EVOBOOSTER - Impact of transposable elements on gene regulatory networks: application to fast-evolving biological pathways in fish

• Applicant: Professor Manfred Schartl, Ph.D.
• Subject Area: Evolutionary Cell and Developmental Biology (Zoology) ; General Genetics and Functional Genome Biology
• Term: from 2016 to 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 316652466

Because of their repeated and mobile nature, transposable elements have the potential to boost evolution through the fast spreading of ready-to-use regulatory sequences that can generate new gene regulations and rewire host regulatory networks, this potentially promoting rapid diversity, adaptation and speciation. Fish represent a very attractive model to test this hypothesis, since they show a high level of diversity affecting almost all facets of their biology. In addition, fish contain in their genomes many more families of transposable elements than mammals and other vertebrates. In this project, we aim to investigate the impact of transposable elements on sexual development and pigmentation, which are both hypervariable in fish. We will systematically identify and analyze at the functional level cis-regulatory sequences that are associated with genes expressed in male and female gonads or during the development of normal and malignant pigment cells, or that are bound by transcription factors with major functions in sexual development and pigmentation. Regulatory non-coding RNAs derived from transposable elements and expressed in gonads and pigment cells will also be identified and studied. This project, which involves two teams with complementary expertise (Partner 1, M Schartl, Würzburg: biology of sexual development and pigmentation; Partner 2, JN Volff, Lyon: transposable elements and genome variability) will shed a new light on the role of the mobilome on regulatory variability in living organisms, with an assessment of the potential role of transposable elements to promote rapid speciation and adaptive responses to environmental changes.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: France
• Partner Organisation: Agence Nationale de la Recherche / The French National Research Agency
• Cooperation Partner: Professor Dr. Jean-Nicolas Volff