Objective
Thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP) is the active form of vitamin B1. As well as being an important cofactor for primary metabolism, TPP also controls gene regulation through riboswitches in bacteria, fungi, plants and algae. Riboswitches are evolutionarily conserved sequences in the mRNA to which a metabolite binds directly, thereby affecting expression of the protein. In the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, riboswitches have been found to control gene expression of two thiamine genes, THIC and THI4. To date, studies on riboswitches remain descriptive. Here we propose to investigate, for the first time, in vivo, the role of riboswitches in regulating biosynthetic pathways, using the thiamine pathway in C. reinhardtii. This will be achieved by analyzing the vitamin B1 metabolism of THIC mutants transformed with a functional THIC gene with or without its riboswitch. Additionally, TPP riboswitches will be introduced into yeast, which lacks riboswitches. Data will be used to build a mathematical model of thiamine metabolism with or without riboswitches. We also plan to look for new ‘TPP riboswitch-controlled genes’ by differential display proteomics. This will also give us the opportunity to create a promising molecular tool for the fine-tuning of gene expression. As a proof of concept, a TPP riboswitch will be fused to a reporter gene and transformed either into the nucleus or into the chloroplast of C. reinhardtii. This will allow us to manipulate gene expression and investigate gene function by adding vitamin B1 to the medium. The research project will bring new insight to our understanding of regulation of vitamin metabolism. This will facilitate our ability to manipulate vitamin levels in plants thereby improving their nutritional quality. Understanding vitamin and cofactor metabolism in algae is also essential for the production of third generation biofuels, which are highly dependent on vitamin metabolism.
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 molecular biology molecular genetics
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins proteomics
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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.
FP7-PEOPLE-2009-IEF
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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.
Coordinator
1211 Geneve
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.