HEИндивидуална стипендия2023–2026

EPIC · Mechanism and significance of de novo gene methylation during reproduction in Marchantia

„Хоризонт Европа“ — Действия „Мария Склодовска-Кюри“

Период: 2023-08-16 → 2026-12-15
Финансиране от ЕС: 261 381 €
Участници: 2
Схема: HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-GF

Линиите свързват координатора с партньорите.

Накратко на български

Метилирането на ДНК при растението Marchantia polymorpha определя кога и как се изключват конкретни гени по време на размножаването. Анализът на този древен вид помага да се разбере как са се развили епигенетичните системи при растенията.

Този кратък обзор е генериран от изкуствен интелект

Кратко обяснение, генерирано от езиков модел по текста на CORDIS. Оригиналът е по-долу.

Резултати накратко

Mechanism and significance of de novo gene methylation during reproduction in Marchantia

Plants rely on chemical marks added to their DNA to regulate gene activity. One of the most important of these marks is DNA methylation. In most plants, DNA methylation is best known for silencing transposable elements, often described as genomic parasites. However, recent evidence suggests that DNA methylation may also regulate genes during development. How and when this gene-targeted methylation is established, and what it does during plant reproduction, remains poorly understood. The EPIC project investigates how new DNA methylation patterns are established during reproduction in Marchantia polymorpha, a simple early-diverging land plant. Studying such an evolutionarily ancient species allows researchers to explore how epigenetic regulatory systems emerged and diversified during plant evolution. The overall objectives of the project are to determine when gene methylation appears during development, identify the molecular mechanisms responsible for targeting it to specific genes, and understand its functional significance in reproductive tissues. By combining single-cell technologies, genome editing, chromatin profiling and comparative genomics, the project aims to provide a mechanistic and evolutionary framework for understanding gene-targeted DNA methylation in plants.

Текст от CORDIS, на английски · Данни: CORDIS, © Европейски съюз

Цел на проекта

DNA methylation plays fundamental roles in gene regulation and cell identity in plants and animals. However, these two kingdoms exhibit distinct methylation patterns and reprogramming of methylation during development occurs in different ways. I have exciting evidence from the emerging model plant system Marchantia polymorpha of de novo DNA methylation at thousands of genes in the embryo that is analogous to gene methylation established in the oocyte of mammals. A subset of these genes are also methylated in the Marchantia male sex organ prior to fertilisation and are enriched for roles in hormone signalling, epigenetics, and developmental transitions, indicating parental imprinting events important for embryo development. I propose to conduct a targeted dissection of this phenomenon. I will be hosted first by Prof. Ecker (Salk Institute, US), who is a world leader in single cell epigenomics. I will carry out high-throughput single cell methylomics and transcriptomics in combination with other cutting-edge molecular techniques to precisely determine the developmental processes undergoing gene methylation reprogramming as well as the underlying epigenetic players involved. In the return phase, I will be hosted by Prof. Solano (Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Spain) who is an expert in motif analysis and Marchantia hormone biology. With his expertise I will investigate the methylation targeting mechanism and will utilise methylation loss lines to confirm the role of gene methylation in transcriptional regulation as well as development, with a focus on ethylene signalling. This proposal represents a state-of-the-art class of study of DNA methylation through which I will broaden my scientific knowledge, develop complementary skills such as lab management and science outreach, and extend my professional network internationally. The experiences gained during this Fellowship will be essential to achieve my goal of leading a research group at the forefront of epigenetics.

Оригинален текст от CORDIS (на английски).

Участници

AGENCIA ESTATAL CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICAS · MadridКоординаторИспания
THE SALK INSTITUTE FOR BIOLOGICAL STUDIES · La JollaСъединени щати