Search results for "developmental"
showing 10 items of 19870 documents
Sex ratio at mating does not modulate age fitness effects in Drosophila melanogaster
2019
Abstract Understanding the effects of male and female age on reproductive success is vital to explain the evolution of life history traits and sex‐specific aging. A general prediction is that pre‐/postmeiotic aging processes will lead to a decline in the pre‐ and postcopulatory abilities of both males and females. However, in as much the sexes have different strategies to optimize their fitness, the decline of reproductive success late in life can be modulated by social context, such as sex ratio, in a sex‐specific manner. In this study, we used Drosophila melanogaster to investigate whether sex ratio at mating modulates age effects on male and female reproductive success. As expected, male…
Characterization of MRNP34, a novel methionine-rich nacre protein from the pearl oysters
2012
9 pages; International audience; Nacre of the Pinctada pearl oyster shells is composed of 98% CaCO(3) and 2% organic matrix. The relationship between the organic matrix and the mechanism of nacre formation currently constitutes the main focus regarding the biomineralization process. In this study, we isolated a new nacre matrix protein in P. margaritifera and P. maxima, we called Pmarg- and Pmax-MRNP34 (methionine-rich nacre protein). MRNP34 is a secreted hydrophobic protein, which is remarkably rich in methionine, and which is specifically localised in mineralizing the epithelium cells of the mantle and in the nacre matrix. The structure of this protein is drastically different from those …
Mineral phase in shell repair of Manila clam Venerupis philippinarum affected by brown ring disease.
2011
14 pages; International audience; The mineral phase of shell repair in the Manila clam Venerupis philippinarum affected by brown ring disease (BRD) was characterised at various scales and at various stages of shell repair by confocal Raman microspectrometry and scanning electron microscopy. Spherulitic and quadrangular aragonite microstructures associated with polyene pigments were clearly observed. Von Kossa staining showed that at the beginning of shell repair, hemocytes are filled with insoluble calcium carbonate salts in all fluids and then are transported toward the extrapallial fluids and the repair sites. Our analyses suggest that after a Vibrio tapetis attack and BRD deposit some cl…
The shell matrix of the pulmonate land snail Helix aspersa maxima.
2012
12 pages; International audience; In mollusks, the shell mineralization process is controlled by an array of proteins, glycoproteins and polysaccharides that collectively constitute the shell matrix. In spite of numerous researches, the shell protein content of a limited number of model species has been investigated. This paper presents biochemical data on the common edible land snail Helix aspersa maxima, a model organism for ecotoxicological purposes, which has however been poorly investigated from a biomineralization viewpoint. The shell matrix of this species was extracted and analyzed biochemically for functional in vitro inhibition assay, for amino acid and monosaccharides composition…
Shell repair process in the green ormer Haliotis tuberculata: a histological and microstructural study.
2008
In the present paper, juvenile and adult shells of the green ormer Haliotis tuberculata ('Oreille de Saint-Pierre') were perforated in a zone close to the shell edge and the shell repair process was followed at two levels: (1) by observing the histology of the calcifying mantle in the repair zone and (2) by analyzing with SEM the microstructure of the shell repair zone. Histological data clearly show the presence of calcium carbonate granules into the connective tissues, but not in the epithelial cells. This suggests that calcium carbonate granules are synthesized by sub-epithelial cells and actively transported through the epithelium to the repair zone, via a process which may be similar t…
A niche perspective on the range expansion of symbionts.
2020
Range expansion results from complex eco-evolutionary processes where range dynamics and niche shifts interact in a novel physical space and/or environment, with scale playing a major role. Obligate symbionts (i.e. organisms permanently living on hosts) differ from free-living organisms in that they depend on strong biotic interactions with their hosts which alter their niche and spatial dynamics. A symbiotic lifestyle modifies organism–environment relationships across levels of organisation, from individuals to geographical ranges. These changes influence how symbionts experience colonisation and, by extension, range expansion. Here, we investigate the potential implications of a symbiotic…
Broad-front migration leads to strong migratory connectivity in the lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni)
2019
Aim: Migratory animals regularly move between often distant breeding and non‐breeding ranges. Knowledge about how these ranges are linked by movements of individuals from different populations is crucial for unravelling temporal variability in population spatial structuring and for identifying environmental drivers of population dynamics acting at different spatio‐temporal scales. We performed a large‐scale individual‐based migration tracking study of an Afro‐Palaearctic migratory raptor, to determine the patterns of migratory connectivity of European breeding populations. Location: Europe, Africa. Methods: Migration data were recorded using different devices (geolocators, satellite transmi…
Lack of molluscan host diversity and the transmission of an emerging parasitic disease in Bolivia.
2001
Fasciolosis is a re-emerging parasitic disease that affects an increasing number of people in developing countries. The most severe endemic affects the Bolivian Altiplano, where the liver fluke (Fasciola hepatica) and its hermaphroditic snail host, Lymnaea truncatula, have been introduced from Europe. To achieve a better understanding of the epidemiological situation and the consequences of the colonization event of this invasive species, genetic analysis of Bolivian snail populations was needed. Here we compare the genetic diversity and population structure of snail samples from the Bolivian Altiplano with samples from the Old World at six polymorphic microsatellite loci. Whereas some vari…
Genetic relationships between Sicilian wild populations of Brassica analysed with RAPD markers
2001
Brassica comprises very variable species, both morphologically and genetically. Among these species, the Sicilian populations of Brassica sect. Brassica, species related to kale crops form a complex group. The genetic relationships among 15 populations occurring in Sicily and one from Calabria, representing the existing diversity, have been investigated using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. This assay, carried out with 22 arbitrary primers, generated 236 polymorphic fragments, 21 of which were specific for single populations (mainly Brassica insularis, Brassica incana and Brassica macro-carpa). Jaccard's genetic distances were computed and the phylogenic tree was establishe…
Calcium homeostasis in plant cell nuclei
2009
International audience; In plant cells, calcium-based signaling pathways are involved in a large array of biological processes, including cell division, polarity, growth, development and adaptation to changing biotic and abiotic environmental conditions. Free calcium changes are known to proceed in a nonstereotypical manner and produce a specific signature, which mirrors the nature, strength and frequency of a stimulus. The temporal aspects of calcium signatures are well documented, but their vectorial aspects also have a profound influence on biological output. Here, we will focus on the regulation of calcium homeostasis in the nucleus. We will discuss data and present hypotheses suggestin…