Descrizione del progetto
L’organizzazione delle estremità ciliari nella via di segnalazione di hedgehog
Le cellule eucariote sono cosparse di protuberanze snelle chiamate ciglia, organuli che possiedono funzioni motorie, sensoriali e di segnalazione essenziali. La struttura delle ciglia è importante per la loro funzione; tuttavia, i meccanismi alla base della relazione tra struttura e funzione non sono ben compresi. Il progetto CiliaryTip, finanziato dall’UE, si propone di affrontare il ruolo della struttura ciliare nella via di segnalazione di hedgehog, una delle principali vie di segnalazione basate sulle ciglia, essenziale per lo sviluppo embrionico e implicata nella malattia. Tale lavoro eserciterà un impatto sul modo in cui verranno esaminate le malattie relative all’hedgehog in futuro, generando informazioni preziose con implicazioni più ampie circa la segnalazione e i ruoli sensoriali delle ciglia.
Obiettivo
Cilia are microtubule-based organelles with essential motile, sensory and signaling functions. The cilium structure is important for its function however the mechanisms underlying the structure-function relationship are not well understood. The proposed study will address the role of the cilium structure in hedgehog signaling, one of the main cilia-based signaling pathways, essential for embryonic development and implicated in disease. In mammals, cilia are required for hedgehog signaling and the localization of signaling proteins at the distal end of cilia, the ciliary tip, is important for pathway activation. Structural defects at the ciliary tip affect the localization of signaling proteins and pathway activation and cause a subset of cases of Joubert Syndrome. We propose an unbiased and comprehensive approach to elucidate how the ciliary tip organization supports the localization and dynamics of hedgehog signaling proteins at this compartment. This work will impact how we address hedgehog related diseases in the future and will generate insights with broader implications with respect to the signaling and sensory roles of cilia. The fellow will conduct this work in the laboratory of Dr. Skourides at the University of Cyprus, a group with a consistent record of high quality publications, including important findings related to cilia. The Fellow’s experience in studying the ciliary tip in motile cilia and the expertise of the host in cellular and developmental biology ensure the successful implementation of the proposed work. The Fellow has demonstrated great potential in becoming an independent scientist by securing funding for her PhD work and receiving the Seal of Excellence on an MSCA-IF submitted in 2018. Through this fellowship the researcher will acquire both the training and experience that will allow her to transition to an independent career focused on the connection between cilium structure and function and its role in vertebrate development.
Campo scientifico
Programma(i)
Argomento(i)
Meccanismo di finanziamento
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)Coordinatore
1678 Nicosia
Cipro