Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD
Résumé : The genus Cecropia includes pioneer trees that colonize canopy gaps and cleared areas. It is widely distributed from Mexico to Northern Argentina. Cecropia trees have architecture, which corresponds to the Rauh’s architectural model. In recent studies we have found that C. obtusa/ and C. sciadophylla, in French Guiana, have a strong annual periodicity for growth, branching and flowering processes, with annual emission of 35 nodes for C. obtusa and 25 for C. sciadophylla. Those species show different life histories since C. sciadophylla has longer life expectancy. In addition, C. sciadophylla is found more frequently in forest gaps, although in French Guiana mixed populations are found. The aim of this work was to compare developmental strategies of both species in three different field stations in French Guiana and to determine how these two species coexist during its first years of life. We studied a 20-year old population of /C. sciadophylla/ at Saint Elie’s Road, a 10-year old population of /C. obtusa/ at Paracou’s field station, and a 7-year old mixed population at Counami’s Road. /C. sciadophylla /emits 25 nodes per year in both studied populations, while/ C. obtusa /emits 35 nodes in the monospecific population and 30 nodes in the mixed population. In the monocaule stage, the lower number of nodes emitted by /C. sciadophylla/ compared to /C. obtusa /is compensated with a higher internodal length, which allows finding individuals with similar ages and lengths, but different number of nodes. The branching and flowering processes start on average three years before in /C. obtusa/, however for 12-year old individuals we observed a dominancy of C. sciadophylla over C. obtusa. In the mixed population it is likely that the different life histories would decrease competition effects allowing coexistence of both species during the first stages of life
Botany 2008
Vancouver, Canada

hal-01190209
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01190209
PRODINRA : 182910

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Springer Verlag
Résumé :  
Mechanical signals have an impact on plant development. Tropical rainforest trees display large variability for life-history traits related to biomechanics and therefore are a unique study system to better understand biomechanical trait variability from an evolutionary perspective. From sequences and gene expression data available in model species, we developed specific primers for six candidate genes for mechano-sensing in five tropical species. Most of the gene sequences were polymorphic in most species.
ISSN: 1614-2942

hal-01019738
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01019738
DOI : 10.1007/s11295-010-0363-1

Résumé : Aujourd’hui, il est indispensable de découvrir de nouveaux agents thérapeutiques pour faire face à l’expansion des infections fongiques humaines. D’un autre côté, certains arbres amazoniens ont acquis des moyens pour se protéger contre la dégradation fongique. Ces composés d’origine végétale pourraient donc être des candidats potentiels au développement de composés antifongiques. Il est ainsi exposé dans ce travail la sélection bio-inspirée et la récolte d’espèces d’arbres amazoniens résistants à la dégradation fongique ; à partir desquelles il est proposé d’isoler, d’identifier et de valoriser les métabolites responsables de la durabilité naturelle et d’étudier leurs propriétés sur des champignons pathogènes humains. Cette étude a conduit à l’isolement de molécules inédites apportant un complément d’information chimiotaxonomique pour les espèces étudiées. De plus, il a pu être mis en avant deux molécules pouvant devenir des composés pertinents pour le développement de traitements antimycotiques.
It is now essential to discover new therapeutic agents against the increase of human fungal infections. On the other hand, some Amazonian trees have succeeded to develop a chemical defense arsenal to protect themselves against fungal degradation. These compounds of plant origin could become potential candidates for the development of antifungal compounds for the treatment of human fungal diseases. Therefore, this manuscript describes the bio-inspired selection and collection of Amazonian tree species capable of specializing a highly fungiresistant wood; from which it is proposed to isolate, identify and valorize the secondary metabolites responsible for the natural durability, and study their properties on human pathogenic fungi. Ultimately, this study led to the isolation of new compounds and providing additional important chemotaxonomic information for the species studied. In addition, it as been established that two compounds could be relevant for the development of antimitotic therapies.

http://www.theses.fr/2011AGUY0467/document