Objective There is no living organism that does not contain transposons, and they make up a significant fraction, and in some instances, the vast majority of the genome in a given species. Owing to their proliferation propensity, these mobile genetic elements can create genetic variability providing selective benefits, but they also have a mutagenic potential. Therefore, host genomes have evolved epigenetic surveillance mechanisms to recognize and silence transposons. If maintenance of silencing is rather well understood, little is know about how the host recognize transposons as non-self elements and initiate silencing as they invade the genome. Also, although several examples indicate that a variety of environmental factors can reverse transposon silencing, how such factors interfere with the silencing machinery is largely unknown. The proposed research project will make use of our recent discovery of active endogenous retrotransposons in Arabidopsis to decipher genetically the mechanisms involved in initiating silencing of a transposon. In parallel, we will characterize how DNA-methylation associated silencing can be efficiently re-established once it has been lost, and use a genome-wide approach to determine the extent of this phenomenon. Finally, we intend to determine the genome-wide impact of a stress on transposon silencing and to genetically identify and characterize the molecular bases of stress-induced release of silencing at transposons. Our studies have the potential to bring general insights into how transposons have been so successful in colonizing host genomes, how they are kept under tight control and can be unleashed thereby contributing to genome plasticity and environmental adaptation. Fields of science natural sciencesbiological sciencesgeneticsgenomes Programme(s) FP7-IDEAS-ERC - Specific programme: "Ideas" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) Topic(s) ERC-SG-LS2 - ERC Starting Grant - Genetics,Genomics,Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Call for proposal ERC-2010-StG_20091118 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme ERC-SG - ERC Starting Grant Host institution CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRS EU contribution € 1 490 876,00 Address RUE MICHEL ANGE 3 75794 Paris France See on map Region Ile-de-France Ile-de-France Paris Activity type Research Organisations Principal investigator Olivier Mathieu (Dr.) Administrative Contact Sandrine Magnetto (Dr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data Beneficiaries (1) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRS France EU contribution € 1 490 876,00 Address RUE MICHEL ANGE 3 75794 Paris See on map Region Ile-de-France Ile-de-France Paris Activity type Research Organisations Principal investigator Olivier Mathieu (Dr.) Administrative Contact Sandrine Magnetto (Dr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data
