Description du projet
Décoder la formation de soies chez les vers
À leur surface, les vers annelés sont munis d’excroissances semblables à des poils tactiles appelées soies. Ces structures extracellulaires présentent un large éventail de formes complexes et sont issues d’une interaction entre le cytosquelette et la polymérisation contrôlée de la chitine, un polymère à base de glucose. Le projet CHAETA, financé par l’UE, entend faire avancer les connaissances sur ce processus en étudiant les mécanismes moléculaires qui sous-tendent la synthèse des soies, en se concentrant sur les chitine-synthases. Les scientifiques utiliseront Osedax japonicus, un vers qui se nourrit d’os, comme organisme modèle; la combinaison de la modification génétique, de la microscopie et de techniques transcriptomiques de pointe leur permettra de dévoiler le réseau génétique régulant la formation de soies. Étant donné que le processus est comparable à l’impression 3D, les résultats de l’étude s’étendront au-delà de la biologie et pourront être exploités par des scientifiques étudiant la biomécanique et la biominéralisation.
Objectif
Chaetae, the chitinous bristles, of segmented worms are without a doubt one of their most characteristic features. A single cell, called chaetoblast, forms these complex extracellular structures, through an intricate interplay of the cytoskeleton and controlled polymerization of chitin. I have been investigating this fascinating system and published a series of papers describing the process of chaetal formation in various annelids using serial TEM and histology. With this proposed project I will combine my previous training and take the next logical step in the study of chaetogenesis; by investigating the molecular underpinnings of chaetal formation, focusing on chitin synthases. Chitin is one of the most dominant biopolymers in nature and a key building block of diverse extracellular structures. The bone eating worm Osedax japonicus will be the main focus of this study. Its fast and simple chaetal development, together with the drastic anatomical difference between males and females, renders it a perfect model to link the differential expression of chitin synthases to any relevant point of chaetogenesis that can be ultrastructurally profiled. Genetically well-examined annelid Capitella teleta will serve to test the functional genetics of chitin synthases using CRISPR/CAS9. This integrative approach combining advanced microscopical techniques with cutting-edge transcriptomics will result in a giant leap towards revealing the genetic network regulating chaetogenesis. I will be laying the groundwork to fully understand how morphologically complex, chitinous hard structures can be formed by a single cell. Elucidating the molecular and cellular mechanisms behind this process, that is comparable to a biological 3D printer, is highly relevant for not only annelid researchers but also to a broader scientific community studying biomechanics, biomineralization, cell-biology and even bionics.
Champ scientifique
Programme(s)
Régime de financement
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)Coordinateur
1165 Kobenhavn
Danemark