Objective
The Drosophila model will be used for two complementary and unbiased genetic screens, designed to identify novel genes that affect iron homeostasis in multi-cellular organisms. S. cerevisiae has been used successfully for the same purpose, however this unicellular organism does not express neither ferritin (the major iron storage protein) nor iron regulatory proteins (the major regulators of intracellular iron homeostasis in mammals). Knockout mouse models of known iron metabolism genes have been developed to study relevant human disorders, but have limited value for identification of novel genes. To study ferritin expression in Drosophila, we have previously characterized a fly strain expressing GFP-Fer1HCH, which is incorporated into endogenous ferritin complexes that sequester iron and show subcellular and tissue specific expression patterns that are identical to wild type ferritins. Green fluorescence is readily observed in the intestine, brain and in large characteristic pericardial cells of first instar larvae. If fed on iron, ferritin expression is induced in the anterior portion of the intestine. For the first screen EMS-mutagenized chromosomes will be crossed in trans with the GFP-ferritin carrying flies, looking for altered expression patterns. The second screen is based on the observation that ubiquitous overexpression of ferritin can be lethal under iron limiting conditions. Ferritin-induced lethality is rescued by iron supplementation, suggesting that the cause of lethality is related to iron sequestration by excess ferritin. We expect that, under low iron conditions, flies overexpressing ferritin will only grow if we genetically reduce the expression of factors important in ferritin assembly or iron incorporation into ferritin. Combining the two screening strategies we expect to unravel novel genes that impact on iron homeostasis and introduce the Drosophila model in BioIron research.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins
- natural sciences biological sciences zoology mammalogy
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics chromosomes
- medical and health sciences basic medicine physiology homeostasis
You need to log in or register to use this function
We are sorry... an unexpected error occurred during execution.
You need to be authenticated. Your session might have expired.
Thank you for your feedback. You will soon receive an email to confirm the submission. If you have selected to be notified about the reporting status, you will also be contacted when the reporting status will change.
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
FP7-PEOPLE-2007-4-3-IRG
See other projects for this call
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Coordinator
E1 4NS London
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.