Objective
The ends of eukaryotic chromosomes, known as telomeres, play crucial roles as guardians of genome stability and tumor suppressors. Telomeric DNA is maintained by the ribonucleoprotein enzyme telomerase. Most normal human somatic cells express only very low levels of telomerase and telomeres shorten with continuous cell division cycles. Ultimately, short telomeres activate a DNA damage response that leads to a permanent cell cycle arrest or apoptosis. Reactivation of telomerase is a key requisite for human cancer cells to attain unlimited proliferation potential. The key questions that need to be tackled in the telomere field are (1) how telomeres protect from DNA repair activities, (2) how recruitment and regulation of telomerase is mediated by telomere structure, (3) how cell cycle arrest occurs upon telomere shortening, and (4) how telomeres regulate their heterochromatic state. In all four areas, important progress is expected in the near future. We recently made the unexpected discovery that telomeres are transcribed into TElomeric Repeat containing RNA (TERRA) and that this RNA is an integral part of telomeric heterochromatin. Our working hypothesis is that the telomere is an RNA-dependent machine, and that several if not most of its crucial functions are regulated by TERRA. In this proposal we will explore TERRA functions, by elucidating its biogenesis, by identifying its protein partners and by genetic manipulation of the expression of TERRA and TERRA binding proteins. This work should provide fundamental insight into how our chromosome ends function. The gained knowledge may also provide novel avenues on how to manipulate telomere function and dysfunction in cancer cells and other diseased tissue.
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 DNA
- medical and health sciences medical biotechnology genetic engineering
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics RNA
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics genomes eukaryotic 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.
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.
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.
ERC-2008-AdG
See other projects for this call
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.
Host institution
1015 LAUSANNE
Switzerland
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.