Like early explorers who braved the seas, genes can also embark on extraordinary journeys. Far from the safe shores of their home genomes, some genes have conquered uncharted territories—new species. This non-sexual jumping of genes from one species to another, called horizontal gene transfer (HGT), is a natural phenomenon widespread in prokaryotes. But eukaryotes are not immune to co-opting genes from other species: From antiparasitic toxins in butterflies to antifreeze proteins in fish, HGT has been observed in all major eukaryotic lineages. However, one of its most fascinating aspects, the transfer mechanism, remains a mystery despite decades of research. How can DNA leave the donor species, come in close contact with the germline of a second species – which is guarded by both physical and molecular barriers -, and integrate in the genome of its new host?
Alejandro Burga, Group Leader at the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, has now been awarded an ERC Consolidator Grant to study exactly how genes jump the species barrier, and how these leaps kickstart the evolution of novel traits. This is the second prestigious ERC grant for Alejandro Burga, who is currently funded by an ERC Starting Grant.
In Alejandro Burga’s first ERC-funded project, the Burga Lab made a significant breakthrough in our understanding of horizontal gene transfer, that now allows the researchers to address these questions experimentally. The team discovered that Mavericks, ancient eukaryotic transposable elements related to giant viruses and adenoviruses, have mediated the widespread transfer of genes between nematode species. The gene content of Mavericks suggests that they follow a dual lifestyle: both as transposons and as infective enveloped viruses. Yet how Mavericks accomplish HGT at the molecular level is unknown. Having identified the first HGT vector in animals, the team will now, in the TOP-GUN project, dissect the molecular basis of HGT and investigate HGT’s impact on evolution.
"When we hear the word 'virus,' it's almost impossible not to associate it with disease. Yet, viruses are so much more than that. They are powerful agents of change, as ancient as life itself, and we are only beginning to uncover the profound impact they have had on the evolution of life on Earth”, says Alejandro Burga.
To achieve their goals, Burga and his team will seek to provide a crucial piece of evidence that has remained elusive so far: isolating infective Maverick viral particles and demonstrating HGT under controlled laboratory conditions. The researchers will, in parallel, dissect how Mavericks and their genetic cargos influence the evolution of genomes and catalyze molecular innovations. Finally, Burga and his team will use in silico approaches to systematically discover other vectors of HGT across eukaryotes, seeking to reveal general principles of HGT across eukaryotes. TOP-GUN has the potential to ignite HGT as a new experimental research field, and to catalyze the development of new gene delivery technologies for nematodes. Such technologies could be harnessed to genetically modify parasitic nematodes – a substantial concern in agriculture and human health – providing an in-road for carrying out gene drives to control these disease vectors.
“For us, researchers across Europe doing fundamental science, the ERC plays a critical role. It empowers us to be bold and go after the big ideas, which not only satisfy our deep curiosity about the natural world, but also, in time, enhance the quality of life of people—often in the most unexpected ways”, says Burga. “Together with my inspiring lab members and the world-class institutional support at IMBA and the ÖAW, I’m thrilled to embark on this project and eager to see what new discoveries lie ahead."
About Alejandro Burga
Alejandro Burga joined IMBA as a Group Leader in 2019. Burga completed his PhD at the EMBL-CRG Systems Biology Unit and Pompeu Fabra University. He then joined the lab of Leonid Kruglyak for his Postdoc, first at Princeton, then at UCLA. Alejandro Burga has been elected to the Young Austrian Academy of Sciences (2022) and the EMBO Young Investigator Program (2023).
About the ERC
The European Research Council, established by the European Union in 2007, is the premier European funding mechanism for excellent frontier research. The ERC’s mission is to facilitate the highest quality of research across all fields in Europe through competitive funding. The ERC offers four core grant schemes: Starting Grants, Consolidator Grants, Advanced Grants and Synergy Grants. Alejandro Burga’s ERC Consolidator Grant is the 24th ERC Grant awarded to a group leader at IMBA.