Project description
Holecentric plant species and their unique genomic evolution
Understanding genomic architecture and recombination distribution is crucial for karyotype evolution and could lead to significant breakthroughs in various research fields. Unlike typical recombination landscapes (where centromeres restrict crossovers to the chromosome ends), some unrelated eukaryotic lineages exhibit holocentricity, showcasing unique characteristics. The ERC-funded HoloRECOMB project aims to shed light on several processes that have been largely unexplored. Specifically, it will investigate the effects of chromosome fusions and breaks on the number and distribution of crossovers, compare these processes with those in monocentric plants, and conduct in-depth research on the transition to holocentricity and the traits that have developed in various plant lineages as a result.
Objective
Centromeres strongly affect genomic architecture and meiotic recombination distribution and also play a key role in constraining karyotype evolution. The recombination landscape is also heavily influenced by chromosome number and structure (i.e. karyotypes), as at least one crossover per chromosome (and rarely more than three) occurs in most species, making chromosome number the primary driver of recombination frequency. In addition, centromeres inhibit recombination, and therefore crossovers tend to occur mostly at chromosome ends.
However, several unrelated eukaryotic lineages do not have centromeres, or at least, not conventional ones. Such is the case for plants with holocentric chromosomes, where hundreds of small centromere-like units are evenly distributed across the length of the chromosome. Notably, holocentricity has evolved repeatedly across the tree of life and at least four times during plant evolution.
Holocentric plant species offer a unique opportunity to study the plasticity of meiotic recombination control. These species have lost typical centromeres, making them ideal for investigating how the recombination landscape was reshaped after the transition to holocentricity. Moreover, holocentricity unleashes changes in the karyotype, offering the possibility to analyze the effects of chromosome breaks and fusions on recombination frequency and distribution.
The HoloRECOMB project aims are as follows:
I. Analyze how transitions to holocentricity affect meiotic recombination dynamics in different holocentric plant lineages.
II. Explore the effect of chromosome breaks and fusions on crossover number and distribution.
III. Examine whether the crossover regulation in holocentric plants acts in a similar manner as in monocentric ones.
Understanding how holocentricity affects recombination dynamics will provide insights into important mechanistic aspects of meiosis with potential practical applications for crossover regulation in centromeric regions.
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 genetics heredity
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics chromosomes
You need to log in or register to use this function
We are sorry... an unexpected error occurred during execution.
You need to be authenticated. Your session might have expired.
Thank you for your feedback. You will soon receive an email to confirm the submission. If you have selected to be notified about the reporting status, you will also be contacted when the reporting status will change.
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.
-
HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
See all projects funded under this programme
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-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
See all projects funded under this funding scheme
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) ERC-2023-STG
See all projects funded under this callHost institution
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.
80539 MUNCHEN
Germany
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.