Project description
Natural genetic complexity and behavioural variation within species
The egg-laying circuit of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is a well-studied model in neuroscience, yet little is known about how genetic variation shapes behaviour in this species. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the EggsVsLarvae project will explore genetic diversity linked to egg-laying behaviour, focusing on matricidal hatching (MH). This is a process where larvae hatch inside the parent when egg-laying is limited. The project expects to identify the molecular causes of MH in natural strains and examine how genetic interactions in hybrids can trigger MH even when neither parent shows the trait. Using advanced techniques to pinpoint Quantitative Trait Loci and molecular variants, it aims to shed light on behavioural variation within species.
Objective
The egg-laying circuit of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is one of the best-understood model neural circuits. Yet, how genetic changes in the circuit translate into natural behavioral variation within the species remains limited. Characterizing standing genetic variationan inherent feature of most animal populations and essential for evolutionis a fundamental aspect of understanding any model system. I will study the genetic diversity underlying C. elegans egg-laying behavior by focusing on an ecologically important phenotype: matricidal hatching (MH). MH occurs when egg laying is so limited that larvae are forced to hatch inside the parental body. While usually a plastic response to poor environments, MH is constitutive (CMH) in multiple divergent lineages: this represents a chance to study how different molecular pathways converge on the same phenotype. I will identify the molecular causes of CMH in different natural strains and I will further study how CMH can emerge through novel genetic interactions in hybrid strains derived from crosses between non-CMH parents. Traditionally, genome-wide association (GWA) and linkage mapping in C. elegans are complicated by the species strong linkage disequilibrium and the labor-intensive construction of mapping panels, respectively. To overcome this, I will employ state-of-the-art methods and novel resources to identify Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) and their underlying molecular variants that lead to CMH. This project will allow me to learn the handling of a new model organism, broaden my molecular biology and bioinformatics skills, and grow as a scientist by expanding my experience in genotype-phenotype analysis from single proteins to genome-wide studies of a complex phenotype. As the first study to examine the effects of genetic diversity on the nematode egg-laying circuit, my results will deepen our knowledge of this model circuit and deepen our general understanding of within-species behavioral variation.
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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Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
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Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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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.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01
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75794 Paris
France
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