The team seeks an understanding of rising process, differentiation and diversification of species. We use Drosophila as a model, with closely related and well-caracterised species showing natural hybridization in the wild. From Biogeographical studies, to genomics, we reconstruct the history of populations and species with an integrated approach including chromosomal evolution and population genomics, transcriptome evolution in connection with adaptation, genetic conflicts and genomic incompatibilities, sexual selection and pheromone evolution.

A few questions among those we tackle:

Why do some Drosophila species remain in their (sometimes very limited) area of origin, while others are capable of colonizing vast and ecologicaly diverse domains?

What are the genetic basis of isolation between species? Either prezygotic (partner recognition, physiological modifications induced by the seminal fluid, sperm use bias, role of pheromonal hydrocarbons) or postzygotic (genetic conflict, sterility / inviability of hybrids).

Are the disruptions observed in hybridsmainly due to gene expression breakdown?

Speciation, population genetics, evolutionary biology, evolutionary genomics, cytogenetics, sexual selection, behavior, pheromones, Drosophilidae, melanogaster subgroup, ananassae group, montium group, repleta group.

If you wish to become a trainee in our team, don’t hesitate to contact us, and / or to consult our traineeship page.

Researchers

Catherine Montchamp-Moreau, CNRS Research Director, head of the team. Genetic conflicts, molecular basis and evolutionary history of sex-ration meiotic segregation distortion, molecular basis of reproductive isolation and adaptation.

Dominique Joly, CNRS Research Director, Evolution of reproduction strategies, sexual selection, sperm competition, genomic and proteomic approach.

Marie-Louise Cariou, CNRS Research Director, molecular polymorphism, demography, phylogeography, molecular basis of adaptation.

Sylvie Aulard, Assistant Professor at Paris 6 University. Cytogenetics, inversion polymorphism, transposable elements and chromosomal rearrangements, chromosomal evolution.

Claude Wicker, CNRS Research Director, chemical ecology, pheromone biosynthesis, desaturases.

Frédéric Marion-Poll, Professor at Agroparistech.

Post Doctorate fellows

Pierre Gérard, ATER Paris-sud XI University. Genetics of interspecific hybrids.

Haq Abdul Shaik, Postdoctoral fellow on the ANR project SexDro. Biosynthesis of pheromones.

PhD Students

François Wurmser, CNRS PhD student, GGC Graduate school (Paris-Sud 11 University). Speciation and gene expression breakdown in drosophila. Co-supervisored by Dominique Joly and Catherine Montchamp-Moreau.

Quentin Helleu, PhD student, GGC Graduate School (Paris-Sud 11 University). Genetic mapping of distortion elements in Drosophila simulans. Supervisor: Catherine Montchamp-Moreau.

Engineer and technicians

Béatrice Denis, CNRS Assistant Engineer. Analysis of reproductive systems and sperm morphology. Spermatogenesis, fertility and paternity. Behavior and sexual choices.

David Ogereau, CNRS Assistant Engineer. Genetic mapping and caracterization of population polymorphism using genetic markers. Comparative analysis of transcriptomes (microarray, real time qPCR).

Nicole Chaminade, CNRS Assistant Engineer. Classical and molecular cytogenetic (mitotic and polytene chromosomes): caryotypes, in situ hybridization.

Gaëlle Claisse, CNRS Engineer. Biochemistry of reproduction proteins. Analysis of seminal fluid components. Relation between sexual peptide / sperm.

Undergraduate

If you wish to work as an undergraduate in our team, do not hesitate to contact us, and / or to consult our traineeship page.

Previously in the team

Gildas Lepennetier, Trainee, M2 Biology Ecology and Evolution (Poitiers University). Seminal proteins impact on reproductive behavior of drosophila.

Lucie Fouvry, PhD student, GGC Graduate School (Paris-sud 11 University). Molecular basis and evolution of sex-ratio segregation distortion. Currently High school teacher.
Héloïse Bastide, PhD student, GGC Graduate School (Paris-sud 11 University). Evolutionary history of sex-ratio segregation distortion in Drosophila simulans“. Population molecular polyporphism, phylogeography. Currently Post-doctorate fellow in Christian Schlöterrer’s lab. Funded by Bettendourt Foundation
Michele Schiffer, CNRS Post-doctorate fellow. Evolutionary systematics of drosophildae. Currently working at The University of Melbourne with Professor Ary Hoffmann. The effect of cold stress on hsp expression in drosophila.
Delphine Legrand, PhD student, GGC Graduate School (Paris-sud 11 University). Phylogeography and evolution of drosophila species of the melanogaster subgroup in the Indian Ocean archipelagos. Molecular Polymorphism, phylogeography, molecular basis of adaptation.
Anna Popkova, CNRS Post-doctorate fellow. Candidate genes for the sex-ratio segregation distortion.
Cécile Campagne, Engineer on the ANR project TRANSBIODIV. Neutral and functional trans-specific biodiversity: theoretical developments and quantification on model organisms. Molecular polymorphism, phylogeography, molecular basis of adaptation.
Michel Cazemajor, researcher on the ANR project SELMULTILOC. Population genetics of the sex-ratio segregation distortion system.