Project description
Insight into the evolution of polyploidy in oats
Polyploidy in crops is associated with enhanced fitness, often allowing plants to adapt to a wider range of habitats and survive in unstable climates better than their diploid progenitors. Scientists of the EU-funded OCHRE project are interested in discovering the role of intergenomic chromosome translocations in the evolution of polyploid species in oats. The working hypothesis is that translocations between oat genomes are related to transposable element activity as well as changes in DNA methylation and histone modifications. OCHRE will follow a cytogenetics, bioinformatics and epigenetics analysis of the oat genome to unveil the potential mechanisms involved in intergenomic translocations.
Objective
Comparative genetic analysis of grasses, one of the most widely distributed plant families and including the three most important human foods, has demonstrated that different groups differ in the evolutionary presence of intergenomic chromosome translocations in polyploid species, including the important crops. The overall goal of our research group is to define the nature and mechanism of terminal intergenomic translocations in oats (Avena) where these are frequent, allowing us to model their contribution to cereal genome evolution. We hypothesize that terminal translocations between oat genomes are related to transposable element activity, a decrease in DNA methylation, and histone modifications that are differential between the genomes. We propose a focused series of complementary molecular cytogenetic, bioinformatic, and epigenetic studies on oat and wheat genomes to characterize this physical genome rearrangement process. A comprehensive model illustrating the potential mechanisms involved in terminal intergenomic translocations will be elucidated by the simultaneous hybridization with the use of genome-specific probes and retrotransposon sequences, and immunostaining of histones and 5-methylcytosine in mitotic cells. The research will reveal why genomes of oats show frequent intergenomic translocations, playing a significant role in their evolution, in contrast to wheats where the translocations are rare. The fundamental research has implications for breeding oats to exploit biodiversity through introgression from wild species, and perhaps enabling additional introgressions in wheat breeding.
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 biological sciences genetics DNA
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries agriculture industrial crops fodder
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics chromosomes
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics genomes
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries agriculture grains and oilseeds cereals
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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-EF-ST - Standard EF
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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.
LE1 7RH Leicester
United Kingdom
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.