Project description
Investigating the molecular basis of essential amino acid deprivation responses in humans
Humans, like many animals, cannot efficiently synthesise essential amino acids (eAA). The EU-funded Body2Mind project will investigate the molecular mechanisms involved in the metabolic and behavioural responses to eAA imbalance, focusing on protein appetite. To achieve this, the project's scientists will use a novel high-throughput RNA sequencing technique to decipher tissue-specific translational changes following eAA deprivation. Via a bioinformatics approach, they will explore the processes behind these changes. Finally based on their discovery of the common biological pathways underlying the response to all eAA deficiencies in the Drosophila gut, they will test the relevance of these pathways to protein feeding and to the physiological response to eAA deficiencies in humans.
Objective
"The quality and quantity of consumed nutrients, including proteins, has a significant impact on health and lifespan across
phyla. Essential amino acids (eAAs) are an extreme case, as many animals, including humans and Drosophila, cannot
efficiently synthesize them, and thus relay solely on protein intake to obtain them. Thus, understanding the molecular changes mediating the organism´s response to such an imbalance is highly important.
It is established, that animals respond to a single eAA deficiency behaviorally and metabolically. Evidently, the organism recognizes eAAs-imbalance and translates it into a specific foraging behavior and feeding decisions appropriate for compensating for such specific nutrient deficiency (i.e increased protein preference and feeding). How this is done however remains elusive.
We hypothesize that this nutrient imbalance drives molecular changes that are ""mirrored"" in gene transcription in order to drive the response to eAA imbalance, in a tissue specific manner. In this project we will unravel molecular mechanisms involved in the metabolic and behavioral responses to eAAs imbalance , while focusing on protein appetite, in a comprehensive manner. To achieve this, we propose to employ a novel high-throughput RNA sequencing method to decipher tissue specific translational changes following eAAs deprivation. Using a bioinformatic approach, we will look into the processes underlying these transcriptional changes. Interestingly, preliminary data already reveals common biological pathways underlying the response to all eAA deficiencies the fly gut. We will genetic approaches to test the relevance of these pathways to protein feeding and to the physiological response to eAA deficiencies. We foresee this project to open an essential next step in nutritional- neuroscience research, with potential to further our knowledge about the link between stomach, gut and brain signals in driving nutrient homeostasis."
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 neurobiology
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics RNA
- natural sciences chemical sciences organic chemistry amines
- medical and health sciences basic medicine physiology homeostasis
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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.4. - SPREADING EXCELLENCE AND WIDENING PARTICIPATION
MAIN PROGRAMME
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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.
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.
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)
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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.
(opens in new window) H2020-WF-2018-2020
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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.
1400-038 LISBOA
Portugal
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.