Project description
Unravelling mitochondrial gene expression
Mitochondria, the energy powerhouses of the cell, contain their own DNA. Mitochondrial DNA uses unique mechanisms for transcription and translation. Despite the fact that cellular respiration depends on mitochondrial gene expression, important processes like the RNA life cycle are still poorly understood. The goal of the ERC-funded MitoRNA project is to address these gaps in knowledge and investigate how the different steps in mitochondrial gene expression are functionally coupled. Researchers will follow a structural biology approach to define the molecular basis of mitochondrial RNA metabolism. Results will advance our understanding of mitochondrial gene expression and fundamental mitochondrial biology.
Objective
Mitochondria maintain an organellar genome that encodes for subunits of the respiratory chain. Its coordinated expression is essential for eukaryotic life, and defects in this process lead to severe disease in humans. Mitochondrial gene expression is carried out by unique dedicated molecular machineries, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly characterized. During my previous work as a PhD student and Project Leader, I provided the structural basis of human mitochondrial transcription. At the same time, structural insights on mitochondrial translation were reported. However, our understanding of mitochondrial gene expression remains limited due to two fundamental knowledge gaps. First, we lack a molecular understanding of the complex mitochondrial RNA life cycle that takes place in between transcription and translation. Second, we do not know how the different steps of mitochondrial gene expression are functionally coupled, as they are not separated by membranes. With MitoRNA, we propose to take the next big leap towards a mechanistic understanding of mitochondrial gene expression by addressing these blind spots. Using an innovative integrated structural biology approach, we will define the molecular basis of the human mitochondrial RNA life cycle and how it is embedded in the concert of mitochondrial gene expression. In particular, we will investigate the structural basis of various key steps of mitochondrial RNA metabolism in vitro and in situ, and dissect how they are coupled to each other. This ground-breaking work will open up the next frontier in mitochondrial biology by drawing a molecular picture of human mitochondrial RNA metabolism and providing insights into the functional organization of mitochondrial gene expression. In addition, it will also advance methods to study mitochondrial biology from the atomic to the organellar scale.
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 RNA
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics genomes
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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.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
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Topic(s)
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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
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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
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2023-STG
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37075 Goettingen
Germany
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