IGFBP-rP1, a strongly conserved member of the androgenic hormone signalling pathway in Isopoda.

The first protein which has been described to interact with the malacostracan Androgenic Gland Hormone (AGH) is a binding protein called IGFBP-rP1. It has been identified and studied in several species of decapods, in which its interaction with the masculinizing hormone and its expression patterns have been established in several ways. However, this protein remains uncharacterised to date in the other malacostracan orders, like Amphipoda and Isopoda, although they were historically the first ones in which the androgenic gland and the corresponding hormone were respectively described.

Males prefer virgin females, even if parasitized, in the terrestrial isopod .

In many species, males increase their reproductive success by choosing high-quality females. In natural populations, they interact with both virgin and mated females, which can store sperm in their spermatheca. Therefore, males elaborate strategies to avoid sperm competition.

When GIS zooms in: spatio-genetic maps of multipaternity in Armadillidium vulgare.

Geographic information system (GIS) tools are designed to illustrate, analyse and integrate geographic or spatial data, usually on a macroscopic scale. By contrast, genetic tools focus on a microscopic scale. Because in reality, landscapes have no predefined scale, our original study aims to develop a new approach, combining both cartographic and genetic approaches to explore microscopic landscapes.

Structure and evolution of the atypical mitochondrial genome of Armadillidium vulgare (Isopoda, Crustacea).

The crustacean isopod Armadillidium vulgare is characterized by an unusual approximately 42-kb-long mitochondrial genome consisting of two molecules co-occurring in mitochondria: a circular approximately 28-kb dimer formed by two approximately 14-kb monomers fused in opposite polarities and a linear approximately 14-kb monomer. Here we determined the nucleotide sequence of the fundamental monomeric unit of A. vulgare mitochondrial genome, to gain new insight into its structure and evolution.