Project description
How PWO proteins influence plant development
Polycomb-group (PcG) protein complexes are involved in developmental processes in both plants and animals. They include Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2), which represses targeted genes by introducing the histone modification H3K27me3, a clear marker of gene repression. Recently, a novel PWWP DOMAIN INTERACTOR OF POLYCOMBS 1 (PWO1) protein was identified as a recruiter and regulator of PRC2. However, the PWO-like proteins do not seem to follow the same evolutionary pattern, which poses the question of how PWO-like proteins shaped the evolution of the PcG pathway and contributed to plant development. The EU-funded EvoPWO project will apply a synthetic biology approach to determine the impact of PWO-like proteins on PWO-less species to determine whether PWOs can reprogram PRC2 epigenetic activities.
Objective
The Polycomb Group (PcG) proteins ensure the accuracy of developmental processes and maintain cellular identities in both plants and animals. Among the PcG proteins, Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) establishes the repressive state of targeted genes by introducing the H3K27me3 epigenetic mark. Recently, a novel PWWP DOMAIN INTERACTOR OF POLYCOMBS 1 (PWO1) protein has been identified as a recruiter and regulator of PRC2. PWO1 may also act as a mediator of PRC2 repression at the nuclear periphery (NP). Even though PRC2 orthologues are highly conserved from unicellular algae to modern plants, the PWO-like proteins do not seem to follow the same evolutionary pattern as they exclusively arise at a specific time in plant evolution, coinciding with the colonization of land and emergence of vascular systems. This poses the question of how PWO-like proteins shaped the evolution of the PcG pathway and contributed to plant evolution in a developmental context. To answer this, I plan to apply a synthetic biology approach with the aim to assess the impact of PWO-like proteins on PWO-less species, particularly to understand whether PWOs can reprogram PRC2 epigenetic activities. Furthermore, the inspection of ancestral PWOs functions in modern plants will provide essential information regarding the conservation of their activity, for instance, the PWO-mediated link of chromatin repression to the NP across the species. Lastly, the exploration of unknown interacting partners of PWO-like proteins in both ancestral and modern plants will give insights for the conservation and functions of the PWO-related protein network in PRC2 regulation. Altogether, this project will shed light on the potential mechanisms underlying the enrolment of PWOs function in developmental epigenetics during land plant evolution. The acquired expertise through the proposed project will be crucial for me to work as an independent researcher in the area of plant epigenetics and evolutionary biology.
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 synthetic biology
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology phycology
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins
- natural sciences biological sciences evolutionary biology
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics epigenetics
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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-2020
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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.
370 05 Ceske Budejovice
Czechia
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.