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The role of genetic redundancy in adaptive evolution of efflux pumps

Project description

Genetic redundancy and the evolution of efflux pumps in E. coli

In genetic redundancy, multiple genes perform the same or a similar function. This may provide a fitness benefit during evolution by increasing gene dosage and protecting critical genes from deleterious mutations. These fitness effects have been confirmed experimentally, but their long-term consequences for evolution have not been tested. The EU-funded EGR project will address this knowledge gap by manipulating the genomic content of efflux pump genes in E. coli and testing the effect of their redundancy using directed evolution of proteins. They will compare evolutionary trajectories using comprehensive sequence and fitness analysis of the evolved efflux pump variants and directly test the role of genetic redundancy in evolution to understand why it is maintained in a genome.

Objective

In genetic redundancy, multiple genes in a genome perform the same or similar function. Although redundancy is widespread across the tree of life, its evolutionary origins are not entirely understood. Genetic redundancy may provide a fitness benefit during evolution by increasing gene dosage and protecting critical genes from deleterious mutations. These fitness effects have been confirmed experimentally, but their long-term consequences for evolution have not been tested. In this study, I will manipulate the genomic content of efflux pump genes in E. coli and test the effect of their redundancy using directed evolution of proteins. By evolving the multidrug efflux pump AcrAB at different levels of redundancy, I will determine how the presence of other genes with overlapping drug-efflux activities affects adaptive evolution. I will compare evolutionary trajectories using comprehensive sequence and fitness analysis of the evolved efflux pump variants. This approach will provide a unique opportunity to directly test the role of genetic redundancy in evolution and help to understand why genetic redundancy is maintained in a genome.

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MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)

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(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2020

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Coordinator

UNIVERSITAT ZURICH
Net EU contribution

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.

€ 191 149,44
Address
RAMISTRASSE 71
8006 Zurich
Switzerland

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Region
Schweiz/Suisse/Svizzera Zürich Zürich
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

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.

€ 191 149,44
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