Project description
Molecular insight into nutrient absorption in the intestine
The architecture of the small intestine and especially the polarity of intestinal epithelial cells facilitates nutrient absorption through the brush border (BB), an array of microvilli. The scope of the EU-funded GUTPOLAR project is to investigate the relationship between membrane traffic, polarity and BB components and their role in intestinal absorption. Researchers will focus on V-ATPase – a complex that controls membrane traffic – in Caenorhabditis elegans and study the trafficking routes and the molecular mechanisms involved. Extrapolating these findings to mammalian cells will help identify the underlying aetiology of absorption disorders and unveil new therapeutic targets.
Objective
The GUTPOLAR project aims at sustainably reintegrating an Experience Researcher (ER) who will acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to reinforce European research on rare malabsorption diseases.
Food absorption relies on the strong polarity of intestinal epithelial cells and the array of microvilli forming a brush border (BB) at their luminal (apical) pole. Some rare genetic malabsorption disorders, characterized by mispolarized PAR polarity modules and BB structural proteins, are caused by mutations in genes coding for membrane traffic factors (i.e. Myo5B in microvillus inclusion disease/MVID). Despite this functional link, little is known about the genetic, physical and functional interactions between membrane traffic, polarity and BB components in vivo and how they control intestinal absorption.
The ER uncovered a new role of the V0 sector of the V-ATPase, a complex that controls membrane traffic through organelle acidification, in both polarity and BB components apical polarity maintenance in C. elegans intestine. Most interestingly, V0-ATPase depletion in C. elegans recapitulates the cellular phenotypes observed in patients with MVID, making this complex a very exciting candidate which mechanism, genetic partners and mammalian function need to be characterized.
To this end, the ER will first use genetics and super-resolution imaging to study the trafficking routes and the molecular mechanisms controlled by the V0-ATPase in vivo in C. elegans intestine. Then, he will implement mouse intestinal organoids (thanks to a secondment in H. Farin’s lab, Frankfurt, Germany) and use this model to study the conservation of these mechanisms in mammals.
Overall, the GUTPOLAR action will allow to describe evolutionary conserved pathways of polarity maintenance and identify some of the mechanisms leading to absorption disorders that may provide the medical community with new therapeutic targets.
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.
- natural sciences physical sciences optics microscopy super resolution microscopy
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins
- natural sciences biological sciences cell biology cell polarity
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics mutation
- natural sciences biological sciences zoology mammalogy
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
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.
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H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
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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 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)
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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-2018
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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.
75794 Paris
France
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.