Objective Trachipleistophora hominis is a member of the microsporidia, a large group of obligate intracellular parasites of other eukaryotes including patients with HIV/AIDS. Microsporidia were originally thought to be early-branching eukaryotes lacking mitochondria. Recent data, key elements published by the proposed host laboratory, have now shown that they are highly reduced fungi with largely metabolically cryptic remnant mitochondria called mitosomes. During their evolution to parasitism the genomes of microsporidians have become highly streamlined, resulting in a strong dependency of the parasites on substrates imported from their hosts. In my project I will analyse the relatively large (~8 Mb) newly sequenced (by the host laboratory) genome of T. hominis and compare it to the much smaller (~3 Mb) published genome of Encephalitozoon cuniculi and to several partial genome sequences from other microsporidians. These analyses will allow me to compare and contrast the degree of reductive genome evolution undergone by different microsporidians during their separate evolutionary histories and adaptation to different hosts. As part of these analyses, I will reconstruct a putative proteome for the T. hominis mitosome, focusing particularly on hypotheses of candidate transport proteins. These hypotheses will then be tested by laboratory work, including localisation studies and functional characterisation. The proposed project, host laboratory and their collaborators will provide me with state of the art training in bioinformatics and molecular biology aimed at understanding the biology of a group of important human parasites. Research on this topic goes to the heart of a fundamental issue for eukaryotic biology - identifying the origin of essential components of eukaryotic cells. It speaks directly to the FP7 Health Priority “Systems Biology” (HEALTH-2007-2.1.2) to combine and integrate data from biological pathways in unicellular eukaryotic organisms to human cells and organs. Fields of science natural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculesproteinsproteomicsnatural sciencesbiological sciencesmicrobiologymycologynatural sciencesbiological sciencesbiological behavioural sciencesethologybiological interactionsnatural sciencesbiological sciencesgeneticsgenomesnatural sciencesbiological sciencesmolecular biology Keywords Natural sciences Trachipleistophora hominis intracellular eukaryotic parasites microsporidia mitosome reductive genome evolution remnant mitochondria transport proteins Programme(s) FP7-PEOPLE - Specific programme "People" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) Topic(s) FP7-PEOPLE-IEF-2008 - Marie Curie Action: "Intra-European Fellowships for Career Development" Call for proposal FP7-PEOPLE-IEF-2008 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme MC-IEF - Intra-European Fellowships (IEF) Coordinator UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE EU contribution € 171 867,63 Address KINGS GATE NE1 7RU Newcastle Upon Tyne United Kingdom See on map Region North East (England) Northumberland and Tyne and Wear Tyneside Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Amanda Gregory (Ms.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data