A5016402166- Subterranean biodiversity and taxonomy
- Marine Ecology and Invasive Species
- Ichthyology and Marine Biology
- Developmental Biology and Gene Regulation
- Turtle Biology and Conservation
- Fish Biology and Ecology Studies
- Congenital heart defects research
- Parasite Biology and Host Interactions
- Neurogenesis and neuroplasticity mechanisms
- Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
- Aquaculture disease management and microbiota
- Marine Biology and Ecology Research
- Axon Guidance and Neuronal Signaling
- Aquaculture Nutrition and Growth
- Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research
- Venomous Animal Envenomation and Studies
- Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Spider Taxonomy and Behavior Studies
- Environmental DNA in Biodiversity Studies
- Aquatic Invertebrate Ecology and Behavior
- Zebrafish Biomedical Research Applications
- Marine Sponges and Natural Products
- Coral and Marine Ecosystems Studies
- Hedgehog Signaling Pathway Studies
- Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay
2015-2024
CEA Paris-Saclay
2022-2024
Université Paris-Saclay
2016-2024
Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives
2022-2024
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
2014-2024
Heidelberg University
2023
University of Maryland, College Park
2020
Université Paris-Sud
2015-2019
Laboratoire de Neurobiologie Cellulaire et Moléculaire
2003-2014
Institut thématique Biologie cellulaire, développement et évolution
2013
Natural populations subjected to strong environmental selection pressures offer a window into the genetic underpinnings of evolutionary change. Cavefish populations, Astyanax mexicanus (Teleostei: Characiphysi), exhibit repeated, independent evolution for variety traits including eye degeneration, pigment loss, increased size and number taste buds mechanosensory organs, shifts in many behavioural traits. Surface cave forms are interfertile making this system amenable interrogation; however,...
Cavefish populations belonging to the Mexican tetra species Astyanax mexicanus are outstanding models study tempo and mode of adaptation a radical environmental change. They currently assigned two main groups, so-called "old" "new" lineages, which would have populated several caves independently at different times. However, we do not yet accurate estimations time frames evolution these populations.We reanalyzed geographic distribution mitochondrial nuclear DNA polymorphisms found that data...
Animals inhabiting the darkness of caves are generally blind and de-pigmented, regardless phylum they belong to. Survival in this environment is an enormous challenge, most obvious being to find food mates without help vision, loss eyes cave animals often accompanied by enhancement other sensory apparatuses. Here we review recent literature describing developmental biology molecular evolution studies order discuss evolutionary mechanisms underlying adaptation life dark. We conclude that both...
Astyanax mexicanus, a teleost fish comprising both sighted river-dwelling and blind cave-dwelling morphs, is becoming increasingly used in the field of developmental evolutionary biology. Thus, new experimental technological tools are needed on this emerging model by expanding scientific community. Here, we describe husbandry egg spawning habits, prerequisite to successful establishment transgenic lines. We then compare two different transgenesis methods surface cave Astyanax. Both...
Natural variations in sensory systems constitute adaptive responses to the environment. Here, we compared placode development blind cave-adapted morph and eyed river-dwelling of Astyanax mexicanus. Focusing on lens olfactory placodes, found a trade-off between these two components morphs: from neural plate stage onwards, cavefish have larger placodes smaller placodes. In search for developmental mechanisms underlying evolution, analyzed roles Shh, Fgf8 Bmp4 signaling, which are known be...
A novel LIM-homeodomain gene, Lhx9 , was isolated by degenerate RT-PCR followed mouse embryonic library screening. cDNA encodes a protein that is most closely related to Drosophila apterous and rodent Lhx2 proteins. The spatiotemporal pattern of expression during embryogenesis similar but distinct from . Highest levels were found in the diencephalon, telencephalic vesicles, dorsal mesencephalon. Domains respected proposed neuromeric boundaries (Puelles Rubenstein, 1993). also expressed...
The cavefish morph of the Mexican tetra (Astyanax mexicanus) is blind at adult stage, although an eye that includes a retina and lens develops during embryogenesis. There are, however, two major defects in development. One apoptosis, phenomenon indirectly linked to expansion ventral midline sonic hedgehog (Shh) expression gastrulation induces degeneration. other lack quadrant retina. Here, we show such ventralisation not extended entire forebrain because fibroblast growth factor 8 (Fgf8),...
The fish Astyanax mexicanus comes in two forms: the normal surface-dwelling and blind depigmented cave-adapted morphs. Comparing development of their basal forebrain, we found quantitative differences numbers cells specific clusters for six out nine studied neuropeptidergic cell types. Investigating origins these differences, showed that early Shh Fgf signaling impact on NPY Hypocretin clusters, via effect Lhx7 Lhx9 transcription factors, respectively. Finally, demonstrated such...
Evolution sometimes proceeds by loss, especially when structures and genes become dispensable after an environmental shift relaxes functional constraints. Subterranean vertebrates are outstanding models to analyze this process, gene decay can serve as a readout. We sought understand some general principles on the extent tempo of involved in vision, circadian clock, pigmentation cavefishes. The analysis genomes two Cuban species belonging genus Lucifuga provided evidence for largest loss...
A comparative analysis of LIM-homeodomain (LIM-hd) expression patterns in the developing stage 32 Xenopus brain is presented. x-Lhx2, x-Lhx7, and x-Lhx9 were isolated their expression, together with that x-Lhx1 x-Lhx5, was analyzed terms prosomeric development LIM-hd combinatorial code compared mouse data. The results show an almost complete conservation diencephalon. Lhx1/5 Lhx2/9 subgroups label pretectum/ventral thalamus/zona limitans versus dorsal thalamus, respectively, alternating...
Abstract We have investigated the expression patterns of five LIM‐homeodomain (LIM‐hd) genes, x‐Lhx1 , x‐Lhx2 x‐Lhx5 x‐Lhx7 and x‐Lhx9 in forebrain frog Xenopus laevis during larval development adult. The results were analyzed terms neuromeric organization amphibian brain combinatorial LIM‐hd code showed that developmental transcription factors are particularly powerful to highlight coherence several groups or nuclei, delineate subdivisions, and/or clarify structures still a matter debate....
Abstract The sighted surface‐dwelling (surface fish, SF) and the blind cave‐living (cavefish, CF) forms of Astyanax mexicanus offer a unique opportunity to study evolutionary changes in developmental mechanisms that lead retinal degeneration. Previous data have shown role increased midline Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) signalling cavefish eye degeneration (Yamamoto et al. [ 2004 ] Nature 431:844–847). Here, we compared major steps development SF CF between 14 hours 5 days development. We analyzed...
Abstract We compared the combinatorial expression patterns of several LIM domain‐containing regulatory genes in ventrolateral pallium mouse and chicken, order to identify homologues ventral pallial amygdala other olfactory structures birds. Lmo3 , Lmo4 Lhx2 Lhx9 showed comparable telencephalon which allowed distinction and, particularly, entorhinal cortex. was expressed most both species, including, piriform cortex dorsal ventricular ridge (mesopallium, nidopallium, arcopallium) mouse,...
The subterranean environment is often described as "extreme" and food poor. Laboratory experiments have shown that blind Mexican tetra Astyanax mexicanus (De Filippi, 1853) cavefish are better at finding in the dark than surface fish. Several morphological behavioural attributes could foster this obvious adaptive response to cave environments been described. Nonetheless, it currently unknown what young actually eat their natural environment. Our results from Pachón México during dry rainy...
Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii) perceive their environment through a range of sensory modalities, including olfaction. Anatomical diversity the olfactory organ suggests that olfaction is differentially important among species. To explore this topic, we studied evolutionary dynamics four main gene families (OR, TAAR, ORA/VR1 and OlfC/VR2) coding for receptors in 185 species ray-finned fishes. The large variation number functional genes, between 28 ocean sunfish Mola mola 1317 reedfish...
Abstract Background Several studies suggested that cavefish populations of Astyanax mexicanus settled during the Late Pleistocene. This implies cavefish’s most conspicuous phenotypic changes, blindness and depigmentation, more cryptic characters important for cave life, evolved rapidly. Results Using published genomes 47 from la Cueva de El Pachón, Sótano Tinaja, La Chica Molino, we searched putative loss-of-function mutations in previously defined sets genes, i.e. , vision, circadian clock...