Comparative Immunogenomics of Basal Marine Metazoans - IMMUBASE

• Applicants: Dr. Lucía Pita Galán; Professor Dr. Thorsten Reusch, Ph.D.; Professorin Dr. Ruth Anne Schmitz-Streit
• Subject Area: Evolution, Anthropology ; Bioinformatics and Theoretical Biology ; Immunology
• Term: from 2019 to 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 417981041

Metazoan life originated in the sea in close proximity to microbes (archaea, bacteria and viruses). Species at the base of the metazoan tree such as cnidarians, ctenophores and sponges, have been living and diversifying in a microbial suspension, marine waters, since their emergence in the Precambrian period. While the microbial side to this interaction is at the core of the project "Origin and Function of Metaorganisms", this proposal aims at characterizing the genomes of eight host species of basal metazoans (sponges, cnidarians, ctenophores) in great detail to advance the analysis of basal immune systems. Towards this goal, we will sequence and assemble genomes using the Chromium 10x genomics technology to near chromosomal level at CCGA Kiel. The identification of immune relevant receptors, signaling pathways and genes responsible for inter-kingdom communication (quorum quenching) will be achieved in a combination of homology and domain based analyses, transcriptomic analyses via RNAseq and genome scans across contrasting habitats that identify genes under positive selection. Repeated challenge experiments with different bacterial strains in a homologous vs. heterologous way will give insight into the molecular basis of specific immune priming. The generation of a comprehensive molecular data resource consisting of high-quality genomes, transcriptomes and population genomic data with a focus on immune gene annotation will pave the way for later functional analyses of putative immune function using gene-editing approaches.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Co-Investigator: Professorin Dr. Ute Hentschel-Humeida