Illuminating the deep evolutionary roots of the Ras superfamily of GTPases

Provider

Czech Science Foundation

Programme

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Call for proposals

SGA0202600006

Main participants

Ostravská univerzita / Přírodovědecká fakulta

Contest type

VS - Public tender

Contract ID

26-20876N

Project name in Czech

Illuminating the deep evolutionary roots of the Ras superfamily of GTPases

Annotation in Czech

Diversification of cellular structures and functions is underlined by evolution of proteins, with GTPases of the Ras superfamily being particularly relevant for the origin of cellular complexity and its variation across the eukaryote phylogeny. Recent research, including my own contribution, have pointed to the surprisingly deep evolutionary roots of the eukaryotic GTPase diversity, predicting a complex complement in the last eukaryotic common ancestor and its derivation from GTPases in the recently discovered Asgardarchaeota. These advances, however, left open a number of questions and defined new ones, some of which I want to address. Together with a PhD student we will reconstruct the diversity and evolution of the Ras family at the paneukaryotic scale, will investigate novel GTPases putatively associated with the cilium, will try to obtain the first functional data about a previously uncharacterized ancient GTPase, and will dig deeper into the diversity of the Ras superfamily in asgardarchaeotes. We will thus substantially improve our knowledge of the early GTPase evolution.

R&D category

ZV - Basic research

OECD FORD - main branch

10608 - Biochemistry and molecular biology

OECD FORD - secondary branch

10601 - Cell biology

OECD FORD - another secondary branch

10602 - Biology (theoretical, mathematical, thermal, cryobiology, biological rhythm), Evolutionary biology

CEP - equivalent branches <br>(according to the <a href="http://www.vyzkum.cz/storage/att/E6EF7938F0E854BAE520AC119FB22E8D/Prevodnik_oboru_Frascati.pdf">converter</a>)

CE - Biochemistry<br>EA - Morphology and cytology<br>EB - Genetics and molecular biology

Realization period - beginning

Jan 1, 2026

Realization period - end

Dec 31, 2028

Project status

Z - Beginning multi-year project

Latest support payment

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Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Data delivery code

CEP26-GA0-GY-R

Data delivery date

May 12, 2026

Total approved costs

4,152 thou. CZK

Public financial support

4,152 thou. CZK

Other public sources

0 thou. CZK

Non public and foreign sources

0 thou. CZK