Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Public Library of Science
Résumé : International audience
IntroductionLeishmania RNA virus type 1 (LRV1) is an endosymbiont of some Leishmania (Vianna) species in South America. Presence of LRV1 in parasites exacerbates disease severity in animal models and humans, related to a disproportioned innate immune response, and is correlated with drug treatment failures in humans. Although the virus was identified decades ago, its genomic diversity has been overlooked until now.Methodology/Principles findingsWe subjected LRV1 strains from 19 L. (V.) guyanensis and one L. (V.) braziliensis isolates obtained from cutaneous leishmaniasis samples identified throughout French Guiana with next-generation sequencing and de novo sequence assembly. We generated and analyzed 24 unique LRV1 sequences over their full-length coding regions. Multiple alignment of these new sequences revealed variability (0.5%±23.5%) across the entire sequence except for highly conserved motifs within the 5' untranslated region. Phylogenetic analyses showed that viral genomes of L. (V.) guyanensis grouped into five distinct clusters. They further showed a species-dependent clustering between viral genomes of L. (V.) guyanensis and L. (V.) braziliensis, confirming a long-term co-evolutionary history. Noteworthy, we identified cases of multiple LRV1 infections in three of the 20 Leishmania isolates.Conclusions/SignificanceHere, we present the first-ever estimate of LRV1 genomic diversity that exists in Leishmania (V.) guyanensis parasites. Genetic characterization and phylogenetic analyses of these viruses has shed light on their evolutionary relationships. To our knowledge, this study is also the first to report cases of multiple LRV1 infections in some parasites. Finally, this work has made it possible to develop molecular tools for adequate identification and genotyping of LRV1 strains for diagnostic purposes. Given the suspected worsening role of LRV1 infection in the pathogenesis of human leishmaniasis, these data have a major impact from a clinical viewpoint and for the management of Leishmania-infected patients.
ISSN: 1935-2727

pasteur-01583523
https://hal-riip.archives-ouvertes.fr/pasteur-01583523
DOI : 10.1371/journal.pntd.0005764
PUBMED : 28715422

Éditeur(s) : Gauthier-Villars
Résumé : The distribution and behaviour of nutrients (nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, silicate and phosphate) have been examined over the course of a year in two major Scottish estuaries, the Forth and Tay. Maximum concentrations of nitrate and silicate in both estuaries occur in winter, when mixing is conservative. By contrast maximum phosphate, ammonia and nitrite concentrations (notably in the Forth) are observed in summer, these are related to lower oxygen concentrations both within the water column and sediments. Phosphate, ammonia and nitrite concentrations are high in the Forth relative to the Tay. Phosphate behaviour in plots for both estuaries show some common features including removal at low salinity, mid estuary inputs and simple dilution at high salinity. The results are interpreted on the basis of removal onto particles at low salinity followed by desorption at higher salinity together with an input from sediment porewaters. In the Forth the phosphate flux from sediments during the summer is estimated to be 1.98 +/- 1.25 mmol m-2 day-1. At this time the river input of phosphorus is only 10- 14 % of the mid estuary input. Under low river flow conditions in summer a large turbidity maximum (400-500 mg l-1 suspended solids) develops in the Forth estuary and this results in removal of phosphate. Removal is less dramatic in the Tay estuary as the turbidity is wind generated and therefore rarely exceeds 100 mg 1-1. Water quality in the Forth (as defined by the occurrence of low dissolved oxygen concentrations and the presence of species such as ammonia and nitrite) is inferior to that of the Tay. Relative to contaminated estuaries however concentrations in both estuaries are low. By virtue of its high fresh water discharge the Tay is a more significant source of nitrate to the North Sea during the winter than is the Forth. In the Forth bacterial mineralisation and nitrification of organic nitrogen occurs in the upper estuary, this results in an input of nitrate and consumption of dissolved oxygen. Further downstream broad mid estuarine peaks of nitrite and ammonia are observed indicative of a benthic source. Estimates of this source for ammonia and nitrite are 19-44 and 3.9-8.1 mmol m-2 day-1 respectively. In winter the main source of nitrogen to the Forth is from the river but in summer mid estuarine sources dominate. In the outer Tay a peak in dissolved ammonia is estimated to represent an input of 0.5-1.1 tonnes N day-1, this is attributed to sewer inputs from Dundee.
Oceanologica Acta (0399-1784) (Gauthier-Villars), 1992 , Vol. 15 , N. 3 , P. 261-277

Droits : info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00100/21160/18779.pdf
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00100/21160/

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD BioMed Central
Résumé : International audience
Background: Ameloblastin (AMBN) is a phosphorylated, proline/glutamine-rich protein secreted during enamel formation. Previous studies have revealed that this enamel matrix protein was present early in vertebrate evolution and certainly plays important roles during enamel formation although its precise functions remain unclear. We performed evolutionary analyses of AMBN in order to (i) identify residues and motifs important for the protein function, (ii) predict mutations responsible for genetic diseases, and (iii) understand its molecular evolution in mammals. Results: In silico searches retrieved 56 complete sequences in public databases that were aligned and analyzed computationally. We showed that AMBN is globally evolving under moderate purifying selection in mammals and contains a strong phylogenetic signal. In addition, our analyses revealed codons evolving under significant positive selection. Evidence for positive selection acting on AMBN was observed in catarrhine primates and the aye-aye. We also found that (i) an additional translation initiation site was recruited in the ancestral placental AMBN, (ii) a short exon was duplicated several times in various species including catarrhine primates, and (iii) several polyadenylation sites are present. Conclusions: AMBN possesses many positions, which have been subjected to strong selective pressure for 200 million years. These positions correspond to several cleavage sites and hydroxylated, O-glycosylated, and phosphorylated residues. We predict that these conserved positions would be potentially responsible for enamel disorder if substituted. Some motifs that were previously identified as potentially important functionally were confirmed, and we found two, highly conserved, new motifs, the function of which should be tested in the near future. This study illustrates the power of evolutionary analyses for characterizing the functional constraints acting on proteins with yet uncharacterized structure.
ISSN: 1471-2148

Droits : http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/
hal-01212816
http://hal.upmc.fr/hal-01212816
http://hal.upmc.fr/hal-01212816/document
http://hal.upmc.fr/hal-01212816/file/s12862-015-0431-0.pdf
DOI : 10.1186/s12862-015-0431-0

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Paris : Muséum national d'histoire naturelle
Résumé : International audience
The present study aimed to identify the Aetobatus species present in French Polynesia using DNA barcoding. Our study contributesto a better understanding of the distribution of species in the Aetobatus complex, which is necessary for a correct evaluation of the conservation status of the different species.
ISSN: 0399-0974

hal-01325811
https://hal-univ-perp.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01325811

Éditeur(s) : Pêche thonière et dispositifs de concentration de poissons, Caribbean-Martinique, 15-19 Oct 1999
Résumé : This paper discusses the hypothesis that small tunas and the various species found in association with drifting fads (such as "mahi-mahi", rainbow runner, wahoo, etc.) may be biologically trapped by such a strong association. Massive seeding of drifting artificial fads was observed worldwide during recent years. In this hypothesis, we suggest that fads may alter some biological characteristics of epipelagic populations associated with them: migration, growth, condition factors, predation and natural mortality. As fads are most often used in the equatorial currents, they tend to exhibit zonal drift. Therefore, the associated populations would be artificially transferred from one part of the ocean to another, when they would show different movement patterns in the absence of fads. Natural logs were probably beneficial in terms of ecology and evolution, because they tend to accumulate in convergence areas, most often considered as rich forage areas. Now, fads are seeded in offshore areas, which are not necessarily favourable for tuna feeding. This apparently strong association between fishes and drifting fads may then produce an unexpected biological impact on tuna populations and their associated fauna. The plan is to test this hypothesis in the Atlantic, developing an ad hoc research programme based on tagging, biological and physiological studies, in association to an analysis of high resolution fishery data before and after the development of the fad fishery.Original Abstract: Cet article discute l'hypothese selon laquelle les petits thons et les differentes especes associees a des DCP derivants (comme les coryphenes, elagatis, thazards, etc.) pourraient etre pris dans un piege biologique resultant de cette forte association. Le deploiement massif de DCP artificiels derivants a ete constate a l'echelle mondiale au cours des dernieres annees. Dans cette hypothese, ces DCP, colonises en permanence par de grandes fractions de populations epipelagiques, pourraient modifier les caracteristiques biologiques des especes concernees: leur migration, leur croissance, leurs facteurs de condition, la predation et la mortalite naturelle. Les DCP etant plus frequemment utilises dans les courants equatoriaux, ils tendent a deriver zonalement. Ainsi, les populations associees seraient artificiellement transferees d'un bord a l'autre de l'ocean, alors qu'elles manifesteraient d'autres types de deplacements en l'absence de DCP. Les debris naturels etaient probablement benefiques sur le plan de l'ecologie et de l'evolution car ils s'accumulent dans des zones de convergence le plus souvent considerees comme des zones riches en nourriture. Maintenant, les DCP sont mouilles au large, dans des zones qui peuvent ou non etre favorables a l'alimentation des thons. Cette association apparemment forte entre poissons et DCP derivants pourrait alors causer un impact biologique inattendu sur les populations pelagiques (thons et faune accompagnante). L'objectif est de tester cette hypothese dans l'Atlantique au moyen d'un programme de recherche s'appuyant sur du marquage et des etudes biologiques et physiologiques, parallelement a une analyse des donnees de peche (tailles et CPUE, avant et apres le deploiement des DCP derivants).

Droits : info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00042/15303/12636.pdf
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00042/15303/

Éditeur(s) : Elsevier
Résumé : Changes in biodiversity may disrupt the ecological functions performed by species assemblages. Hence, we urgently need to examine the implications of biodiversity loss not only in terms of species conservation but also in terms of sustainability of ecosystem services. The ability of protected areas to maintain local species richness has been clearly demonstrated. However, preserving goods and services provided by ecosystems requires not only the conservation of species richness but also the conservation of the most 'original' species, i.e. the ones with the highest average rarity of their attributes which are likely to perform some unique functions in ecosystems. We proposed a new conservation of biological originality (CBO) index as well as associated randomization tests to quantify the ability of piotected areas to maintain viable populations for the most original species. As an application, we used long-term fisheries data collected in the Bonifacio Strait Natural Reserve (BSNR) to determine the species which benefited from the protection reinforcement in 1999. We also estimated a set of 14 ecomorphological functional traits on the 37 fish species caught in the BSNR and we obtained a functional originality value for each species. As a result, we found that functional originality was significantly protected in the fish assemblage of the BSNR: species with the most original functional trait combinations became more abundant after 1999. Our finding suggests that protecting most original species is an insurance against functional diversity erosion in the BSNR. More generally, our new index can be used to test whether protected areas may protect preferentially the most original species and whether restorative management promotes the reestablishment of the most original species with particular habitat requirements. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Biological Conservation (0006-3207) (Elsevier), 2008-06 , Vol. 141 , N. 6 , P. 1569-1580

Droits : 2008 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved.
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/2008/publication-4480.pdf
DOI:10.1016/j.biocon.2008.04.002
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00000/4480/

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Public Library of Science
Résumé : International audience
DNase I requires Ca²+ and Mg²+ for hydrolyzing double-stranded DNA. However, the number and the location of DNase I ion-binding sites remain unclear, as well as the role of these counter-ions. Using molecular dynamics simulations, we show that bovine pancreatic (bp) DNase I contains four ion-binding pockets. Two of them strongly bind Ca²+ while the other two sites coordinate Mg²+. These theoretical results are strongly supported by revisiting crystallographic structures that contain bpDNase I. One Ca²+ stabilizes the functional DNase I structure. The presence of Mg²+ in close vicinity to the catalytic pocket of bpDNase I reinforces the idea of a cation-assisted hydrolytic mechanism. Importantly, Poisson-Boltzmann-type electrostatic potential calculations demonstrate that the divalent cations collectively control the electrostatic fit between bpDNase I and DNA. These results improve our understanding of the essential role of cations in the biological function of bpDNase I. The high degree of conservation of the amino acids involved in the identified cation-binding sites across DNase I and DNase I-like proteins from various species suggests that our findings generally apply to all DNase I-DNA interactions.
ISSN: 1553-734X

hal-00645165
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00645165
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00645165/document
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00645165/file/journal.pcbi.1001000.pdf
DOI : 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1001000

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Wiley/Blackwell
Résumé : International audience
Marine fishes exhibit spectacular phenotypic changes during their ontogeny, and the identification of their early stages is challenging due to the paucity of diagnostic morphological characters at the species level. Meanwhile, the importance of early life stages in dispersal and connectivity has recently experienced an increasing interest in conservation programmes for coral reef fishes. This study aims at assessing the effectiveness of DNA barcoding for the automated identification of coral reef fish larvae through large-scale ecosystemic sampling. Fish larvae were mainly collected using bongo nets and light traps around Moorea between September 2008 and August 2010 in 10 sites distributed in open waters. Fish larvae ranged from 2 to 100 mm of total length, with the most abundant individuals being <5 mm. Among the 505 individuals DNA barcoded, 373 larvae (i.e. 75%) were identified to the species level. A total of 106 species were detected, among which 11 corresponded to pelagic and bathypelagic species, while 95 corresponded to species observed at the adult stage on neighbouring reefs. This study highlights the benefits and pitfalls of using standardized molecular systems for species identification and illustrates the new possibilities enabled by DNA barcoding for future work on coral reef fish larval ecology.
ISSN: 1755-098X

hal-01342973
https://hal-univ-perp.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01342973
DOI : 10.1111/1755-0998.12293

Éditeur(s) : Université Bordeaux 1
Résumé : The mercury cycle was explored in the Petit-Saut reservoir / Sinnamary Estuary continuum in French Guiana. Main processes involve (i) photo-induced reduction, (ii) adsorption and desorption at the particle surfaces, (iii) methylating bacterial activity, (iv) precipitation and dissolution of iron oxyhydroxides and sulfides. Sources of mercury to the Petit-Saut reservoir consist of the partly impacted river-tributaries, the atmospheric deposition and the flooded soils or vegetation. Once into the reservoir, divalent mercury undergoes a large spectrum of transformations including speciation and phase changes. We, here, probe these processes and demonstrate that the Petit-Saut reservoir behaves as a privileged site for atmospheric recycling and in situ methylation. At the air / water interface, the mercury evasion exceeds by 50 % the direct atmospheric deposition. The in situ monomethylmercury (MMHg) production mostly occurs at the water-column chemocline and near the benthic interface. It reaches, for the whole reservoir, 8.1 moles yr-1 which corresponds to a 0.06 % d-1 methylation rate. We calculated that the 2003/04 period MMHg outputs from the reservoir to the Sinnamary Estuary averaged 13.5 moles yr-1 while the inputs were 5.4 moles yr-1. The dynamic Sinnamary Estuary is the genuine geochemical reactor of the continuum. There, the divalent mercury undergoes rapid yet profound partitioning among phases, recycling to the atmosphere and methylation processes. Those mostly originate from the long-scale oxygen paucity of the dam discharged waters. The expression of marked redox gradients and the intense organic matter turnover enhance the production of methylable inorganic mercurial species and tend to favor the sulfate reducing bacteria (methylating agents) activity. As a result, the dynamic Sinnamary Estuary exports 60 % more MMHg than it does import: 27 versus 17 moles yr-1. Further at large, in the saline estuary, we determined: (i) a non conservative behavior of dissolved (< 0.2 µm) mercury, (ii) a lowering of the mercury level of particles during mixing with the Amazon plume and (iii) a gradual dilution of the estuarine mercury concentrations by oceanic waters.
La retenue de Petit-Saut et, à l'aval, l'estuaire du Sinnamary sont deux centres d'altération du cycle naturel du mercure. Les processus sont, entre autres, (i) la photoréduction, (ii) la sorption / désorption en surface des particules, (iii) l'activité méthylante des bactéries, (iv) la dissolution / précipitation des oxyhydroxydes et des sulfures de fer. Les sources de mercure vers la retenue sont variées. Elles regroupent, en premier lieu, les affluents (partiellement orpaillés), l'atmosphère, les sols et la végétation ennoyés. Dans la colonne d'eau, les formes divalentes du mercure subissent un train complet de transformations couplant changements de phase et de spéciation. Nos résultats illustrent ces processus et démontrent que la retenue constitue un site privilégié de recyclage vers l'atmosphère et de méthylation. A l'interface air / eau, les exports en mercure de la retenue excèdent de 50 % le dépôt atmosphérique. La production endogène de monométhylmercure (MMHg) a lieu dans des sites particuliers : la chemocline et l'interface benthique. Elle atteint pour l'ensemble de la retenue 8,1 moles a-1 soit un taux de méthylation de 0,06 % j-1. On estime que la retenue exporte vers l'estuaire du Sinnamary 13,5 moles a-1 de MMHg alors qu'elle n'importe que 5,4 moles a-1. L'estuaire dynamique du Sinnamary constitue le véritable réacteur chimique du système fonctionnant en liaison avec celui de la retenue. Le mercure y décrit un cycle rapide aux processus de partition, de recyclage et de méthylation marqués. Ces processus résultent de l'oxygénation incomplète et durable des masses d'eau anoxiques exportées par la retenue de Petit-Saut. L'expression de gradients rédox prononcés conjuguée à un intense recyclage de la matière organique y favorise la production de formes méthylables de mercure ainsi que l'activité des bactéries sulfatoréductrices (agents de la méthylation). C'est pourquoi, l'estuaire dynamique du Sinnamary exporte 60 % plus de MMHg qu'il n'importe : 27 contre 17 moles a-1. Plus en aval, dans l'estuaire salin, nous avons mis en évidence : (i) un comportement non conservatif du mercure dissous, (ii) un appauvrissement du mercure des particules suite au mélange avec le panache de l'Amazone et (iii) une dilution des concentrations par les masses d'eau océaniques.

Droits : info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/2006/these-1508.pdf
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00000/1508/

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Springer Verlag
Résumé : International audience
The Western Indian Ocean harbors one of theworld’s most diverse marine biota yet is threatened byexploitation with few conservation measures in place.Primary candidates for conservation in the region are theScattered Islands (Iles Eparses), a group of relativelypristine and uninhabited islands in the MozambiqueChannel. However, while optimal conservation strategiesdepend on the degree of population connectivity amongspatially isolated habitats, very few studies have beenconducted in the area. Here, we use highly variablemicrosatellite markers from two damselfishes (Amphiprionakallopisos and Dascyllus trimaculatus) with differing lifehistory traits [pelagic larval duration (PLD), adult habitat]to compare genetic structure and connectivity among theseislands using classic population structure indices as well asBayesian clustering methods. All classical fixation indexesFST, RST, G0ST, and Jost’s D show stronger genetic differentiationamong islands for A. akallopisos compared to D.trimaculatus, consistent with the former species’ shorterPLD and stronger adult site attachment, which may restrictlarval dispersal potential. In agreement with these results,the Bayesian analysis revealed clear genetic differentiationamong the islands in A. akallopisos, separating the southerngroup (Bassas da India and Europa) from the center(Juan de Nova) and northern (Iles Glorieuses) islands, butnot for D. trimaculatus. Local oceanographic patterns suchas eddies that occur along the Mozambique Channel appearto parallel the results reported for A. akallopisos, but suchfeatures seem to have little effect on the genetic differentiationof D. trimaculatus. The contrasting patterns ofgenetic differentiation between species within the samefamily highlight the importance of accounting for diverselife history traits when assessing community-wide connectivity,an increasingly common consideration in conservationplanning.
ISSN: 0722-4028

hal-01561992
https://hal-univ-perp.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01561992
DOI : 10.1007/s00338-016-1495-z

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : International audience
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are increasingly used for biodiversity conservation and the management of sustainable fisheries. The use of taxonomic surrogates in routine monitoring of the reserve effects on fish assemblages may represent a promising method due to its substantial technical and economic benefits. However, higher taxonomic ranks should be used as surrogates with caution, especially for fish, where the approach is still virtually undocumented. This study aims to shed light on relationships between taxonomic relatedness and ecological similarity, which is crucial to assess the relevance of species surrogacy to reflect species-level information and detect changes in fish related to protection regimes. By analyzing data from a Mediterranean MPA, we show that rather being related to taxonomic relationships, the ability of higher taxa to reflect species-level patterns was explained in terms of aggregation level and distribution of species within taxa. Null models using random aggregations of species were created to identify the best surrogates able to depict changes in responses of assemblages to protection observed at the species-level. Comparison of null model predictions with the more classical higher-taxon approach revealed that the latter was not reliable because, unlike null model outcomes, surrogates determined empirically were not relevant for other subsequent independent monitoring. The effectiveness of species surrogates to depict changes in responses of assemblages to protection observed at the species-level depended (1) on the numerical resolution of the aggregation and (2) the magnitude of differences between protected and unprotected locations. Such findings suggest that surrogacy approaches may be applied for routine monitoring of Mediterranean reef fish communities, although mere empirical determinations of sufficient taxonomy seems to be not reliable, legitimizing the use of alternative methods based on null models. Guidelines for the careful use of species surrogacy in the ecological evaluation of MPAs on fish assemblages are provided.
ISSN: 0006-3207

hal-01174428
https://hal-univ-perp.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01174428
DOI : 10.1016/j.biocon.2015.06.002

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Résumé :  
Although the potential contribution to tropical tree species coexistence of niche differentiation along light gradients has receivedmuch attention, the degree to which species perform differentially along soil resource gradients remains unclear. To examine differential growth response to soil resources, we grew seedlings of nine tropical tree species at 6.0% of full sun for 12mo in a factorial design of two soil types (clay and white sand), two phosphate fertilization treatments (control and addition of 100mgP kg−1) and two watering treatments (field capacity and water limitation to one-third field capacity). Species differedmarkedly in biomass growth rate, but this hierarchy was almost completely conserved across all eight treatments. All species grew more slowly in sand than clay soils, and no species grew faster with phosphate additions. Only Eperua grandiflora and E. falcata showed significant growth increases in the absence of water limitation. Faster-growing species were characterized by high specific leaf area, high leaf allocation and high net assimilation rate but not lower root allocation. Slower-growing species exhibited greater plasticity in net assimilation rate, suggesting that tolerance of edaphic stress in these species is related more to stomatal control than to whole-plant carbon allocation. Although relative growth rate for biomass was correlatedwith both its physiological and morphological components, interspecific differences were best explained by differences in net assimilation rate across six of the eight treatments. A suite of traits including high assimilation and high specific leaf area maintains rapid growth rate of faster-growing species across awide gradient of soil resources, but the lack of plasticity they exhibit may compromise their survival in the poorest soil environments.
ISSN: 0266-4674

hal-01032086
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01032086
DOI : 10.1017/S0266467406003439

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Inter-Research
Résumé : International audience
Ecological connectivity is important for effective marine planning and biodiversity conservation. Our aim was to identify factors important in influencing variation in benthic community structure on shallow rocky reefs in 2 regions of the Mediterranean Sea with contrasting oceanographic regimes. We assessed beta (β) diversity at 146 sites in the littoral and shallow sub-littoral from the Adriatic/Ionian Seas (eastern region) and Ligurian/Tyrrhenian Seas (western region) using a null modelling approach to account for variation in species richness. The distance decay relationship between species turnover within each region and geographic distance by sea was determined using generalised linear models. Mantel tests were used to examine correlations between β diversity and connectivity by ocean currents, estimated from Lagrangian dispersal simulations. Variation in β diversity between sites was partitioned according to environmental and spatial components using a distance-based redundancy approach. Species turnover along a gradient of geographic distance was greater by a factor of 3 to 5 in the western region than the eastern region, suggesting lower con-nectivity between sites. β diversity was correlated with connectivity by ocean currents at both depths in the eastern region but not in the western region. The influence of spatial and environmental predictors of β diversity varied considerably between regions, but was similar between depths. Our results highlight the interaction of oceanographic, spatial and environmental processes influencing benthic marine β diversity. Persistent currents in the eastern region may be responsible for lower observed β diversity compared to the western region, where patterns of water circulation are more variable.
Marine Ecology Progress Series

Droits : http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/
hal-01357935
https://hal-univ-perp.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01357935
https://hal-univ-perp.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01357935/document
https://hal-univ-perp.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01357935/file/m553p001.pdf
DOI : 10.3354/meps11783

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD SAGE Publications (UK and US)
Résumé : International audience
Molecular evolutionary analysis is an efficient method to predict and/or validate amino acid substitutions that could lead to a genetic disease and to highlight residues and motifs that could play an important role in the protein structure and/or function. We have applied such analysis to amelotin (AMTN), a recently identified enamel protein in the rat, mouse, and humans. An in silico search for AMTN provided 42 new mammalian sequences that were added to the 3 published sequences with which we performed the analysis using a dataset representative of all lineages (circa 220 million years of evolution), including 2 enamel-less species, sloth and armadillo. During evolution, of the 209 residues of human AMTN, 17 were unchanged and 34 had conserved their chemical properties. Substituting these important residues could lead to amelogenesis imperfecta (AI). Also, AMTN possesses a well-conserved signal peptide, 2 conserved motifs whose function is certainly important but unknown, and a putative phosphorylation site (SXE). In addition, the sequences of the 2 enamel-less species display mutations revealing that AMTN underwent pseudogenization, which suggests that AMTN is an enamel-specific protein.
ISSN: 0022-0345

hal-01545488
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01545488
DOI : 10.1177/0022034512460551

Éditeur(s) : Elsevier Science Bv
Résumé : Sustainable management of natural resources, and in particular fisheries, must take into account several conflicting objectives. This is the case in the French Guiana shrimp fishery for which profitability objectives imply a reduction in the fishing activity. On the one hand, this fishery has negative externalities on marine biodiversity due to discards. On the other hand, this fishery has positive externalities on the economy of the local community and interestingly enough on a protected seabird species in the area (the Frigatebird that feeds on discards). In this paper, we examine the viability of that system considering two sustainability objectives: an economic objective in terms of the profitability of the fishing activity, and a conservation objective in terms of the Frigatebird population. For that purpose, we have developed a dynamic model of that bioeconomic system and study here the trade-offs between the two conflicting objectives. It provides a means to quantify the necessary give and takes involving the economic and ecological objectives that would ensure a viable management solution. Our study confirms the relevance of the viability approach to address natural resource management issues, which should lead to the development of new tools for the arbitration of conflicting sustainability, objectives. In particular, such tools could be used as a quantitative basis for cost-benefit analysis taking into account environmental externalities. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Ecological Economics (0921-8009) (Elsevier Science Bv), 2009-10 , Vol. 68 , N. 12 , P. 2960-2968

Droits : 2009 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved.
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00020/13135/10195.pdf
DOI:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2009.06.012
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00020/13135/

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Nature Publishing Group
Résumé : International audience
Coral reefs are among the most species-rich and threatened ecosystems on Earth, yet the extent to which human stressors determine species occurrences, compared with biogeography or environmental conditions, remains largely unknown. With ever-increasing human-mediated disturbances on these ecosystems, an important question is not only how many species can inhabit local communities, but also which biological traits determine species that can persist (or not) above particular disturbance thresholds. Here we show that human pressure and seasonal climate variability are disproportionately and negatively associated with the occurrence of large-bodied and geographically small-ranging fishes within local coral reef communities. These species are 67% less likely to occur where human impact and temperature seasonality exceed critical thresholds, such as in the marine biodiversity hotspot: the Coral Triangle. Our results identify the most sensitive species and critical thresholds of human and climatic stressors, providing opportunity for targeted conservation intervention to prevent local extinctions.
ISSN: 2041-1723

hal-01282870
https://hal-univ-perp.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01282870
https://hal-univ-perp.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01282870/document
https://hal-univ-perp.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01282870/file/ncomms10491.pdf
DOI : 10.1038/ncomms10491

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution
Résumé : International audience
Vibrio metoecus is the closest relative of Vibrio cholerae, the causative agent of the potent diarrheal disease cholera. Although the pathogenic potential of this new species is yet to be studied in depth, it has been co-isolated with V. cholerae in coastal waters and found in clinical specimens in the USA. We used these two organisms to investigate the genetic interaction between closely related species in their natural environment. The genomes of twenty V. cholerae and four V. metoecus strains isolated from a brackish coastal pond on the US east coast, as well as four clinical V. metoecus strains were sequenced and compared to reference strains. Whole genome comparison shows 86-87% average nucleotide identity (ANI) in their core genes between the two species. On the other hand, the chromosomal integron, which occupies approximately 3% of their genomes, shows higher conservation in ANI between species than any other region of their genomes. The ANI of 93-94% observed in this region is not significantly greater within than between species, meaning that it does not follow species boundaries. V. metoecus does not encode toxigenic V. cholerae major virulence factors, the cholera toxin and toxin co-regulated pilus. However, some of the pathogenicity islands found in pandemic V. cholerae were either present in the common ancestor it shares with V. metoecus, or acquired by clinical and environmental V. metoecus in partial fragments. The virulence factors of V. cholerae are therefore both more ancient and more widespread than previously believed. There is high interspecies recombination in the core genome, which has been detected in 24% of the single-copy core genes, including genes involved in pathogenicity. V. metoecus was six times more often the recipient of DNA from V. cholerae as it was the donor, indicating a strong bias in the direction of gene transfer in the environment.
ISSN: 1759-6653

Droits : http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/
hal-01264332
http://hal.upmc.fr/hal-01264332
http://hal.upmc.fr/hal-01264332/document
http://hal.upmc.fr/hal-01264332/file/Genome%20Biol%20Evol-2015-Orata-gbe_evv193.pdf
DOI : 10.1093/gbe/evv193

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : International audience
Periodically harvested closures (PHCs) are small fisheries closures with objectives such as sustaining fisheriesand conserving biodiversity and have become one of the most common forms of nearshore marine managementin the Western Pacific. Although PHCs can provide both short-termconservation and fisheries benefits, their potentialas a long-term management strategy remains unclear. Through empirical assessment of a single harvestevent in each of five PHCs, we determined whether targeted fishes that differ in their vulnerability to fishing recoveredto pre-harvest conditions (the state prior to last harvest) and demonstrated post-harvest recovery benefitsafter 1 year of re-closure. For low and moderately vulnerable species, two PHCs provided significant preharvestbenefits and one provided significant post-harvest recovery benefits, suggesting a contribution to longer-term sustainability. PHCs with a combination of high compliance and longer closing times are more likelyto provide fisheries benefits and recover from harvest events, however, no benefits were observed across anyPHCs for highly vulnerable species. We recommend PHCs have longer closure periods before being harvestedand species that are highly vulnerable to fishing (e.g. large species of; grouper,wrasse and parrotfish) are avoidedduring harvests to avoid overexploitation and increase the sustainability of small-scale fisheries.
ISSN: 0006-3207

hal-01381316
https://hal-univ-perp.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01381316
DOI : 10.1016/j.biocon.2016.08.038

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Wiley
Résumé : White-sand forests represent natural laboratories of evolution over their long history throughout Amazonia and the Guiana Shield and pose significant physiological challenges to the plants and animals they host. The study of diversification in plant lineages comprising species endemic to white-sand forest can therefore give insights into processes of evolution and community assembly in tropical forests. In this article, we synthesize recent studies of white-sand forests to integrate patterns of plant species distribution with processes of lineage diversification and community assembly in the white-sand flora. We contrast lineages that have radiated uniquely in these habitats (e.g., Pagamea, Rubiaceae), with cosmopolitan lineages comprising specialists to white-sand forests and other habitats that may have arisen via ecological speciation across habitat gradients (e.g., Protium, Burseraceae). In both cases, similar suites of functional traits have evolved, including investment in dense, long-lived tissues that are well-defended structurally and chemically. White-sand endemics, therefore, play an important role in biodiversity conservation because they represent unique combinations of functional and phylogenetic diversity. Furthermore, white-sand endemics may respond differently than other tropical forest plant species to contemporary global changes because they comprise resilient functional types that may better withstand increased drought, temperature, and invasions of exotic pests in these regions.
ISSN: 0006-3606

hal-01531635
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01531635
DOI : 10.1111/btp.12301
PRODINRA : 353397

Résumé : Les fourmis sont des organismes cibles appropriés pour les études environnementales. Au cours de notre étude, nous nous sommes focalisés sur les fourmis de la litière via l'application de deux méthodes de récolte complémentaires selon le protocole all (ants of leaf litter). Dans les forêts naturelles de Guyane française, l'hétérogénéité environnementale et les perturbations structurent les communautés de fourmis de la litière en influençant la richesse, la diversité, l'abondance et la densité en espèces ainsi que les compositions taxonomique et fonctionnelle. Chaque type de formation végétale possède une communauté spécifique. La fragmentation et la conversion des forêts en plantations ont entrainé une altération plus ou moins profonde des communautés; cette variabilité est fonction du type d’agriculture et des espèces d'essences cultivées. Bien que l'altération des communautés se soit révélée maximale dans la plupart des monocultures, les plantations de cacaoyers ont un potentiel de conservation réel. Enfin, dans un contexte ou il est urgent de simplifier l'intégration des arthropodes dans les études de conservation, de contrôle et de suivi de la santé des écosystèmes terrestres, la méthode des réseaux de neurones est apparue comme un outil puissant pour mettre en évidence et analyser les patrons des communautés de fourmis.
Ants are reliable and relevant target organisms for environmental surveys. In our study, we focused on litter-dwelling ants through the use of two complementary sampling methods that were implemented according to the ants of leaf litter (all) protocol. In pristine forests of french guiana, leaf-litter ant communities are structured by environmental heterogeneity and natural perturbations - which influence species richness, diversity, abundance and density, as well as taxonomic and functional composition. This results in habitat-specific communities for each vegetal formation. Forest fragmentation and conversion into monocultures have led to a more or less deep alteration of the ant communities; this variability depends on the type of agricultural system and cultivated tree species. Although the intensity of community alteration peaked in tree monocultures, cocoa plantation exhibited a real potential for native species conservation. Finally, in the current context where simplifying the integration of arthropods into conservation programs as well as into surveys designed to monitor and manage the environment is critical, the use of neural networks appears to be a powerful tool for reliably highlighting and analyzing ant communities patterns.

http://www.theses.fr/2011AGUY0475/document