Biology subjects

Renaud, J.

Publications and source records attributed to Renaud, J..

8 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Ecosystem service gradients at protected area borders reveal multiple patterns and prevalent management conflicts

Protected areas cannot halt biodiversity loss in isolation; integrating them with surrounding human-dominated landscapes is critical. However, this integration is challenged by substantial landscape heterogeneity at their borders, hindering our understanding of cross-border changes in ecosystem service provision. We introduce a novel framework for characterizing these dynamics by analyzing ecosystem service gradients along protected area borders. For 16 protected areas in the French Alps, we assessed 12 ecosystem services using a mix of established biophysical models and novel connectivity-based models for mobile species. These were aggregated into three stakeholder-driven domains reflecting respectively rural, cultural, and urban management priorities. Automated polynomial regression analysis classified borders into five gradient types. The most common were Decreasing Gradients, representing a decline in ecosystem services outside the protected area, and Increasing Gradients, with the opposite pattern. Our analysis reveals these patterns are driven by specific landscape configurations, uncovering frequent trade-offs between the three management priorities, where, for instance, landscapes supporting rural priorities often degrade cultural and urban ones. We also identify key opportunities for synergies, by identifying areas where ecosystem services for all three priority domains increase simultaneously outside the protected area. This spatially explicit typology provides a powerful diagnostic tool for designing targeted interventions, such as prioritizing habitat restoration where ecosystem services decline or managing agricultural landscapes to mitigate conflicts across management priorities, supporting a more effective integration of protected areas into the wider landscape. Article impact statementDetermining ecosystem service gradients at protected area borders reveals management trade-offs, guiding targeted spatial planning.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2026

Cells specify fate within an optimal window of positional information determined by morphogenesis

How cells sense position to adopt appropriate fates is a central problem in development. In a classic paradigm, cells read morphogen gradients encoding positional information (PI), with prolonged signal integration improving fate precision. However, how cells adapt this strategy in morphogenetic tissues remains unclear. Here, we reconstructed complete positional and signalling histories for individual cells during zebrafish neurulation, where the Sonic hedgehog (Shh) gradient patterns ventral progenitors as the neural plate folds into a tube. Despite steadily increasing Shh activity, Shh-encoded PI peaked early and then declined. Morphogenesis set this early readout window and imposed a [~]1.2-bit ceiling on Shh-encoded information about final position and fate. Fate mapping, transcriptomic analyses, and timed Shh inhibition showed that fate specification is temporally and functionally aligned with this early readout window. Thus, when morphogenesis decouples signal quality from signal strength, cells specify fate when signalling is most informative, not when signalling is strongest.

Developmental Biology↗

bioRxiv2026

Multi-Substrate Specificity of Isoflavone hydroxylases (GmIFH) Drive Isoflavonoid Diversification in Soybean

Isoflavone hydroxylases (IFHs, CYP81E) convert isoflavone aglycones into their respective hydroxylated intermediates, which direct legume isoflavones into specialized defense pathways. In soybean, their functions have been studied mostly in the context of the daidzein-derived glyceollin biosynthesis. Here we combine metabolomics-guided feature mining, phylogenetic analysis, heterologous enzymology, structural elucidation, and in planta metabolite validation to determine the functional landscape of the soybean IFH family. Analysis of a soybean isoflavonoid-enriched metabolomic dataset revealed unidentified hydroxyisoflavone features that co-accumulated with glyceollins, indicating branch chemistry that is not well-recognized. The systematic characterization of the repertoire of soybean CYP81E has demonstrated that 9 out of 11 GmIFHs are catalytically active and collectively span both 2'- and 3'- hydroxylation of the major soybean isoflavone aglycones. Among them, GmIFH9A showed broad substrate scope and regioselectivity, yielding canonical and previously unknown hydroxylated isoflavone products. NMR and LC-MS/MS were used to identify and validate the hydroxylated isoflavone products as 2'-hydroxyglycitein and 2'-hydroxyformononetin, whose presence was also confirmed in soybean roots, thus confirming two of the hidden soybean isoflavonoid network metabolites. Kinetic studies also indicated that, although the majority of GmIFHs prefer daidzein and genistein as substrates, a few isoforms are active towards methoxylated isoflavones as well, indicating functional divergence in this expanded family. Our findings collectively redefine soybean IFHs as a multi-functional enzyme module that expands the hydroxyisoflavone chemical space and reveals new biosynthetic entry points beyond canonical glyceollin pathway.

biochemistry↗

bioRxiv2025

Threats to Nature's Contributions to People provided by terrestrial vertebrates across Europe

Aim.Species and ecosystem processes offer essential benefits to people, known as Natures Contributions to People (NCP). However, we still lack a comprehensive understanding of NCP provided by terrestrial vertebrates on a large scale, and of the threats they face. To bridge this gap, we built a comprehensive dataset that documents the NCP provided by terrestrial vertebrate species in Europe, and analysed the conservation status and threats to NCP provider species. Location.Europe Methods.We synthesised existing literature on NCP associated with European terrestrial vertebrates, and leveraged ecological traits and trophic interactions from previously established datasets. We identified 15 NCP (10 regulating NCP and 5 non-material NCP), with 860 species providing at least one NCP (out of 1,168 vertebrate species considered in total). Then, we harnessed species distribution data and a novel European land system map to create species-mediated NCP maps across Europe at a 1km{superscript 2} resolution, including societal demand for each NCP. Results.We found that i) for each NCP, at least 25% of NCP provider species are assessed as threatened with extinction; ii) NCP multifunctionality is lowest in high-intensity land systems; and iii) direct exploitation and agricultural intensification are major threats to species-mediated NCP, impacting both non-material and regulating NCP provider species. Main conclusions.Protecting threatened NCP provider species, and reducing direct exploitation are key to maintain regulating and non-material NCP. Our results suggest that de-intensifying agricultural practices, through maintaining heterogeneous mosaic landscapes and promoting diversified practices, could increase NCP multifunctionality. Our work enables a comprehensive understanding of NCP provided by terrestrial vertebrates in Europe, their biogeography, and the threats they face, which can in turn inform spatial conservation planning to improve the conservation of both biodiversity and NCP.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2024

Human footprint and forest disturbance reduce space use of brown bears across Europe.

Three-quarters of the planets land surface has been altered by humans, with consequences for animal ecology, movements and related ecosystem functioning. Species often occupy wide geographical ranges with contrasting human disturbance and environmental conditions, yet, limited data availability across species ranges has constrained our understanding of how human impact and resource availability jointly shape intraspecific variation of animal space use. Leveraging a unique dataset of 752 annual GPS movement trajectories from 370 brown bears (Ursus arctos) across the species range in Europe, we investigated the effects of human impact (i.e., human footprint index), resource availability, forest cover and disturbance, and area-based conservation measures on brown bear space use. We quantified space use at different spatio-temporal scales during the growing season (May - September): home range size; representing general space requirements, 10-day long-distance displacement distances, and routine 1-day displacement distances. We found large intraspecific variation in brown bear space use across all scales, which was profoundly affected by human footprint index, vegetation productivity, and recent forest disturbances creating opportunity for resource pulses. Bears occupied smaller home ranges and moved less in more anthropized landscapes and in areas of higher resource availability. Forest disturbances reduced space use while contiguous forest cover promoted longer daily movements. The amount of strictly protected and roadless areas within bear home ranges were too small to affect space use. Anthropized landscapes may hinder the expansion of small and isolated populations, such as the Apennine and Pyrenean, and obstruct population connectivity, for example between the Alpine or Carpathian with the Dinaric Pindos populations. Our findings call for actions to maintain bear movements across landscapes with high human footprint, for example by maintaining forest integrity, to support viable bear populations and their ecosystem functions.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2020

A novel assay for tracking carboxylesterase gene amplifications conferring organophosphate resistance in the mosquito Aedes aegypti: from experimental evolution to field application

By altering gene expression and creating paralogs, genomic amplifications represent a key component of short-term adaptive processes. In insects, the use of insecticides can select gene amplifications causing an increased expression of detoxification enzymes, supporting the usefulness of these DNA markers for monitoring the dynamics of resistance alleles in the field. In this context, the present study aims to characterise a genomic amplification event associated with resistance to organophosphate insecticides in the mosquito Aedes aegypti and to develop a molecular assay to monitor the associated resistance alleles in the field. An experimental evolution experiment using a composite population from Laos supported the association between the over-transcription of multiple contiguous carboxylesterase genes on chromosome 2 and resistance to multiple organophosphate insecticides. Combining whole genome sequencing and qPCR on specific genes confirmed the presence of a ~100 Kb amplification spanning at least five carboxylesterase genes at this locus with the co-existence of multiple structural duplication haplotypes. Field data confirmed their circulation in South-East Asia and revealed high copy number polymorphism among and within populations suggesting a trade-off between this resistance mechanism and associated fitness costs. A dual-colour multiplex TaqMan assay allowing the rapid detection and copy number quantification of this amplification event in Ae. aegypti was developed and validated on field populations. The routine use of this novel assay will improve the tracking of resistance alleles in this major arbovirus vector.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2019

Climate associated genetic variation in Fagus sylvatica and potential responses to climate change in the French Alps.

Local adaptation patterns have been found in many plants and animals, highlighting the genetic heterogeneity of species along their range of distribution. In the next decades, global warming must induce a change in the selective pressures that drive this adaptive variation, forcing a reshuffling of the underlying adaptive allele distributions. For species with low dispersion capacity and long generation time such as trees, the rapidity of the change could imped the migration of beneficial alleles and lower their capacity to track the changing environment. Identifying the main selective pressures driving the adaptive genetic variation is thus necessary when investigating species capacity to respond to global warming. In this study, we investigate the adaptive landscape of Fagus sylvatica along a gradient of populations in the French Alps. Using a ddRAD-seq approach, we identified 7,000 SNPs from 570 individuals across 36 different sites. An RDA-derived method allowed us to identify several SNPs that were strongly associated with climatic gradients; moreover, we defined the primary selective gradients along the natural populations of F. sylvatica in the Alps. Strong effects of elevation and humidity, which contrast north-western and south-eastern site, were found and were believed to be important drivers of genetic adaptation. Finally, simulations of future genetic landscapes that used these findings predicted a severe range contraction and a shift towards higher altitudes for F. sylvatica in the Alps and allowed to identify populations at risk, which could be helpful for future management plans.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2018

Invasive aliens threatened with native extinction: examining best practice for species translocations under climate change

AimTranslocation remains a controversial strategy in species conservation. Here, we utilise the unusual scenario of invasive alien species (IAS) threatened with extinction in their native range to address key challenges in deciding whether, where, and when to implement translocation, and how best to approach conservation under seemingly contradictory circumstances.\n\nLocationIberian Peninsula, NW Europe\n\nMethodsRhododendron ponticum ssp. baeticum was selected as a model IAS for case study analysis. We used species distribution models (SDMs) coupled with dynamic simulations of migration to assess: 1. the extinction risk posed to this species in its native Iberian range under climate change; 2. whether SDMs calibrated on the native range (replicating typical translocation planning) could predict invasive capacity in NW Europe; and 3. the extent to which recommended biogeographical constrains on translocations may limit available options. Insights gained on the above were used to build and test a generic decision framework for translocation, based on robust identification of microrefugia.\n\nResultsOur findings suggest a high likelihood of climate-induced extinction for R.p. ssp. baeticum in its native range. Notably, SDMs completely failed to predict invasive capacity in NW Europe. However, application of our framework was successful in identifying sites more proximate to the native range - albeit outside this species current biogeographic region - potentially suited to translocation.\n\nMain conclusionsThe framework here developed can be used to guide translocation of climate-endangered species in a spatially and temporally precise manner. However, we caution that use of SDMs can possess short-comings in failing to capture a full picture of sites suited to translation, and in risk assessment of the capacity of translocated taxa to form invasive species. Strict biogeographic constraints to the selection of translocation sites can evidently help to safeguard against invasions, but may also severely hinder the options available to avert climate-induced extinctions.

ecology↗