Project description
Insight into the coordination of events during chromosome duplication
The process of human cell division involves the precise duplication of ~6 billion base pairs of genomic DNA and all associated proteins. Chromatin is packaged as nucleosomes of DNA wrapped around a core of eight histone proteins, disrupted each time replication occurs. Histone modifications are re-established on daughter strands immediately behind the replication fork. Inheritance of parental histones is coordinated with the deposition of new histones into nucleosomes, and repressive heterochromatin must be replicated and then immediately re-established. The goal of the EU-funded MeChroRep project is to use in vitro reconstitution of chromatin replication as well as molecular genetics and structural biology to increase understanding of DNA replication coordination during the disassembly and reassembly of chromatin, achieving accurate duplication.
Objective
Each time a human cell divides, it must make an exact copy of its 46 chromosomes. This requires precise duplication of ~6 billion base pairs of genomic DNA and all its associated proteins. Mistakes in this process can lead to developmental defects and cancer. Chromatin is packaged as nucleosomes comprising 147bp of DNA wrapped around a core of eight histone proteins. The nucleosome is a stable structure which must be disrupted each time the double helix is accessed during replication. ‘Epigenetic’ information in the form of covalent histone modifications must be re-established on both daughter strands immediately behind the replication fork. Inheritance of parental histones with their covalent marks must be coordinated with deposition of new histones into nucleosomes. And repressive heterochromatin must be replicated and immediately re-established after replication.
Our goal is to achieve a deep understanding of how DNA replication is coordinated with the disassembly and reassembly of chromatin to ensure accurate chromosome duplication.
We will use in vitro reconstitution of chromatin replication along with molecular genetics and structural biology to:
• Generate a molecular view of how the budding yeast replication machinery, with other key factors, disrupts parental nucleosomes during replication.
• Determine how parental nucleosomes are transferred to the nascent daughter strands.
• Understand how deposition of new histones is coordinated with the inheritance of parental histones.
• Characterise how budding yeast heterochromatin is disrupted and re-established during replication.
• Begin studying this process using human proteins, focussing on areas where human replication mechanisms diverge from yeast.
This work will underpin our long-term goal of reconstituting functional chromosomes from defined components to understand how DNA replication interacts with gene expression, DNA repair and chromosome segregation.
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 biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics chromosomes
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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.
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H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)
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Topic(s)
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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.
Funding Scheme
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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.
ERC-ADG - Advanced Grant
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2020-ADG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
NW1 1AT London
United Kingdom
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