Description du projet
Mécanismes moléculaires et génétiques d’une progéniture hybride dysfonctionnelle chez les organismes nuisibles agricoles
Certains processus, tels que les interactions génétiques incompatibles, l’accouplement avec des partenaires incompatibles ou les incompatibilités cytoplasmiques médiées par des parasites bactériens comme Wolbachia, peuvent engendrer une progéniture hybride dysfonctionnelle chez les organismes nuisibles agricoles. Bien que cette progéniture soit utilisée dans de nouvelles stratégies de lutte contre les organismes nuisibles, il subsiste des lacunes dans les connaissances des mécanismes génétiques moléculaires à l’origine de ces incompatibilités, ce qui entrave le développement de nouvelles innovations. Le projet HYBRIPEST, financé par l’UE, vise à étudier et à mettra au jour les processus et les mécanismes responsables de ces incompatibilités. Pour ce faire, il étudiera un organisme nuisible important qui est susceptible de provoquer une série de défauts hybrides et sur lequel une boîte à outils génétiques récemment mise au point a une incidence.
Objectif
Mating with an incompatible partner can result in dysfunctional hybrid offspring. Multiple processes cause such hybrid defects, including incompatible gene interactions and cytoplasmic incompatibilities that are mediated by bacterial parasites such as Wolbachia. Hybrid defects are strong reproductive barriers that drive speciation and are being harnessed by new pest control strategies to suppress harmful pest populations. Although pivotal to our understanding of these biological phenomena and applications, the molecular-genetic mechanisms that underpin these incompatibilities remain poorly understood. With HYBRIPEST, we will unravel all major mechanisms, and their interactions, that shape hybrid dysfunction within a system that recently became amenable to such a research endeavour. The system of Tetranychus mite species (important agricultural pests) is typified by various processes that culminate in different hybrid defects and benefits from a recently developed genetic toolkit. For the first time, we will dissect the molecular-genetic underpinnings of cytoplasmic incompatibility from the perspective of Wolbachia and host, an approach that will test biological theory and identify novel pest control opportunities. We will identify the molecular-genetic bases of incompatible gene interactions within and between species, shedding light on early speciation mechanisms. We will test for mechanistic convergence of different incompatibility loci and study how polygenic hybrid dysfunction is controlled. We will implement high-resolution genetic mapping techniques and comparative genomics to identify (in)compatibility loci. The functional importance of (in)compatibility loci to hybrid dysfunction will be further validated by recombinant expression, genome engineering, and other experimental advances. HYBRIPEST will bridge pertinent gaps in our mechanistic understanding of hybrid dysfunction, insights that will be translated into new theory and bio-applications.
Champ scientifique
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme
Thème(s)
Régime de financement
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC GrantsInstitution d’accueil
9000 Gent
Belgique