumors. Finally, we plan to investigate the role of topoII in a more integrated context and in particular its interactions with the transcriptional apparatus. A combination of X-ray crystallography, electron microscopy, and other biophysical methods will be used for structure determination in conjunction with functional assays and clinical studies.
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: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics DNA
- natural sciences physical sciences optics microscopy electron microscopy
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics chromosomes
- medical and health sciences basic medicine pharmacology and pharmacy drug resistance antibiotic resistance
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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.
FP7-PEOPLE-2007-4-3-IRG
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.
Coordinator
67404 Illkirch Graffenstaden
France
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.