Project description
Factors determining nuclear dynamics and remodelling in eukaryotic cells
Each eukaryotic cell contains a nucleus that houses its genome. However, despite this common feature, nuclei can differ significantly in their shape, size, molecular composition, spatial organisation, and dynamics during the cell cycle. The EU-funded KaryodynEVO project will investigate the genomic, biophysical and evolutionary factors that contribute to nuclear dynamics and remodelling, also known as karyodynamics, within the context of cellular architecture and function. Employing a multidisciplinary approach, the project aims to identify universal principles of karyodynamics that are shared across species while also dissecting the reasons for the observed evolutionary and developmental plasticity. The findings will shed light on the factors that contribute to the remarkable diversity of nuclei observed across the tree of life.
Objective
Every eukaryote has a nucleus, a double lipid membrane-bound compartment that encapsulates the genome, but almost every nucleus is different - in shape, size, molecular composition, spatial organisation, and dynamics through the cell cycle. Given its fundamental and universal functional roles in protecting the DNA and regulating the exchange of information and control machinery between genome and cytoplasm, one might ask the question: why are there so many ways to build and remodel a nucleus? Bringing together comparative genomics, phylogenetics, quantitative cell biology and experimental evolution in multiple microbial model systems drawn from across the eukaryotic tree, we set out to elucidate the genomic, biophysical and evolutionary factors that determine nuclear dynamics and remodelling - karyodynamics - within the context of cellular architecture and function. A comparative perspective driven by phylogenetics will enable us to separate universal principles of karyodynamics from species- and niche-specific adaptations, and dissect the reasons for the evolutionary and developmental plasticity that we observe experimentally. In turn, we can use these principles to infer, predict and validate phenotypes in novel and emerging model systems. Finally, a more comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms responsible for karyodynamic phenotypic diversity would allow us to reconstruct evolutionary trajectories all the way back to the origins of the nuclear compartment, a landmark event in the evolution of eukaryotes from an archaeal-bacterial symbiosis over 2 billion years ago.
Fields of science
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesbiological morphologycomparative morphology
- natural sciencesbiological sciencescell biology
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculeslipids
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesbiological behavioural sciencesethologybiological interactions
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesgeneticsgenomeseukaryotic genomes
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme
Topic(s)
Funding Scheme
ERC - Support for frontier research (ERC)Host institution
69117 Heidelberg
Germany