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The role of mitonuclear interactions in thermal and dietary adaptation

Project description

Interaction of mitochondrial and nuclear genomes in a changing environment

Mitochondria provide energy and components for cellular biosynthesis, as well as help the cell withstand stress and apoptosis. The balance between these processes is driven by the interaction of the mitochondrial and nuclear genomes, with mismatches leading to reduced fitness. MitoNuEco is an EU-funded initiative aiming to understand how a changing environment can influence the interaction between these two genomes. Using Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism, scientists will study the effect of temperature and diet modulation on fitness. Results will have important ecological value and will unveil novel aspects of population dynamics.

Objective

Mitochondria play a key role in energy metabolism through cellular respiration and provision of carbon skeletons for biosynthetic pathways, and act as gatekeepers for stress and cell death pathways such as apoptosis. The balance of these processes depends on the correct interaction between two different genomes, the mitochondrial and the nuclear genomes. As demonstrated by hybridization events, the cost of mitonuclear mismatches is metabolic dysfunction and potentially severe fitness loss. Temperature and dietary regimes are also well-known metabolic stressors influencing mitochondrial functions, metabolomic network structure and gene expression. Hence their variation can exacerbate mitonuclear incompatibilities.
Understanding the ability of animals to face the potential modification of their habitats is of vital importance. Climate change predictions estimate an increase in temperature and its variability, changes in in food web structures and in the distribution of populations. Events that may generate mitonuclear mismatches (such as hybridization between separate populations) are therefore expected to increase in frequency following the shifts in thermal niches.
The objective of this research is to test how far mitonuclear interactions contribute to thermal and dietary adaptation or breakdown in changing environments. Drosophila melanogaster is a leading model system to examine mito-nuclear interactions and adaptation. I will specifically employ experimental fly lines characterized by mitonuclear match and mismatch to investigate how temperature and diet modulation impact the major fitness effects of mitonuclear incompatibilities. This will be tested at the level of mitochondrial functions, gene expression and life-history trade-offs. The proposed project will be unique in its field, providing fundamental insights into how genetic and environmental factors interactions might translate to ecological population dynamics in a mutating world.

Coordinator

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON
Net EU contribution
€ 224 933,76
Address
GOWER STREET
WC1E 6BT London
United Kingdom

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Region
London Inner London — West Camden and City of London
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
Total cost
€ 224 933,76