Project description
Uncovering mechanisms of adaptive organ allometry
Changes in size, rather than shape, often play a significant role in driving species radiations. Understanding the genetic and developmental basis of allometry is crucial for comprehending how biological diversity emerges in species and cancers. Salmon exhibits a fascinating adaptation of organ allometry connected with a trade-off in life history strategies. However, there are only a few mechanisms that can explain the adaptive differences in organ size within vertebrate species. The MSCA-funded SalmoScales project aims to uncover the molecular, developmental and evolutionary mechanisms that lead to the allometry of reproductive organs in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). The outcomes of this project will enable precision breeding for egg, brood and maturation characteristics in aquaculture and shed light on the mechanisms linked to ovarian cancers.
Objective
Species radiations can be driven by changes in body proportions (allometric changes), that is, natural selection acting on size and not in shape. Discovering the genetic and developmental basis of allometry has both fundamental importance for understanding the emergence of biological diversity, as well as in practical terms such as in understanding cancers. Only a few allometry mechanisms are known to explain adaptive differences in organ size within a vertebrate species. The SalmoScales project will fill this knowledge gap by discovering the molecular, developmental, and evolutionary mechanisms that give rise to allometry of reproductive organs in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). Salmon show a fascinating adaptation of organ allometry associated with a trade-off in life history strategies; dwarf landlocked ecotypes prioritize egg size over egg number, and in consequence have ovaries that are 50% smaller compared to their sea-migrating congeners. The decreased ovary size in dwarf salmon provides a unique model to study how allometry emerges within a single species and interplays with life history strategy. Salmon reproductive development is governed by transcriptional regulators that include the genes vgll3 and six6. These genes are top candidates for mediating ovary allometry as my preliminary results suggest that vgll3 interacts with Hippo signaling pathway mediating organ size, as well as transcription factors controlling for germ cell development in salmon gonads. I will dissect the genotype-phenotype-fitness map of ovary allometry from the molecular to the species level with an integrative approach combining cellular genomics, gene editing, and a powerful quantitative genetics framework. The results will have applied significance in aquaculture to inform precision breeding for egg, brood and maturation characteristics, as well as in the medical field, where revealing the mechanisms that coordinate ovary growth and size are important to understand ovarian cancers.
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.
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries fisheries
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics
- humanities history and archaeology history
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology
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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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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-GF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
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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) HORIZON-MSCA-2022-PF-01
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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.
00014 HELSINGIN YLIOPISTO
Finland
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.