Descrizione del progetto
Comprendere i batteri che aiutano le sanguisughe ematofaghe a mantenere un’alimentazione equilibrata
Gli esseri umani ospitano una grande varietà di microrganismi, collettivamente noti come microbioma, che ci apportano benefici in numerosi modi. Forse non è quindi sorprendente constatare che non siamo gli unici organismi in cui esistono rapporti simbiotici vantaggiosi di questo genere. Le sanguisughe che si nutrono esclusivamente di sangue sarebbero carenti di vitamina B senza l’aiuto dei batteri che vivono in un organo specializzato. Grazie al sostegno del programma di azioni Marie Skłodowska-Curie, il progetto LEECHSYMBIO sta approfondendo questa interazione unica tra microbo e ospite, con l’obiettivo di stabilire questa sanguisuga come sistema modello per i futuri studi nelle simbiosi legate all’alimentazione ematofaga.
Obiettivo
Strict blood-feeding leeches are confronted with a strong B-vitamin deficiency and thus rely on bacterial symbionts to supplement their unbalanced diet. Recent evidence showed that the Mexican leech Haementeria officinalis houses in a distinct specialised organ intracellular Providencia siddallii symbionts, which have a highly reduced genome but maintained genes required for B vitamin biosynthesis. The aim of this proposal is to establish this leech as a model system for studying the intricacies of nutritional blood-feeding symbioses. The genomes of Providencia symbionts of 4 additional Haementeria species will be sequenced and analysed to identify core-metabolic pathways and to reconstruct the evolutionary history of this symbiosis. A draft genome sequence of the Mexican leech Ha. officinalis will be determined, providing unique insights into metabolic complementarity. Comparison with the available genome of the related non-blood-feeding leech Helobdella robusta will facilitate identification of genomic determinants of the acquisition/loss of the bacteriome and the blood feeding habit. Bacteriome development and colonization will be investigated using different developmental stages and advanced microscopy techniques. Host control and nutritional role of the symbiont will be studied using isotope probing experiments and state-of-the-art chemical imaging and metabolomics methods. This project will provide comprehensive insights into a nutritional symbiosis in medically relevant blood-feeding animals, including the evolution of specialised symbiosis organs and metabolic interactions between both partners. It will bring together a postdoc with a strong background in bioinformatics and bacterial symbionts with a host lab focused on experimental and molecular analysis of microbe-host interactions. This set-up ensures both an ideal environment for the postdoc on his way to an truly independent researcher, and an efficient two-way transfer of knowledge.
Campo scientifico
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesmicrobiologybacteriology
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesopticsmicroscopy
- medical and health scienceshealth sciencesnutrition
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesbiological behavioural sciencesethologybiological interactions
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesgeneticsgenomes
Parole chiave
Programma(i)
Argomento(i)
Meccanismo di finanziamento
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)Coordinatore
1010 Wien
Austria