Project description
Understanding rapid evolution through asexual reproduction
The stripe rust fungus (Puccinia striiformis) is a highly detrimental wheat disease that causes significant economic losses for farmers worldwide. Epidemics of this pathogen in wheat-growing regions, including Europe, exhibit a strong prevalence of lineages that have exclusively reproduced asexually for several decades. The R-evolution project, funded by Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, aims to identify genetic and epigenetic differences between nuclei within the stripe rust fungus. This research will shed light on the underlying mechanisms driving the rapid evolution of new genotypes in the absence of sexual recombination. By studying the presence of multiple nuclei in the same cytoplasm of rust fungi, the project will uncover how these organisms adapt quickly to variable and changing agricultural environments.
Objective
The effect of ploidy and genome organization on evolution and adaptation is a central question in biology. Most organisms contain a single nucleus per cell, irrespective of their genome size and ploidy level. The kingdom Fungi represents a notable, yet significantly understudied, exception. Most fungal species partition individual haplotype genome copies into discrete nuclei. What evolutionary advantages arise from partitioning different haplotypes into multiple nuclei is a fundamental and unsolved puzzle in eukaryote genomics. This project addresses several questions that will improve our fundamental understanding of multinuclear genome biology by identifying genetic and epigenetic inter-nuclear differences in the stripe rust fungus (Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici, Pst). In contrast to diploids, it partitions its two haplotypes into two distinct nuclei (dikaryon). It is one of the most harmful wheat pathogens with significant impacts on global wheat production and food security. Pst epidemics in wheat growing regions including Europe and Australia have been dominated by lineages that reproduced exclusively asexually for decades. The haplotypes of the asexually evolving lineages diverge over time through independent accumulation of genetic variation. In this proposal I will dissect how the presence of multiple nuclei in the same cytoplasm in rust fungi contributes to rapid adaptation to variable and changing agricultural environments. Understanding the underlying mechanisms that drive rapid evolution of new genotypes in absence of sexual recombination is important to make predictions about durability of host resistance and management strategies.
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.
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology mycology
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics genomes
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries agriculture grains and oilseeds cereals
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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.
8000 Aarhus C
Denmark
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.