INVERT2ADAPT | Chromosomal inversions in Atlantic herring and adaptation to changing sea water temperature

Summary
Large chromosomal inversions have been increasingly linked to local adaptation in natural populations. Despite their importance, there is current debate about what evolutionary forces maintain inversion polymorphisms in natural populations, particularly regarding the interplay between balancing and divergent selection. Furthermore, limitations of sequencing technologies often result in poor characterization of inversion breakpoints obscuring our understanding of their functional impact. INVERT2ADAPT will focus on Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) as a model system to study the contribution of chromosomal inversions to local adaptation using multiple genomics tools. First, I will characterize the chromosomal inversions and date their origin relatively to the evolutionary history of Atlantic herring using comparative genomics and phylogenomics. Second, I will study the selection regimes that maintain the inversions across a gradient of sea water temperate using population genomics. Lastly, I will pinpoint the genes and regulatory elements within the inversions that are involved in adaptation to sea water temperature using gene expression and functional genomics. The project will allow to better understand how Atlantic herring is able to survive across a wide range of sea water temperature in the Atlantic Ocean. A clear establishment of the link between linking genotype, phenotype and environment is important to understand how Atlantic herring might adapt to changes in sea water temperature induced by global warming. INVERT2ADAPT will also contribute to a better understanding of how structural variation, including large chromosomal inversions, contribute to adaptation in natural populations. The project will be implemented in Uppsala University under the supervision of Professor Leif Andersson.
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More information & hyperlinks
Web resources: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101063864
Start date: 01-07-2022
End date: 30-06-2024
Total budget - Public funding: - 206 887,00 Euro
Cordis data

Original description

Large chromosomal inversions have been increasingly linked to local adaptation in natural populations. Despite their importance, there is current debate about what evolutionary forces maintain inversion polymorphisms in natural populations, particularly regarding the interplay between balancing and divergent selection. Furthermore, limitations of sequencing technologies often result in poor characterization of inversion breakpoints obscuring our understanding of their functional impact. INVERT2ADAPT will focus on Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) as a model system to study the contribution of chromosomal inversions to local adaptation using multiple genomics tools. First, I will characterize the chromosomal inversions and date their origin relatively to the evolutionary history of Atlantic herring using comparative genomics and phylogenomics. Second, I will study the selection regimes that maintain the inversions across a gradient of sea water temperate using population genomics. Lastly, I will pinpoint the genes and regulatory elements within the inversions that are involved in adaptation to sea water temperature using gene expression and functional genomics. The project will allow to better understand how Atlantic herring is able to survive across a wide range of sea water temperature in the Atlantic Ocean. A clear establishment of the link between linking genotype, phenotype and environment is important to understand how Atlantic herring might adapt to changes in sea water temperature induced by global warming. INVERT2ADAPT will also contribute to a better understanding of how structural variation, including large chromosomal inversions, contribute to adaptation in natural populations. The project will be implemented in Uppsala University under the supervision of Professor Leif Andersson.

Status

SIGNED

Call topic

HORIZON-MSCA-2021-PF-01-01

Update Date

09-02-2023
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Structured mapping
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Horizon Europe
HORIZON.1 Excellent Science
HORIZON.1.2 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
HORIZON.1.2.0 Cross-cutting call topics
HORIZON-MSCA-2021-PF-01
HORIZON-MSCA-2021-PF-01-01 MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2021