PHOTOPHAGE

The role of viral photosynthetic proteins in oceanic photosynthesis

Coordinatore	TECHNION - ISRAEL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY    more Spiacenti, non ci sono informazioni su questo coordinatore. Contattare Fabio per maggiori infomrazioni, grazie.
Nazionalità Coordinatore	Israel [IL]
Totale costo	1˙933˙800 €
EC contributo	1˙933˙800 €
Programma	FP7-IDEAS-ERC Specific programme: "Ideas" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013)
Code Call	ERC-2012-ADG_20120314
Funding Scheme	ERC-AG
Anno di inizio	2013
Periodo (anno-mese-giorno)	2013-02-01   -   2018-01-31

 Partecipanti

#	participant	country	role	EC contrib. [€]
1	TECHNION - ISRAEL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY  Organization address address: TECHNION CITY - SENATE BUILDING city: HAIFA postcode: 32000 contact info Titolo: Mr. Nome: Mark Cognome: Davison Email: send email Telefono: +972 4 829 4854 Fax: +972 4 823 2958	IL (HAIFA)	hostInstitution	1˙933˙800.00
2	TECHNION - ISRAEL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY  Organization address address: TECHNION CITY - SENATE BUILDING city: HAIFA postcode: 32000 contact info Titolo: Prof. Nome: Oded Cognome: Beja Email: send email Telefono: +972 4 829 3961 Fax: +972 4 823 2958	IL (HAIFA)	hostInstitution	1˙933˙800.00

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'Cyanobacteria play a key role in marine photosynthesis, contributing almost 50% of primary production in oligotrophic regions of the ocean. Marine cyanophages were recently discovered to carry photosystem II (PSII) genes, and it was suggested that these genes increase phage fitness by helping the phages to maintain photosynthesis in the infected bacterial cells. We recently showed evidence for the presence of photosystem I (PSI) genes in genomes of marine cyanophages [Sharon et al. 2009 Nature 461, 258-262]. Cyanobacterial core PSI gene cassettes, containing psaJFABCDEK, or psaDCAB gene cassettes forms unique clusters in cyanophage genomes, suggestive of selection for a distinct function in virus reproduction. Potentially, the proteins encoded by the viral genes are sufficient for forming intact monomeric PSI complexes. Projection of viral predicted peptides on the cyanobacterial PSI crystal structure suggests that the viral PSI components provide a unique way for funneling reducing power from respiratory and other electron transfer chains to PSI, therefore bypassing the need to rely solely on reducing power from the photosystem electron transfer chain. The main goals of this proposal are: (1) To determine how much of oceanic photosynthesis is actually performed with viral proteins. (2) To establish a model system to understand the role of modified photosynthetic viral proteins in photosynthesis We hypothesize that viral photosynthetic peptides are integrated into the bacterial photosynthetic membranes in order to maintain photosynthesis in infected cells, that otherwise stop to photosynthesize, and that changes are introduced to the system as a whole. The proposed research will integrate concepts and techniques from metagenomics, metaproteomics and bioinformatics techniques to explore the interaction of viral PSII and PSI proteins with their host reaction center complexes, and to examine their influence on global marine photosynthesis production'