Nouvelles espèces d’ostracodes de l’Albien et du Cénomanien d’Estremadura (Portugal)

Examination of samples from eight outcrops from Albian and Cenomanian of Estremadura, induced to take a census of sixty-two species and subspecies of Ostracodes among which fifteen are new and described here. Their associations pennited - first, to characterize three faunistic sets: a lower and middle Albian set with a mediolittoral and infralittoral (shallow marine} sedimentation; an upper Albian s.l. (near formations of Rudists}; a lagoonal lower Cenomanian; - on the other hand, to state local comparisons with the middle Cretaceous of Southern France, of the South-pyrenean Zone (Sierra d' Aulet: district of Sopeira), of the district of Oviedo (Northwestern Spain), and of the Aragonese Iberian Range (Aragon and Maestrazgo), placing in a prominent position faunistic exchanges of Ostracodes between the above-mentioned regions and the Estremadura, during the lower Cenomanian

Nouvelles études micropaléontologiques sur le stratotype de la limite Campanien-Maastrichtien à Tercis (SO France) : compléments sur les ostracodes extraits par acétolyse

Une nouvelle étude de la microfaune, obtenue par acétolyse des niveaux indurés dans le Campanien-Maastrichtien de la carrière de Tercis, a permis de récolter 22 espèces additionnelles au regard de l'étude publiée en 2001 et de porter ainsi à 75 espèces, réparties sur 34 genres reconnus et 4 indéterminés, la biodiversité en ostracodes de ce site. Des espèces de petite taille, généralement rares, rapportées aux genres Aversovalva, Bythoceratina et Eucytherura ont par ailleurs été recueillies. Les associations de genres et d'espèces d'ostracodes sont caractéristiques du Campanien-Maastrichtien, dans un environnement de plate-forme carbonatée ouverte.Through the use of acetolysis new micropalaeontological studies on the type section of the Campanian-Maastrichtian boundary at Tercis (SW France) we obtained additional information on ostracodes. Acetolysis on hard carbonates levels of the Tercis quarry found 22 species in addition to those of the studies published in 2001. Today, 75 species are recognized: they represent 34 known genera, and 4 currently unidentified. Small species usually rare of the genera Aversovalva, Bythoceratina and Eucytherura were collected. All of the assemblages (of both genera and species) are characteristic of a Campanian-Maastrichtian open carbonate platform environment

Analysis of inventory data derived fuel characteristics and fire behavior under various environmental conditions.

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Upper Cretaceous non-marine ostracods from the southern High Plateaus, eastern Morocco

Les marnes de la partie supérieure de la Formation du Tigri du Crétacé supérieur des Hauts Plateaux méridionaux, Maroc oriental, ont livré des faunes d'ostracodes non-marins, dulçaquicoles à oligohalins. Malgré la mauvaise conservation des individus, 23 espèces ont été reconnues, qui appartiennent à 14 genres. Les associations génériques montrent une répartition paléobiogéographique globale à la fois sur la Laurasia et sur le Gondwana.The marls of the upper part of the Tigri Formation in the Upper Cretaceous of the southern High Plateaus, eastern Morocco, reveal non-marine ostracod faunas from freshwater to oligohaline environments. Despite the poor specimen preservation, 23 species belonging to 14 genera have been recognized. The generic assemblages show a global paleobiogeographic distribution both on Laurasia and Gondwana

Middle Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous continental deposits from eastern High Atlas (Morocco): successive paleoenvironments and paleogeographic significance

In the eastern High Atlas (Morocco), continental "Red Beds" overlying the last marine deposits of Jurassic age consist of three main lithostratigraphic units: the Anoual Formation, the Ksar Metlili Formation and the Dekkar Group, bounded by two sharp sedimentary discontinuities. The Anoual Formation is a fluvial dominated deltaic plain deposit. It is followed by a final marine transgression of Early Bathonian age. The Ksar Metlili Formation found only in some subsident areas represents a renewal of fluvio-deltaic environments with a flora of Late Tithonian-Early Berriasian charophytes. The Dekkar Group occupies a larger area of sedimentation, its limits overlap the whole domain. From bottom to top, the succession indicates the existence of three paleoenvironments: alluvial fans deposits locally associated with Barremian?-Aptian lacustrine sediments containing charophytes and ostracods, alluvial plains deposits and finally, marine coastal to brackish plains deposits of the Cenomanian. After the closure of the Jurassic Atlasic marine trough, the eastern Atlasic "Red Beds" were deposited in response to three main geodynamic events : • the filling of the Atlasic trough with very thick deposits in subsiding areas linked to tectonic rifting during the Early Bathonian; • the emergence of this area caused a hiatus in sedimentation involving strata ranging in age from Bathonian to Barremian?-Aptian. However, continental sediments are preserved in some onshore geomorphological depressions at the Jurassic/Cretaceous boundary; • the opening of new basins, continental during the Barremian?-Aptian, that became marine during the Late Cenomanian as the result of Cenomanian-Turonian transgression. A comparison of the succession of events recorded in different parts of the Atlasic belts allows reconstruction of the three phases of paleogeographic evolution in these southern Tethyan areas during Middle Jurassic to Late Cretaceous times.Dans le Haut Atlas oriental marocain, les "Couches rouges" continentales succédant aux dernières formations marines jurassiques sont organisées en trois grands ensembles lithostratigraphiques : la Formation d'Anoual, la Formation de Ksar Metlili et le Groupe de Dekkar, séparés par deux importantes ruptures de l'enregistrement sédimentaire. La Formation d'Anoual correspond à des dépôts de plaine deltaïque à dominante fluviatile, suivis d'une ultime incursion marine d'âge Bathonien inférieur. La Formation de Ksar Metlili est uniquement localisée dans certaines aires subsidentes et représente un deuxième cycle fluvio-deltaïque avec des charophytes d'âge Tithonien terminal-Berriasien inférieur. Le Groupe de Dekkar traduit l'installation d'une nouvelle aire de sédimentation recouvrant l'ensemble de la région avec trois environnements successifs : cônes alluviaux associés à une sédimentation lacustre du Barrémien?-Aptien à charophytes et ostracodes, puis dépôts de plaines alluviales, enfin plaines et lagunes côtières au Cénomanien. Les "Couches rouges" continentales du domaine atlasique oriental correspondent ainsi à l'enregistrement sédimentaire de trois événements géodynamiques distincts : • une phase de comblement du sillon atlasique, associée à une forte subsidence dénotant une poursuite du rifting atlasique au Bathonien inférieur ; • une période d'émersion généralement marquée par une lacune du Bathonien au Barrémien-Aptien, mais au cours de laquelle subsiste une sédimentation résiduelle dans certaines cuvettes intra-continentales à la limite Jurassique/Crétacé ; • une phase d'ouverture générant au Barrémien?-Aptien de nouveaux bassins continentaux qui évoluent vers des conditions marines jusqu'à la transgression du Cénomanien-Turonien. La comparaison de cet enchaînement avec celui enregistré dans d'autres secteurs du domaine atlasique permet de retracer les trois phases de l'évolution paléogéographique de ces segments sud-téthysiens entre le Jurassique moyen et le Crétacé supérieur

La gouvernance des espaces protégés : la nature en partage ?

 colloque de l'UMR 6590 ESOactes à paraîtreInternational audienc

Biostratigraphie et paléoécologie des peuplements d'ostracodes dans le Domérien du Bassin Lusitanien, Portugal

The Domerian sections from the Lusitanian Basin of São Pedro de Muel, Rabaçal and Tomar have provided us with more than 1100 Ostracods belonging from 18 genus and about 48 species. The faunal diversity and density of the associations decrease in space (from Tomar to Rabaçal and São Pedro de Muel) and time, with favourable environments for the proliferation of Ostracods at the lower part of the sections (Stokesi subzone) and more hostile at the upper part (Ragazzonii subzone). The Monestieri and Nitescens horizons and the Subnodosus subzone are characterized by a typical assemblage of Ostracods. The palaeoecological Ostracod indexes reveal the fluctuations of the oxygenation, temperature, depth and hydrodynamism of the water, on the different sections and on the whole platform. They display a diachronous cooling in the Lower Domerian series. In the upper part of the Middle and in the Upper Domerian, the deeper, less oxygenated and cooler waters prevent the development of the Ostracod faunas

Habiter les habitats (naturels) : quelle place pour l'homme au sein du patrimoine naturel littoral ?

The question of inhabiting in coastal area can be asked specifically within natural heritage places, as ‘la Baie de Somme’ or ‘le Marais de Brouage’ (France), which are open to the public in various ways. How can we inhabit the Natural Habitats, which are enshrined in an ecological expertise and many regulations for the protection of biodiversity? Establishing the Natural Habitats in the social space leads to restrictions, but human uses are kind of obvious in these places, from historical land uses (agriculture, hunting and fishing) to new occupations (tourism, natural sports, etc.). Then, users and protectors of nature have to inhabit together from different representations of these heritage places

RNA-Seq Identifies SNP Markers for Growth Traits in Rainbow Trout

Fast growth is an important and highly desired trait, which affects the profitability of food animal production, with feed costs accounting for the largest proportion of production costs. Traditional phenotype-based selection is typically used to select for growth traits; however, genetic improvement is slow over generations. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) explain 90% of the genetic differences between individuals; therefore, they are most suitable for genetic evaluation and strategies that employ molecular genetics for selective breeding. SNPs found within or near a coding sequence are of particular interest because they are more likely to alter the biological function of a protein. We aimed to use SNPs to identify markers and genes associated with genetic variation in growth. RNA-Seq whole-transcriptome analysis of pooled cDNA samples from a population of rainbow trout selected for improved growth versus unselected genetic cohorts (10 fish from 1 full-sib family each) identified SNP markers associated with growth-rate. The allelic imbalances (the ratio between the allele frequencies of the fast growing sample and that of the slow growing sample) were considered at scores >5.0 as an amplification and <0.2 as loss of heterozygosity. A subset of SNPs (n = 54) were validated and evaluated for association with growth traits in 778 individuals of a three-generation parent/offspring panel representing 40 families. Twenty-two SNP markers and one mitochondrial haplotype were significantly associated with growth traits. Polymorphism of 48 of the markers was confirmed in other commercially important aquaculture stocks. Many markers were clustered into genes of metabolic energy production pathways and are suitable candidates for genetic selection. The study demonstrates that RNA-Seq at low sequence coverage of divergent populations is a fast and effective means of identifying SNPs, with allelic imbalances between phenotypes. This technique is suitable for marker development in non-model species lacking complete and well-annotated genome reference sequences

Codon Preference Optimization Increases Heterologous PEDF Expression

Pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) is widely known for its neurotrophic and antiangiogenic functions. Efficacy studies of PEDF in animal models are limited because of poor heterologous protein yields. Here, we redesigned the human PEDF gene to preferentially match codon frequencies of E coli without altering the amino acid sequence. Following de novo synthesis, codon optimized PEDF (coPEDF) and the wtPEDF genes were cloned into pET32a containing a 5′ thioredoxin sequence (Trx) and the recombinant Trx-coPEDF or Trx-wtPEDF fusion constructs expressed in native and two tRNA augmented E coli hosts - BL21-CodonPlus(DE3)-RIL and BL21-CodonPlus(DE3)-RP, carrying extra copies of tRNAarg,ile,leu and tRNAarg,pro genes , respectively. Trx-PEDF fusion proteins were isolated using Ni-NTA metal affinity chromatography and PEDF purified after cleavage with factor Xα. Protein purity and identity were confirmed by western blot, MALDI-TOF, and UV/CD spectral analyses. Expression of the synthetic gene was ∼3.4 fold greater (212.7 mg/g; 62.1 mg/g wet cells) and purified yields ∼4 fold greater (41.1 mg/g; 11.3 mg/g wet cell) than wtPEDF in the native host. A small increase in expression of both genes was observed in hosts supplemented with rare tRNA genes compared to the native host but expression of coPEDF was ∼3 fold greater than wtPEDF in both native and codon-bias-adjusted E coli strains. ΔGs at −3 to +50 of the Trx site of both fusion genes were −3.9 kcal/mol. Functionally, coPEDF was equally as effective as wtPEDF in reducing oxidative stress, promoting neurite outgrowth, and blocking endothelial tube formation. These findings suggest that while rare tRNA augmentation and mRNA folding energies can significantly contribute to increased protein expression, preferred codon usage, in this case, is advantageous to translational efficiency of biologically active PEDF in E coli. This strategy will undoubtedly fast forward studies to validate therapeutic utility of PEDF in vivo