EvoBias · The role of developmental biases on the tempo of phenotypic evolution
Horizon Europe — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2023-09-01 → 2025-08-31
- EU contribution
- €172,619
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
The role of developmental biases on the tempo of phenotypic evolution
Understanding the mechanisms that generate phenotypic variation and their impact on the course of evolution is a central challenge in modern biology. The genetic architecture of development may limit or bias the phenotypic spectrum obtained after new mutations, deemed developmental bias. These phenotypic biases, in turn, may influence evolutionary trajectories. Despite the recognition of the potential importance of developmental biases in constraining and pacing the evolutionary process, there is scarce direct empirical evidence for this potential role. Here, I proposed to tackle this key question using the ecologically-relevant behaviour of avoidance to pathogens in the genetically-tractable organism Caenorhabditis elegans. I would establish the neurobehavioural system of C. elegans as a powerful study system to dissect the mechanisms of developmental bias across levels of biological organisation, encompassing cell fate decisions during the development of the nervous system to behaviour. This project aimed to directly test the role of developmental biases on the tempo of phenotypic evolution, and how they affect pathogen avoidance, a trait that is highly relevant for the health of biological systems. The project was structured in two main scientific objectives: Objective 1: Quantify and uncover mechanisms of developmental biases in behaviour. I would investigate the mutational variation-covariation properties of locomotor and avoidance behaviour in the adult C. elegans (i.e., the behaviour mutational co-variance/ developmental biases). Objective 2: Test the role of developmental biases on the tempo of phenotypic evolution. I would directly test the impact of developmental biases on the tempo of phenotypic evolution in an ecologically relevant scenario using experimental evolution.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
Understanding the mechanisms that generate phenotypic variation and their impact on the course of evolution is a central challenge in modern biology. The genetic architecture of development may limit or bias the phenotypic spectrum obtained after random mutation, deemed developmental bias. These phenotypic biases in turn may influence evolutionary trajectories. Despite the recognition of the importance of developmental biases in constraining and pacing evolution, there is no direct empirical evidence for this potential role. Here, I propose to tackle this key question using the ecologically-relevant avoidance to pathogens in the genetically-tractable organism Caenorhabditis elegans. To this aim, I will: (i) quantify and uncover mechanisms of developmental biases in avoidance behaviour; and (2) test the role of developmental biases on the tempo of phenotypic evolution. On the first objective, I will generate a novel panel of random mutant lines containing a transgene for whole-organism neuronal cell-fate identification, determine developmental biases in locomotor and avoidance behaviour, and uncover mechanisms of developmental biases. On the second objective, I will construct hybrid outbred populations with varying developmental biases to test their impact on the tempo of phenotypic evolution in an ecologically relevant scenario using experimental evolution. To achieve this, I will adopt an innovative interdisciplinary approach that combines my expertise in neurodevelopmental and behaviour genetics, quantitative genetics, genome-editing and know-how with the model C. elegans with that of the host lab in experimental evolution, behaviour ecology and host-pathogen interactions. Thus, promoting an active exchange of multidisciplinary expertise between the two parties.EvoBias will elucidate the role of developmental bias during the evolutionary process and its mechanisms in an ecologically-relevant scenario, and it will be a milestone towards my scientific independence
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- FCIENCIAS.ID - ASSOCIACAO PARA A INVESTIGACAO E DESENVOLVIMENTO DE CIENCIAS · LisbonCoordinatorPortugal
Links
- View on CORDIS
- DOI: 10.3030/101110355
- https://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/documents/downloadPublic?documentIds=080166e50dc3e4b0&appId=PPGMS
- https://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/documents/downloadPublic?documentIds=080166e5216d8023&appId=PPGMS
Data: CORDIS, © European Union