Functional study of MicroRNAs in the starlet sea anemone Nematostella vectensis (Cnidaria; Anthozoa)

Projektinformationen

NEMATOSTELLAMICRORNA

ID Finanzhilfevereinbarung: 252452

Abgeschlossenes Projekt

Startdatum 15 September 2011

Enddatum 14 September 2013

Finanziert unter

• Specific programme "People" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013)

Gesamtkosten € 170 981,20

EU-Beitrag € 170 981,20

Koordiniert durch

UNIVERSITAT WIEN
Austria

Ziel

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are RNAs of ~21-24 nucleotides with pivotal regulatory roles in various developmental and physiological pathways. They inhibit the translation of mRNAs and thus constitute a “tuning” system for controlling post-transcriptional expression. While the understanding of miRNAs function in bilaterians such as flies, nematodes and mammals is expanding rapidly, little is known about miRNAs in other animals. The starlet sea anemone, Nematostella vectensis is a rising model which enables developmental biology studies in the non-bilaterian phylum Cnidaria under lab conditions. Recently, 40 miRNAs were found in N. vectensis but only one of them is a clear homologue of a bilaterian miRNA (miR-100). As the cnidarian miRNA collection seems significantly smaller than the bilaterian one, it is possible that the evolution of translation-control through miRNAs is responsible for the increase in morphological complexity observed between the basal cnidarians and highly diversified bilaterians (e.g. vertebrates and insects). We aim to study the miRNA expression patterns and function in Nematostella. Specifically, we will use in-situ hybridization, morpholino injection and transgenic manipulations to fulfill these aims. Once we have identified a miRNA whose knockdown results in a noticeable phenotype we will use various bioinformatic and experimental approaches to reveal and verify its target mRNAs. Since the last common ancestor of bilaterians and cnidarians has lived approximately 600 million years ago, common features in miRNAs and modulation of translation revealed in this work may be considered ancient. Intriguingly, it is possible that since this ancestor probably had simple body morphology and few cell types, the cnidarian miRNAs and their function resemble those of the common ancestor.

Wissenschaftliches Gebiet

• natural sciences › biological sciences › developmental biology
• natural sciences › biological sciences › zoology › entomology
• natural sciences › biological sciences › genetics › nucleotides
• natural sciences › biological sciences › zoology › mammalogy
• natural sciences › biological sciences › zoology › invertebrate zoology

Programm/Programme

• FP7-PEOPLE - Specific programme "People" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013)

Thema/Themen

• FP7-PEOPLE-2009-IEF - Marie Curie Action: "Intra-European Fellowships for Career Development"

Aufforderung zur Vorschlagseinreichung

FP7-PEOPLE-2009-IEF
Andere Projekte für diesen Aufruf anzeigen

Finanzierungsplan

MC-IEF - Intra-European Fellowships (IEF)

Koordinator

UNIVERSITAT WIEN

Kontakt Verwaltung

Ulrich Technau (Prof.)

• EU-Beitrag: € 170 981,20
• Adresse: UNIVERSITATSRING 1 ; 1010 Wien ; Österreich
• Region: Ostösterreich › Wien › Wien
• Aktivitätstyp: Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
• Gesamtkosten: Keine Daten