Horizontal gene transfer and metabolism in Caenorhabditis elegans

• Applicant: Dr. Maximilian Helf
• Subject Area: Bioinformatics and Theoretical Biology ; Biochemistry ; Animal Physiology and Biochemistry ; Biological and Biomimetic Chemistry
• Term: from 2017 to 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 386228702

The metabolome is the entirety of small molecules found in an organism, a highly complex and largely uncharacterized mixture mostly resulting from the activity of diverse biosynthetic pathways. Cross-species exchange of genetic information through horizontal gene transfer (HGT) has influenced the evolution of these pathways, and is best described for prokaryotes. Recent advances in genomic sequencing strongly suggest that animals have also acquired genes via HGT, many of which are suspected to serve biosynthetic functions. I will use the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as a model system to investigate how animals have expanded their biosynthetic capabilities with genes transferred from bacteria, fungi and plants. To test to what extent HGT contributes to biosynthetic capabilities in C. elegans, I will select HGT-derived candidate genes with likely enzymatic function to determine their role in metabolism. In a comparative metabolomics approach, I will use mass spectrometry (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) methods to identify small molecules whose production is dependent on specific candidate genes. Subsequent biological assays will reveal how the horizontally acquired biosynthetic machineries are connected to host metabolic pathways, and what their biological role is. These findings will expand our knowledge of metabolic pathways in C. elegans and provide insights into the evolutionary plasticity of animal metabolism.

• DFG Programme: Research Fellowships
• International Connection: USA
• Host: Professor Dr. Frank Schroeder