HEИндивидуална стипендия2024–2026

EvoChromoAdapt · The impact of chromatin on the evolution and adaptation of eukaryotes

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

Период: 2024-05-01 → 2026-04-30
Финансиране от ЕС: 183 601 €
Участници: 1
Схема: HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF

Линиите свързват координатора с партньорите.

Накратко на български

Опаковката на ДНК (хроматинът) и влиянието ѝ върху еволюцията се изследват чрез червени водорасли, живеещи в горещи вулканични извори. Това помага да се разбере как структурата на генома позволява на сложните организми да се адаптират към екстремни условия.

Този кратък обзор е генериран от изкуствен интелект

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

Резултати накратко

The impact of chromatin on the evolution and adaptation of eukaryotes

All living organisms must adapt to their environments, but the mechanisms driving adaptation differ across the tree of life. One key distinction between simple prokaryotic cells and complex eukaryotic cells (animals, plants, fungi, algae) is how DNA is packaged. In eukaryotes, DNA is wrapped around histone proteins, forming chromatin. Chemical modifications on histones, called chromatin marks, regulate gene activity and can influence mutation rates. Despite growing evidence that chromatin plays a role in environmental responses, direct experimental proof of its impact on evolution and long-term adaptation was largely missing. EvoChromoAdapt set out to fill this gap by investigating how chromatin influences evolution and adaptation in eukaryotes living in extreme environments. The project used extremophilic red algae, unicellular organisms that thrive in volcanic hot springs above 50 degrees Celsius and around pH 1, as a model system. These algae have small genomes, fast growth and show radical differences in chromatin composition compared to other eukaryotes, including the loss of several conserved epigenetic pathways. By comparing extremophilic species with closely related mesophilic relatives, the project aimed to identify chromatin signatures of adaptation, reconstruct the evolutionary trajectory of chromatin machinery, and directly test how chromatin components affect adaptability. The project further expanded to trace the deep evolutionary origins of chromatin regulation back to Asgard archaea, the closest prokaryotic relatives of eukaryotes. The results reshape our understanding of how genome packaging influences evolution across all complex life.

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

Цел на проекта

MAIN HYPOTHESIS: Changes in chromatin drive evolution and adaptation in eukaryotes.MAIN OBJECTIVE: This project aims to understand the impact of epigenetic regulation on the evolution of eukaryotes adapted to extreme environments. To achieve this objective, I will use two approaches involving extremophilic eukaryotes: 1) Identify chromatin signatures to evaluate the potential roles of chromatin in adapting to extreme environments. 2) Use experimental evolution to examine how chromatin affects their capacity for adaptation.BACKGROUND: My previous research identified genome size reduction as a broad signature of adaptation strategies in extremophilic eukaryotes. In particular, an unanticipated loss of several canonical epigenetic pathways took place during the evolution of extremophilic red algae. I hypothesize that global changes in chromatin features have influenced the adaptation to extreme environments in eukaryotes. STRATEGIES: I will apply orthogonal strategies to investigate the function of chromatin in environmental adaptability. I will use multi-omics to reveal adaptation signatures based on the comparison of the composition and maps of chromatin features between extremophilic and mesophilic groups. Genetic engineering in model red algae will identify the chromatin machinery that impacts adaptation to extreme environments. Finally, experimental evolution will be used to characterize how the specific chromatin composition of extremophilic red algae impacts adaptation capacity.IMPACT: This work will establish how chromatin influences the evolution of eukaryotes with direct experimental evidence. It will demonstrate how specific chromatin components impact eukaryotic adaptations and eventually identify some macro-evolutionary trends that participate in the emergence of new eukaryotic lineages.

Оригинален текст от CORDIS (на английски).

Участници

GREGOR MENDEL INSTITUT FUR MOLEKULARE PFLANZENBIOLOGIE GMBH · WIENКоординаторАвстрия