INTEPOL | Elucidating polarity pathways in the fly and murine intestinal epithelium

Summary
Cell polarity is essential for normal cell function and for various developmental processes, such as axis determination, asymmetric stem cell divisions, and cell migration. Polarity is integral for tissue organization and failure in this process is a hallmark of human malignancies.
Extensive studies in diverse model systems have helped to establish recurring mechanisms that drive polarity in various cell types. Yet, these conserved polarity regulators are not universally required and it emerges that some cells use distinct polarity mechanisms in a context dependent manner. For example, the polarization of the Drosophila intestinal epithelium does not require any of the canonical polarity regulators, unlike all other well-characterized Drosophila epithelia. However, little is known about how this unconventional polarity is established.
This proposal aims to elucidate novel alternative polarity pathways in the intestinal epithelium of Drosophila. I will conduct a large--scale forward genetic screen to identify novel polarity regulators in the fly gut epithelium. Furthermore, I will examine the functional conservation of the newly identified polarity regulators in the murine intestinal stem cell organoids. Overall, this proposal will shed novel insights into the epithelial biology of the intestinal system.
Unfold all
/
Fold all
More information & hyperlinks
Web resources: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/797837
Start date: 05-04-2018
End date: 04-04-2020
Total budget - Public funding: 183 454,80 Euro - 183 454,00 Euro
Cordis data

Original description

Cell polarity is essential for normal cell function and for various developmental processes, such as axis determination, asymmetric stem cell divisions, and cell migration. Polarity is integral for tissue organization and failure in this process is a hallmark of human malignancies.
Extensive studies in diverse model systems have helped to establish recurring mechanisms that drive polarity in various cell types. Yet, these conserved polarity regulators are not universally required and it emerges that some cells use distinct polarity mechanisms in a context dependent manner. For example, the polarization of the Drosophila intestinal epithelium does not require any of the canonical polarity regulators, unlike all other well-characterized Drosophila epithelia. However, little is known about how this unconventional polarity is established.
This proposal aims to elucidate novel alternative polarity pathways in the intestinal epithelium of Drosophila. I will conduct a large--scale forward genetic screen to identify novel polarity regulators in the fly gut epithelium. Furthermore, I will examine the functional conservation of the newly identified polarity regulators in the murine intestinal stem cell organoids. Overall, this proposal will shed novel insights into the epithelial biology of the intestinal system.

Status

CLOSED

Call topic

MSCA-IF-2017

Update Date

28-04-2024
Geographical location(s)
Structured mapping
Unfold all
/
Fold all
EU-Programme-Call
Horizon 2020
H2020-EU.1. EXCELLENT SCIENCE
H2020-EU.1.3. EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
H2020-EU.1.3.2. Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
H2020-MSCA-IF-2017
MSCA-IF-2017