Objective
The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is the cellular organelle that serves as the entry site into the secretory pathway. Although the ER has a single continuous membrane, it is functionally divided into subdomains (SDs). These specialized regions allow the ER to carry out a multitude of functions such as folding, maturation, quality control and export, of all secreted and most membrane bound proteins; lipid biosynthesis; ion homeostasis; and communication with all other organelles. The ER is therefore not only the largest single copy organelle in most eukaryotic cells, but, thanks to the presence of SDs, also one of the more functionally diverse and structurally complex.
Changes in ER functions have been shown to contribute to the progression of many diseases such as heart disease, neurodegeneration and diabetes. Moreover, a robustly functioning ER is required for development of dedicated secretory cells such as antibody producing plasma cells and insulin secreting pancreatic cells. The past years have brought about a revolution in our understanding of basic ER functions and the homeostatic responses coordinating them. However, despite their obvious importance for robust activity of the ER, we still know very little about SD biogenesis and function. Therefore, the time is now ripe to extend our understanding by facing the next challenges in the field.
Specifically, it is now of major importance to understand how cells ensure accurate SD biogenesis and function. This proposal tackles this question by three independent but complementary screens each aimed at revealing one aspect of SDs: their structure/function, biogenesis or dynamics. The merging of all three aspects of information will give us a holistic picture of this process – one that could not have been attained by the pixilated view of any single piece of data. We propose to explore these facets in both yeast and mammals utilizing systematic tools such as high content microscopic screens followed up by the creation of genetic interaction maps and follow-up hypothesis based biochemical and genetic experiments. By combining several approaches and different organisms we hope to enable a more efficient reconstruction of this complex process.
When completed this proposal will have shed light on a little explored but central question in cellular biology. More broadly, the mechanisms that arise as guiding SD biogenesis may help us in understanding how membrane domains form in general. Due to the novelty of our approach and the cutting-edge tools used to tackle this fundamental problem in cell biology, this work will provide a paradigm for addressing complex biological questions in eukaryotic cells. It may very well be that it is this aspect of the proposal that may ultimately most broadly impact the biological community.
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 neurobiology
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins
- natural sciences biological sciences cell biology
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules lipids
- natural sciences biological sciences zoology mammalogy
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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.
ERC-2010-StG_20091118
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
7610001 Rehovot
Israel
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.