Organic deposits in marine environment : the key factors of hemipelagic basins : The Mesozoic of the South-East France Basin.

L’objectif de ce travail est d’étudier la sédimentologie des dépôts organiques dans un bassin hémipélagique (séries mésozoïques du Bassin du S-E de la France) afin de comprendre les processus de transport et de préservation de la matière organique (MO), ainsi que sa distribution dans les différents cortèges sédimentaires. Les résultats démontrent qu’il n’y a pas de relation entre le cortège organique et la granulométrie de la fraction terrigène ou la minéralogie de la fraction argileuse. Des turbidites sont présentes dans un niveau organique particulier, mais elles n’ont pas acheminé de MO terrestre dans le bassin ; au contraire, elles ont eu un rôle négatif sur la préservation du contenu organique. De la MO terrestre est observée dans certains niveaux organiques, mais sans lien avec des dépôts gravitaires, signifiant donc que la MO terrestre peut être transportée vers le domaine marin distal sans nécessairement impliquer des processus gravitaires. Il n’y a pas de lien évident entre la nature de la MO et les cortèges de dépôts dans les séquences stratigraphiques de 3e ordre. L’apport majeur de ce travail concerne l’approche multi-facteurs de la sédimentologie de la MO en domaine marin. Pour une productivité primaire marine constamment faible à normale, il a été mis en avant le rôle de 3 facteurs clés pour la formation de dépôts organiques en bassin hémipélagique : le taux de sédimentation, la nature intrinsèque de la MO, et les conditions d’oxygénation du bassin. Les niveaux organiques les plus riches en MO sont les événements anoxiques globaux, démontrant que l’anoxie est le facteur permettant les plus fortes accumulations organiques dans ce type de bassin sédimentaire.The goal of this work is to study the sedimentology of organic deposits in a hemipelagic basin (Mesozoic deposits of the S-E France Basin) in order to understand the processes responsible for transport and preservation of organic matter (OM), as well as its distribution in various sedimentary settings. The results demonstrate that there is no relationship between the organic content and the grain size of the terrigenous fraction or the mineralogy of the clay fraction. Turbidites are present in a particular organic level, but they did not convey terrestrial OM in the basin; on the contrary, they had a negative role upon the preservation of the organic content. Terrestrial OM is observed in some organic levels, but not related to gravity deposits, meaning that terrestrial OM can be transported to the distal marine domain without necessarily involving gravity processes. There is no clear link between the nature of the OM and the place of the deposits in the 3rd order stratigraphic sequences. The major contribution of the present work concerns the multi-factor approach to the sedimentology of OM in the marine domain. For a constantly low to normal marine primary productivity, it was highlighted the role of 3 key factors for the formation of organic deposits in the hemipelagic basin: the sedimentation rate, the intrinsic nature of OM, and the basin oxygenation conditions. The organic levels the richest in OM are the global anoxic events, which show that anoxia is the factor allowing the strongest organic accumulations in this type of sedimentary basin

The Upper Jurassic Stanleyville Group of the eastern Congo Basin: An example of perennial lacustrine system

International audienceThe intracratonic Congo Basin, located in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), is the largest sedimentary basin of Africa. The Jurassic strata outcrop along its eastern margin, south of Kisangani (formerly Stanleyville). In the last century, the Upper Jurassic Stanleyville Group was described as a lacustrine series containing a thin basal marine limestone designed as the ;Lime Fine; beds. Since the proposal of this early model, the depositional environment of the Stanleyville Group, and especially the possible marine incursion, has been debated, but without re-examining the existing cores, outcrop samples and historical fossils from the type location near Kisangani that are available at the Royal Museum for Central Africa (MRAC/KMMA, Tervuren, Belgium). In order to refine the former sedimentology, a series of nine exploration cores drilled in the Kisangani sub-basin have been described. This study aims at integrating sedimentary facies in existing sedimentary models and to discuss the hypothesis of the presence of Kimmeridgian marine deposits along the Congo River near Kisangani, a region which lies in the middle of the African continent. Eight facies have been identified, which permit a reinterpretation of the depositional environment and paleogeography of the Stanleyville Group. The base of the Stanleyville Group is interpreted to represent a conglomeratic fluvial succession, which filled an inherited Triassic paleotopography. Above these conglomerates, a transition to a typically lacustrine system is interpreted, which includes: (1) a basal profundal, sublittoral (brown to dark fine-grained siltstones with microbial carbonates, i.e., the ;Lime Fine; beds) and littoral lacustrine series; covered by (2) a sublittoral to profundal interval (brown to dark organic-rich, fine-grained siltstones), which corresponds to the maximum extent of the paleo-lake; and, finally (3) a shallow lacustrine series (greenish calcareous siltstones and sandstones with red siltstones). Unlike what has been proposed, the ;Lime Fine; beds are interpreted herein to be of lacustrine origin, rather than representing a Kimmeridgian marine transgression. We conclude that a Jurassic marine transgression did not, in fact, occur in the eastern region of the Congo Basin

Dynamic Apical-Basal Enrichment of the F-Actin during Cytokinesis in Arabidopsis Cells Embedded in their Tissues

During the life cycle of any multicellular organism, cell division contributes to the proliferation of the cell in the tissues as well as the generation of specialized cells, both necessary to form a functional organism. Therefore, the mechanisms of cell division need to be tightly regulated, as malfunctions in their control can lead to tumor formation or developmental defects. This is particularly true in land plants, where cells cannot relocate and therefore cytokinesis is key for morphogenesis. In the green lineage, cell division is executed in radically different manners than animals, with the appearance of new structures (the preprophase band (PPB), cytokinetic the cell plate and phragmoplast), and the disappearance of ancestral mechanisms (cleavage, centrosomes). While F-actin and microtubules closely co-exist to allow the orientation and the progression of the plant cell division, recent studies mainly focused on the microtubule's involvement in this key process. Here, we used our recently developed root tracking system to follow actin dynamics in dividing Arabidopsis meristematic root cells. In this study, we imaged in time and space the fluorescent-tagged F-actin reporter Lifeact together with cell division markers in dividing cells embedded in their tissues. In addition to the F-actin accumulation's in the phragmoplasts, we observed and quantified a dynamic apical-basal enrichment of the F-actin during cytokinesis. The role and the possible actors responsible for F-actin dynamics during cytokinesis are discussed

Peripheral nerve regeneration and intraneural revascularization

Peripheral nerves are particularly vulnerable to injuries and are involved in numerous pathologies for which specific treatments are lacking. This review summarizes the pathophysiological features of the most common traumatic nerve injury in humans and the different animal models used in nerve regeneration studies. The current knowledge concerning Wallerian degeneration and nerve regrowth is then described. Finally, the involvement of intraneural vascularization in these processes is addressed. As intraneural vascularization has been poorly studied, histological experiments were carried out from rat sciatic nerves damaged by a glycerol injection. The results, taken together with the data from literature, suggest that revascularization plays an important role in peripheral nerve regeneration and must therefore be studied more carefully

VERTICAL MOVEMENTS IN NW AFRICA MARGIN: controls on accomodation and sedimentary partionning

International audiencePresent day central Atlantic margins of West Africa are flat margins with no significant reliefs onshore. Nevertheless, recent thermochronological studies shows denudation, related to major vertical movements (Ghorbal et al., Terra Nova, 2008 ; Bertotti et al., Int J Earth Sci, 2012) along some parts of the margins. Using basin-scale regional sections, calibrated in age and lithology on different types of wells (industry, DSDP/ODP), the aim of this study was (1) to analyse the sediments geometry of the whole margin (Morocco to Senegal) from its hinterland to the distal deep-water basin, (2) to constrain and quantify the vertical movements along the margin and (3) to discuss impact of those deformations on margin morphology (accommodation, sedimentary partitioning between the shelf and the distal basin through time. . . ) and their geodynamic significance. 1. The structure of the Triassic rift controls the aggradational geometry of the platforms from Jurassic (carbonate aggradation: Tethys type margins) to Early Cretaceous (mixed terrigenous/carbonate) times. The present day geometry of the margins is inherited from the end of the thermal subsidence period (Cenomanian - Turonian) and the decrease of the accommodation that lead to progradational geometries characteristics of Atlantic types margins, 2. Major uplifts events, probably associated with Early Cretaceous global plate reorganisation (Austrian deformations) are recorded during Valanginian and Hauterivian-Barremien times along the Moroccan margins (from Dakhla to Tarfaya). There is no major "final uplift" (Oligocene - Miocene) that characterizes most of the South Atlantic margins. 3. Some siliciclastic wedges (e.g. Oligocene - Miocene) are not necessary recording uplift of the upstream proximal onshore, but distant deformation events (e.g. Hoggar uplift)

Mouvements verticaux de la margeNord-Ouest Africaine

National audienceLes marges d’Atlantique central en Afrique de l’Ouest sont des margesplates au relief peu marqué. Pourtant des études récentes de thermochronologiemontrent d’importantes phases de dénudation (Bertotti et al., IntJ Earth Sci, 2012) en amont de certaines de ces marges.Cette étude est basée sur une analyse stratigraphique des principauxbassins côtiers de la marge Nord-Ouest Africaine. L’objectif étant (1)de réaliser une analyse des géométries sédimentaires à l’échelle de lamarge (depuis le Maroc jusqu’au Sénégal), de la zone amont du plateaucontinental jusqu’à la plaine abyssale ; (2) de contraindre et de quantifierles mouvements verticaux qui affectent cette marge ; (3) de discuterde l’impact de ces déformations sur la morphologie de la marge (accomodation,partitionnement sédimentaire entre le plateau continental etle bassin profon) et de leurs implications géodynamique.Les structures héritées de l’extension Triasique contrôlent les géométriesaggradantes des plateaux continentaux, depuis le Jurassique (aggradationcarbonatée : plateforme Téthysienne) jusqu’au Crétacé inférieur(sédimentation mixte : silicoclastique/carbonatée). La morphologieactuelle de la marge s’acquière à la transition Cénomanien-Turonien.La fin de la subsidence thermique de la marge réduit l’accomodation etentraine la mise en place de prismes progradants qui caractérisent lesmarges Atlantique.Deux phases de surrection majeure ont été identifiées. (1) Durant le Crétacéinférieur (Berriasien-Barrémien) le long de la marge Marocaine etde la marge Guinéenne. L’origine de cette première phase de déformationn’est pas connue. (2) Durant le Crétacé supérieur (Santonien-Campanien), depuis la marge Mauritanienne jusqu’à la marge Guinéenne.Cette phase de déformation est à rattacher aux déformationsSénoniennes.Il n’y a pas de surrection majeure de la marge au Cénozoïque qui caractériseles marges Sud Atlantique. Les prismes silicoclastiques (e.g.Oligocène-Miocène) préservés le long de la marge témoignent de surrectionstrès distales dans la zone amont (e.g. surrection de l’Hoggar)

Molecular fossils of Aptian–Albian blue marls of the Vocontian Basin (France), depositional conditions and connections to the Tethys Ocean

International audienc

Identifying controls on organic matter enrichments in hemipelagic settings: a biomarker approach

International audienc