Project description
A molecular study of transport inside the cellular antennas of worms
Cilia are slender antenna-like microtubule-based structures that extend from the surface of most human cell types, enabling them to detect and respond to changes in their local environment. The roundworm species Caenorhabditis elegans, which have well-characterised ciliated chemosensory neurons, provide an excellent model system to study intracellular transport inside cilia. Cilia consists of an axoneme, a microtubule-based core structure, which acts as a template for bi-directional intraflagellar transport (IFT). IFT mediated by trains composed of large protein complexes that connect cargo to motor proteins, is crucial for formation and maintenance of cilia. The EU-funded MingleIFT project is establishing a dual-color and single molecule imaging technique to gain molecular-level understanding of IFT and how it adapts in response to chemical cues in the environment.
Objective
Sensory cilia are essential ‘antenna-like’ organelles that protrude out of many eukaryotic cells, acting as signal transducers, enabling cells to sense and respond to the external environment. The model system for this proposed study, chemosensory cilia of C. elegans are well characterised and enable the animal to sense water soluble effectors in the environment for chemotaxis. Cilia consist of an axoneme encapsulated with a signalling protein-rich ciliary membrane. The axoneme, which is a microtubule-based core structure, acts as a template for a specialised intra-cellular transport, intraflagellar transport (IFT). IFT trains are large protein complexes that mediate contacts between motor proteins (IFT kinesins and IFT dynein) and ciliary cargoes, crucial for the formation and maintenance of the cilia, with anterograde IFT trains moving outwards from the ciliary base to deliver ciliary building blocks to the ciliary tip and retrograde IFT trains moving from the ciliary tip to the ciliary base to recycle the waste products. The overarching objective of this project is to grasp the connection between chemosensory function of cilia (initiating chemotaxis), IFT and ciliary length-regulation using single-molecule imaging techniques. In order to achieve this, (i) I will develop a multi-color and single-molecule imaging toolbox to study IFT in the phasmid chemosensory cilia of C. elegans. (ii) Using the toolbox, I will obtain a mechanistic understanding of turnaround dynamics of the IFT machinery (IFT motors and components of the IFT trains), during normal IFT. (iii) A comprehensive understanding of normal IFT will enable discovery of the subtle adjustments made by the IFT machinery, and its effect on the cilia length, in response to chemical cues in the external environment. Ultimately, the goal is to understand how organism level tactic response is interlinked with intracellular transport in the ciliary antennas of individual cells, using C. elegans as a model system.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
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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.
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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-2019
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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.
1081 HV Amsterdam
Netherlands
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