Project description
Chromosome architecture emerges in population variation
The DNA strand in each eurkaryotic cell, when unravelled, is 2 m long. Folded precisely in the nucleus, its 3D configuration is crucial to maintain correct gene transcription. To determine what effect 1D variation has on 3D genome variation, the EU-funded project POPARCH has assembled a unique cohort of 100 chickens raised in a controlled environment, the largest in vivo animal study to date. The researchers will develop a catalogue of DNA sequence variants to determine how non-coding DNA variants can control 3D genomic structure. This study promises to be the unique blueprint for further studies including testing new drug therapies on humans without interference from other variables.
Objective
The linear one-dimensional (1D) DNA fiber inside each Eukaryotic cell nucleus folds into a precise three-dimensional (3D) structure, whose structural preservation is vital for correct cell homeostasis and gene-regulatory mechanisms. Previous studies showed that if 3D structure is altered, aberrant phenotypes and diseases can arise. However, little is known on how 1D variation can affect 3D genome variation. Although recently developed technologies allow researchers to generate data to characterize the 3D structural patterns, as of yet no studies have systematically examined how this affects inter-individual 3D variation. I hypothesize a substantial fraction of 3D genome structural variation is controlled through 1D variation, affecting gene expression, and lastly phenotypes. I will test this by quantifying 1D and 3D genomic variation from 100 individuals selected from a chicken cohort my host raised under extremely well-controlled environmental conditions, making it the largest study of its kind up to today, and the first to use an in vivo animal model. Then, computationally I will develop an analytical framework and produce a catalog of DNA sequence variants that condition 3D genome structure. Upon executing my research, I expect to provide a new explanation on how non-coding DNA variants can exert their effect, thus offer new testable hypotheses to researchers interested in genotype-phenotype transitions. This is a proof-of-concept project and, should I be correct, will open a door to expansion in other species, including humans, with a large potential use in medical genomics, thus facilitating pharmacological interventions by disentangling causal intermediate processes. By combining my 3D genomics expertise with the host’s population-statistical genomics knowledge, on his unparalleled cohort of chickens, I will develop unique expertise to place me as the pioneer of a completely new, multidisciplinary field.
Fields of science
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Main Programme
Funding Scheme
MSCA-PF - MSCA-PFCoordinator
1165 Kobenhavn
Denmark