Objective
Night-active Lepidoptera are among the most speciose group of animals (~120.000 known species) and they possess a unique sexual communication system: females attract conspecific males by using a species-specific sex pheromone blend. Due to this fine-tuning, the development of novel pheromone systems is an evolutionary mystery: production of a new pheromone blend by females and preference for that blend by males must be established simultaneously, which is difficult to explain when the female blend and the male response are controlled by independently assorting genes. The pheromone strains of the European Corn Borer, Ostrinia nubilalis provide one of the best model system for a better understanding of pheromone (co)-evolution, because in these strains the females produce opposite proportions of E11- and Z11-tetradecenyl acetate, to which only strain-specific males are attracted. The genes responsible for the strain difference in female production are autosomally encoded and identified as fatty-acyl reductase while the gene(s) underlying male response has(have) been found to be sex-linked but have not been identified yet. For years they have been hypothesized to be olfactory receptors (ORs). However, we found with fine-scale mapping that the ORs map away from the Z-linked response locus and we showed two new candidate genes mapping at the male response region on the Z chromosome. The new candidates are involved in neurogenesis in other species and therefore are interesting for all olfaction and neurogenesis studies, including studies on humans. With our multidisciplinary experience, combining genetic engineering, neurophysiology and behaviour, we wish to identify the genetic change of the genes underlying male response in O. nubilalis and functionally characterize their involvement in olfaction. This approach has the potential to a) identify novel genetic mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pheromone communication and b) develop new pest management strategies
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.
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries agriculture agronomy plant protection
- medical and health sciences medical biotechnology genetic engineering
- medical and health sciences basic medicine physiology
- natural sciences biological sciences zoology entomology
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics chromosomes
You need to log in or register to use this function
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.
-
H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
See all projects funded under this programme -
H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
See all projects funded under this programme
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.
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.
MSCA-IF-EF-ST - Standard EF
See all projects funded under this funding scheme
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.
(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2014
See all projects funded under this callCoordinator
Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
1012WX Amsterdam
Netherlands
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.