Publications by authors named "Pascale Garcia"
Article Synopsis
- Researchers created a new molecular method using Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) to determine the sex of marine bivalves that exhibit doubly uniparental inheritance (DUI) of mitochondria, where both males and females transmit their mitochondria but with distinct types.
- They tested this method on 154 bivalve samples from the Atlantic coast of France, confirming that LAMP results matched those from traditional methods like PCR and microscopic examination of gonads.
- The study suggests that using LAMP can enhance eco-evolutionary research on DUI by exploring genetic factors like sexual selection and dispersal patterns in marine species.
Background: Allopatric divergence across lineages can lead to post-zygotic reproductive isolation upon secondary contact and disrupt coevolution between mitochondrial and nuclear genomes, promoting emergence of genetic incompatibilities. A previous F ST scan on the transcriptome of the Baltic clam Macoma balthica highlighted several genes potentially involved in mito-nuclear incompatibilities (MNIs). As proteins involved in the mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHO) chain are prone to MNIs and can contribute to the maintenance of genetic barriers, the mitochondrial genomes of six Ma.
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- Hybrid zones are important for understanding how species adapt to rapidly changing environments and maintain biodiversity, especially as they respond to climate changes.
- The study focuses on the infaunal bivalve Macoma balthica, which is experiencing range contraction due to climate shifts, using new molecular markers identified from the transcriptome of individuals from different populations.
- Findings reveal significant genetic diversity and divergence in key genes related to metabolism and stress, indicating potential cytonuclear incompatibilities, which will enhance our understanding of hybrid zone dynamics and gene flow barriers for this species.
High-resolution digital photography and graphical image analyses systems have been used to define external morphometric characters of shell deformations in four populations of the Baltic clam Macoma balthica from the Gulf of Gdansk (southern Baltic Sea). The proposed shell deformation indices (SDI), which were based on the relationship of selected dimensions in the posterior and the anterior part of the shell, showed at least three morphological features that provide a distinctive diagnosis of "regular" and "deformed" clams: the presence of flexure on the posterior side (SDI1), elongated posterior region (SDI2), and shell growth (SDI3). The degree and prevalence of deformed clams varied locally over space.
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