Descrizione del progetto
Uno studio che fa luce su come si formano i cristalli molecolari intracellulari
I cristalli molecolari intracellulari formati in vescicole cellulari specializzate, dette iridosomi, svolgono un ruolo chiave nella funzione cellulare. Il mancato controllo della formazione dei cristalli potrebbe compromettere gravemente un organismo, ostacolando capacità fondamentali come la visione, la regolazione della temperatura corporea, la mimetizzazione e il riconoscimento di parentele. I metodi attuali non riescono però a studiare il modo in cui gli iridosomi eseguono processi chimici e biologici così intricati. Unendo le competenze della chimica a quelle della biologia cellulare, il progetto CRYSTALCELL, finanziato dall’UE, mira a studiare i processi alla base della formazione controllata di cristalli intracellulari. I risultati del progetto apriranno la strada allo sviluppo di nuovi biomateriali e terapie per la cristallizzazione patologica.
Obiettivo
From vision in teleost fish to the spectacular colors reflected from reptiles and crustaceans, intracellular molecular crystals play vital roles in the function of cells and the ecology of organisms. These crystals are formed in specialized cellular vesicles termed iridosomes, where their properties are controlled in ways that cannot be matched by modern technology. Failure to control crystal formation can be deleterious to organisms, obstructing fundamental abilities, such as vision, body temperature regulation, camouflage, and kin recognition, and underlying pathologies such as gout and kidney stones in humans. Exploring the fascinating ability of iridosomes to perform such elaborate chemical and biological processes has thus far been limited by the technical inability to study this complex organelle.
To obtain a mechanistic understating of the processes and principles underlying the controlled formation of intracellular crystals, we will harness our unique interdisciplinary set of skills, merging chemistry and cell biology, as well as new approaches combining state-of-the-art imaging and spectroscopy we recently developed. We will use this synergetic experimental platform to identify the molecular players, ultrastructural events (Aim 1) and intracellular mechanisms (Aim 2) underlying intracellular crystal formation in the zebrafish, and then generalize the discoveries to other crystal-forming organisms (Aim 3).
Our project will provide a holistic view of the iridosome mechanism of action, the strategies organisms use to form and control bio-molecular crystals, and the biological processes, intracellular organelles, proteins and regulatory mechanisms involved. The obtained mechanistic insight into these processes will advance the understanding of the effect of ocean acidification on crystal formation in marine organisms, and pave the way for developing new biomaterials and much needed therapeutics for pathological crystallization.
Campo scientifico
Programma(i)
- HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme
Argomento(i)
Meccanismo di finanziamento
ERC - Support for frontier research (ERC)Istituzione ospitante
7610001 Rehovot
Israele