Objective
Detoxification of poisonous xenobiotics in animals is typically performed by multi-gene enzyme families. Within arthropods, only insect genomes have been studied in detail where these families are well characterized. I recently uncovered a new enzyme family in the genome of a non-insect arthropod, the extremely polyphagous plant-feeding mite Tetranychus urticae and showed that this proliferated family was acquired via horizontal gene transfer from a fungal donor. The family codes for intradiol ring cleaving dioxygenases which cleave a particular set of aromatic structures, commonly found in pesticides and plant metabolites. Here, I propose to functionally characterize this exciting new gene family and to elucidate its role in xenobiotic detoxification, with a focus on plant secondary metabolites. First, to create a general picture, I will map the in situ expression of dioxygenases and time their responses to plant-derived secondary defense metabolites. Second, guided by preliminary results, I plan to study how these new herbivore enzymes counteract polyphenol oxidases, well-known plant defense enzymes that act against herbivores and target the same class of substrates. State-of-the-art plant transformation experiments will be performed in order to meticulously dissect their counterplay. Finally, by means of an unbiased multi-layered strategy, I will functionally characterize these new dioxygenases. Dioxygenases will be introduced into biological systems by functional expression in E. coli or insect cells, and by genetically transforming Drosophila. Cutting-edge differential metabolomics will identify the substrates and reaction products. By means of this project, I expect to unravel the selective advantage of this new family for phytophagous mites and open up avenues to exciting biotechnological applications which I expect to extend well beyond agriculture.
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.
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries agriculture agronomy plant protection
- medical and health sciences medical biotechnology genetic engineering gene therapy
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics genomes
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins enzymes
- natural sciences biological sciences zoology invertebrate zoology
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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.
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H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
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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.
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.
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)
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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.
(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2014
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
1012WX Amsterdam
Netherlands
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.