Project description
Structural insight into gene expression regulation
Gene expression in eukaryotic cells is driven by a complex interplay of factors including enhancers and repressors, chromatin accessibility and DNA modifications. The orchestration of these factors seems to robustly accommodate random events, such as DNA damage and the action of the DNA repair mechanism. The EU-funded EPIDNA project will focus on the role of DNA modifications in nucleosome patterns as well as the crosstalk between oxidative stress and transcriptional regulation. The aim is to understand the fine-tuning of the parameters that drive gene expression, helping to cast light on a multitude of processes such as embryonic development and cell fate determination.
Objective
In eukaryotic cells, gene expression is regulated by a complex interplay between a number of factors, from large-scale chromatin accessibility to inducible enhancers or repressors to local DNA modifications, changes in nucleosome architecture and specific histone markers. These finely tuned factors coordinate embrional development, response to stimuli and changes in cell fate. At the same time, this regulatory network has to robustly accommodate random events, most notably the presence of DNA damage and the action of DNA repair factors. While recent reports suggest this interplay is not always smooth, our mechanistic understanding of the underlying processes is severely limited, highlighting the need for quantitative approaches that will yield predictive models.
In this proposal, I plan to investigate three aspects of this interplay that recently came into the spotlight. Firstly, an integrative computational and experimental approach will be used to quantify the positioning effect resulting from a range of common DNA modifications: regulatory base variants that can be used to enforce specific nucleosome patterns, and damage byproducts that would thereby interfere with DNA repair through altered exposure to the environment. Secondly, a number of transcription factors will be systematically assessed to detect ones sensitive to the presence of the most common oxidative lesion, 8-oxoguanine, to identify possible direct cross-talk between oxidative stress and transcriptional regulation at oxidative hot spots. Finally, a multiscale quantum/classical study will explore the thermodynamics, mechanism of formation and possible nucleosomal locations of covalent histone-DNA cross-links that were recently postulated to both mediate the regulatory role of 5-formylcytosine and accelerate strand scission at abasic sites.
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
- natural sciences physical sciences thermodynamics
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics epigenetics
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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 - 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.
08028 Barcelona
Spain
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.