Objective
Eukaryotic chromosomes are condensed into several hierarchical levels of complexity: DNA is wrapped around core histones to form nucleosomes, nucleosomes form a higher-order structure called chromatin, and chromatin is subsequently organized by long-range contacts. The conformation of chromatin at these three levels greatly influences DNA transcription. One class of chromatin regulatory proteins called insulator factors set up boundaries between heterochromatin and euchromatin and generate long-range loops. In Drosophila, three types of insulators (Su(Hw), dCTCF and BEAF) have been shown to regulate transcription and organize chromatin at the higher level by the formation of long-range interactions that were proposed to be mediated by the coalescence of several insulator proteins into clusters (insulator bodies). Our research aims to unravel the mechanism by which insulator bodies dynamically regulate chromatin structure and transcription by using single-molecule biophysics and quantitative modeling. On one hand, we will apply novel super-resolution fluorescence microscopy methods to investigate the structure and assembly dynamics of insulator bodies in single cells throughout the cell cycle and the role of their regulatory partners. On the other hand, we will reconstitute the looping activity of insulators in vitro and apply single-molecule manipulation methods to gain detailed insights into the molecular mechanisms involved in defining and regulating chromatin organization by insulators. This project has the potential to impact our understanding of several fundamental cellular processes: transcription regulation, cell-cycle dynamics, higher-order chromatin organization, and cell differentiation. The methods developed here will be directly applicable to the investigation of other nuclear super-structures, such as transcription and replication factories and Polycomb bodies, and thus will impact other research areas, such as DNA replication, transcription and cell division.
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 DNA
- natural sciences physical sciences optics microscopy super resolution microscopy
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics chromosomes
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics genomes eukaryotic genomes
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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-2010-StG_20091118
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
75654 PARIS
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.