CINAR PATHOBACTER · CIliates as NAtural Reservoir of potentially PATHOgenic BACTERia: an ecological, functional and evolutionary genomic investigation
FP7 — People (Marie Curie Actions)
- Duration
- 2011-05-20 → 2015-05-19
- EU contribution
- €433,800
- Participants
- 5
- Scheme
- MC-IRSES
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
CIliates as NAtural Reservoir of potentially PATHOgenic BACTERia: an ecological, functional and evolutionary genomic investigation
The aim of 7FP IRSES project “CIliates as NAtural Reservoir of potentially PATHOgenic BACTERia: an ecological, functional and evolutionary genomic investigation” (CINAR PATHOBACTER) was to set up an international research network that, starting from the collection of novel isolates especially from tropical regions, would perform an ecological, functional and evolutionary genomic investigation on symbiotic bacteria retrieved from ciliates showing phylogenetic affinities to pathogenic ones. Throughout the four years of the project we have developed research interactions and exchanges, both at an intra-European level and between European and non-European countries, pursuing our aims to promote and coordinate interrelationships and joint projects among the units. Several young researchers have been trained in foreign laboratories. The interest aroused by CINAR PATHOBACTER network attracted external researchers from non-European countries that initially participated to our internal meetings, and officially joint the network as partners (University of Montreal, Canada) during the third year. At a scientific level, the network has achieved most of its original aims in terms of deliverables and milestones reached. In detail, we performed a systematic sampling in many countries including tropical ones, especially India. We performed many cultivation attempts on retrieved ciliates whose morphological, molecular and ultrastructural characterization has been performed and is still in progress. Newly sampled ciliates were also screened for the presence of bacterial symbionts whose multidisciplinary characterization has been performed and is still in progress. An evolutionary genomic analysis of the available genome sequence of the bacterial symbiont of ciliates Polynucleobacter necessarius was completed and published. Genomic sequencing of another symbiont, Holospora caryophila, is on the way to be finished and the genomic sequencing of other three symbionts characterized during the project is in process. Eco-physiological and evolutionary epidemiological studies on ciliates and their symbionts were also performed. A total of sixteen extended publications have been already produced by CINAR PATHOBACTER network and several others are either submitted or in preparation. Obtained results and their possible developments are of potential interest for aquaculture and related industries. Other potentially interested industries could involve those dealing with wastewater and sanitation treatment systems.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
In the last years, Protists (Protozoa) gained a significant attention from the scientific community because of their role as Trojan horses respect to opportunistic pathogens of humans and animals. Although this role is nowadays well established and accepted for some Protists like Acanthamoeba, little is known for other groups of possible hosts. Recently, members of the coordinating unit of Pisa got evidences that many of the natural occurring bacterial symbionts of ciliates have a strong phylogenetic affiliation to human and animal (especially fish) pathogens like Rickettsia (Vannini et al., 2005; Ferrantini et al., 2009; Ferrantini et al., in prep) and Francisella (Schrallhammer et al., in prep.). These observations raised the question whether ciliates may also represent natural reservoirs for potentially pathogenic bacteria especially in tropical regions where the environmental conditions favor microbial growth and fast evolution. Furthermore tropical countries are predicted as the Hot Spot for emerging infectious diseases and zoonosis due to hygienic standards lower than in Western countries and the living together of humans with their farmed animals. Aim of the present project is to set up an international research network that, starting from the collection of novel isolates especially from tropical regions, performs a complete ecological, functional and evolutionary genomic investigation on symbiotic bacteria retrieved from ciliates that shows phylogenetic affinities to pathogenic ones. Units from the proposed network posses expertise that ranges from the traditional morphological investigation to advanced ultrastructure, ecology, functional biology, molecular phylogeny, comparative genomics and postgenomics. Aim of the research network will be to coordinate the research activities of the involved units into joined projects and to transfer know-how to the younger researcher to allow them to re-establish the acquired competences in their home laboratories.
Original text from CORDIS.
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Data: CORDIS, © European Union