Objective Colour patterns are prominent features of many animals and have important functions in communication such as camouflage, kin recognition and mate selection. Colour patterns are highly variable and evolve rapidly leading to large diversities even within a single genus. As targets for natural as well as sexual selection, they are of high evolutionary significance. The zebrafish (Danio rerio), a vertebrate model organism for the study of development and disease, displays a conspicuous pattern of alternating blue and golden stripes on the body and on the anal- and tailfins. Mutants with spectacularly altered patterns have been analysed, and novel approaches in lineage tracing have provided first insights into the cellular and molecular basis of colour patterning. These studies revealed that the mechanisms at play are novel and of fundamental interest to the biology of pattern formation. Closely related Danio species have very divergent colour patterns in body and fins offering the unique opportunity to study development and evolution of colour patterns in vertebrates building on the thorough analysis of one model species. Our research in zebrafish will explore the basis of direct interactions between chromatophores mediated by channels and junctions. We will investigate the divergent mode of stripe formation in the fins and the molecular influence of the cellular environment on chromatophore interactions. In closely related Danio species, we will investigate the cellular interactions during pattern formation. We will analyse transcriptomes and genome sequences to identify candidate genes providing the molecular basis for pigment pattern diversity. These candidate genes will be tested by creating mutants and exchanging allelic variants using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. The work will lay the foundation to understand not only the genetic basis of variation in colour pattern formation between Danio species, but also the evolution of biodiversity in other vertebrates. Fields of science natural sciencesbiological sciencesmolecular biologymolecular geneticsengineering and technologymaterials engineeringcolorsnatural sciencesbiological sciencesgeneticsmutationnatural sciencesbiological sciencesecologyecosystemsnatural sciencesbiological sciencesgeneticsgenomes Keywords Danio species zebrafish biodiversity pigmentation chromatophore melanophore cell-cell interaction Programme(s) H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme Topic(s) ERC-ADG-2015 - ERC Advanced Grant Call for proposal ERC-2015-AdG See other projects for this call Funding Scheme ERC-ADG - Advanced Grant Host institution MAX-PLANCK-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FORDERUNG DER WISSENSCHAFTEN EV Net EU contribution € 2 250 000,00 Address HOFGARTENSTRASSE 8 80539 Munchen Germany See on map Region Bayern Oberbayern München, Kreisfreie Stadt Activity type Research Organisations Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 2 250 000,00 Beneficiaries (1) Sort alphabetically Sort by Net EU contribution Expand all Collapse all MAX-PLANCK-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FORDERUNG DER WISSENSCHAFTEN EV Germany Net EU contribution € 2 250 000,00 Address HOFGARTENSTRASSE 8 80539 Munchen See on map Region Bayern Oberbayern München, Kreisfreie Stadt Activity type Research Organisations Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 2 250 000,00