Assistant Professor in Evolutionary Ecology 

Equipe Ecologie Evolutive

UMR-CNRS 5561 Biogeosciences

Universite de Bourgogne

6, Blvd Gabriel,

21000 Dijon, France

Contact information

tel (33) 3 80 39 63 40 /Fax 62 31

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Academic background

◊ HDR, Université de Bourgogne, 2007

◊ PhD in Agronomical Sciences and Evolution, ENSAM – 1993

◊ DEA (MSc) in Evolutionary Ecology, ENSAM/Université Montpellier II – 1990

◊ Graduate studies in Agronomical Sciences, Crop Protection (Ingeneer)

   Ecole Nationale Supérieure Agronomique, Montpellier (ENSAM) - 1987.

Research interests

    My main current interest is in the evolutionary ecology of host-parasite interactions, more specifically in parasitic manipulation. The model organisms are acanthocephalan parasites, infecting freshwater crustacean intermediate hosts and fish or bird final hosts.   

   I am addressing the evolutionary significance of parasite-induced behavioural alterations with a specific emphasis on changes in anti-predator defenses (such as odour-evoked escape responses, choice of microhabitat). I am also investigating the adaptive value of carotenoid-based pigmentation in some acanthocephalan species.

  More recently, I have started exploring the mechanistic basis of parasite manipulation, by focusing on candidate neuromodulatory pathways.

Teaching and Administration

◊ Courses in Evolutionary Biology (BSc in Biology, 1rst year of Master in Population Biology),

◊ Introduction to evolutionary parasitology (BSc, 3rd level), entomology (Master in Pop. Biol.),

◊ Introduction to ecological genetics : quantitative genetics (1rst  and 2nd year Master in Population Biology)

◊ Coordinator of the 3rd level of the BSc in Biology (2004-2008)

◊ Coordinator of Eramus-Socrates program with the University of Leeds

link to the web site of our undergraduate and graduate programs (in french)

◊ Elected member of the University board

◊ Director of "GIS AGRALE" (Pole in Agronomical, Food and Environment Sciences) (from 1rst January 2009)

Previous positions and research projects

1995- 1999 : Assistant Professor, laboratoire Ecologie Animale et Zoologie agricole, INRA - Ecole Nationale Supérieure Agronomique, Montpellier (France)

           ◊  Haplo-diploidy in arrhenotokous tetranychid mites and Wolbachia infection 
           ◊  Pseudo-arrhenotoky in phytoseiid mites.

1994-1995 : Post-doctoral position, Pr J.H. Werren’s lab., University of Rochester (USA), Lavoisier grant (french Ministry of foreign affairs)

           ◊ Research on Wolbachia infection and how bacteria density and strains affect 

              cytoplasmic incompatibility in the jewel wasp Nasonia vitripennis.

Membership in Societies

European Society for Evolutionary Biology (ESEB)
Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour (ASAB)
Society for the Study of Evolution

Publications

Publications on parasitic manipulation

Kaldonski, N., Perrot-Minnot, M.-J., Dodet, R., Martinaud, G. & Cézilly, F.  2008. Carotenoid-based colour of acanthocephalan cystacanths plays no role in host manipulation. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 276 : 169-176.

Kaldonski, N., Perrot-Minnot, M.-J., Motreuil, S. & Cézilly, F. 2008. Infection with acanthocephalans increases the vulnerability of Gammarus pulex (Crustacea: Amphipoda) to non-host invertebrate predators. Parasitology, 135: 627-632.

Kaldonski, N., Perrot-Minnot, M.-J. & Cézilly, F. 2007. Differential influence of two acanthocephalan parasites on anti-predator behaviour of their intermediate host. Animal Behaviour, 74 : 1311-1317.

Perrot-Minnot, M.-J., Kaldonski, N. & Cézilly, F. 2007. Susceptibility to predation and anti-predator behaviour in an acanthocephalan-infected amphipod: a test for the manipulation hypothesis. International Journal for Parasitology, 37 : 645-651.

Tain, L., Perrot-Minnot, M.-J., & Cézilly, F. 2007. Differential influence of Pomphorhynchus laevis (Acanthocephala) on brain serotonergic activity in two congeneric host species. Biology Letters, 3: 68-71.

Tain, L., Perrot-Minnot, M.-J., & Cézilly, F. 2006. Altered host behaviour and brain serotonergic activity caused by acanthocephalans: evidence for specificity. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 273 : 3039-3045.

Ponton, F., Lefevre, T., Lebarbenchon, C., Thomas, F., Loxdale, H., Marche, Renault, L., Perrot-Minnot, M.-J. & Biron, D. 2006. Behavioural manipulation in gammarids harbouring trematodes and acanthocephalans: a comparative study of the proximate factors using proteomics. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 273:2869-2877.

Bauer, A., Haine, E. H., Perrot-Minnot, M.-J., & Rigaud, T. 2005. Polymorphus minutus (Acanthocephala) alters the geotactic and clonging behaviours of two intermediate hosts: Gammarus pulex (native host) and Gammarus roeseli (invasive host). Journal of Zoology, 267: 39-43.

Cézilly, F., Perrot-Minnot, M.-J. 2005. Studying adaptive changes in the behaviour of infected hosts: A long and winding road. Behavioural Processes, 68: 223-228.

Gaillard, M., Juillet, C., Cézilly, F., Perrot-Minnot, M.-J., 2004. Comparative study of carotenoid content of two freshwater amphipod species (Gammarus pulex and G. roeseli) and their common Acanthocephalan parasite Polymorphus minutus. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, serie B, 129: 129-136.

Perrot-Minnot, M.-J. 2004. Larval morphology, genetic divergence, and contrasting levels of host manipulation between forms of Pomphorhynchus laevis (Acanthocephala). International Journal for Parasitology, 34 :45-54.

Publications on Wolbachia

Perrot-Minnot, M.-J., Cheval, B., Migeon, A. & Navajas, M. 2002. Contrasting effects of Wolbachia on cytoplasmic incompatibility and fecundity in the haplodiploid mite Tetranychus urticae. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 15: 808-817.

Perrot-Minnot, M.-J. & Werren, J. H. 2001. Meiotic and mitotic instability of two EMS-produced centric fragments in the haplodiploid wasp Nasonia vitripennis . Heredity, 87 : 8-16.

Perrot-Minnot, M.-J. & Werren, J. H. 1999. Wolbachia infection and incompatibility dynamics in experimental selection lines. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 12 : 272-282.

Perrot-Minnot, M.-J. & Norton, R. A. 1997. Obligate thelytoky in oribatid mites: no evidence for Wolbachia-inducement. The Canadian Entomologist, 129 : 691-698.

Perrot-Minnot, M.-J., Guo, L. R. & Werren, J. H. 1996. Single and double infections with Wolbachia in the parasitic wasp Nasonia vitripennis: effects on compatibility. Genetics,143: 961-72.

Publications on mites’ reproductive system

Perrot-Minnot, M.-J., Migeon, A. & Navajas, M. 2004. Intergenomic interactions affect female reproduction : evidence from introgression and inbreeding depression in a haplodiploid mite. Heredity, 93: 551-558.

Perrot-Minnot, M.-J., Lagnel, J., Migeon, A. & Navajas, M. 2000b. Tracking paternal genes with DALP markers in a pseudoarrhenotokous reproductive system: biparental transmission but haplodiploid like inheritance in the mite Neoseiulus californicus.  Heredity, 84: 702-709.

Perrot-Minnot, M.-J., Lagnel, J., Desmarais, E. & Navajas, M. 2000a. Isolation and characterization by direct amplification of length polymorphisms (DALP) of codominant genetic markers with mendelian inheritance in Neoseiulus californicus (Acari: Phytoseiidae). Experimental and Applied Acarology, 24: 795-803.

Perrot-Minnot, M.-J. & Navajas, M. 1995. Biparental inheritance of RAPD markers in males of the pseudo-arrhenotokous mite Typhlodromus pyri. Genome, 38 : 838-844.

Others

Voordouw, M. J., Stebbins, G ., Robinson, H. E., Perrot-Minnot M.-J., Rigaud, T., & Anholt, B. R. 2008. Genetic variation in the primary sex ratio in populations of the intertidal copepod, Tigriopus californicus, is widespread on Vancouver Island. Evolutionary Ecology Research 10 : 1007-1023.

Wattier, R., Beguet, J., Gaillard, M., Müller, J. C., Bollache, L. & Perrot-Minnot, M.-J. 2006. Molecular markers for systematic identification and population genetics of the invasive Ponto-Caspian freshwater gammarid Dikerogammarus villosus (Crustacea, Amphipoda). Molecular Ecology Notes, 6: 487–489.

Haine, E.H., Brondani, E., Hume, K. D., Perrot-Minnot, M.-J., Gaillard, M. & Rigaud, T., 2004. Coexistence of three microsporidia parasites in populations of the freshwater amphipod Gammarus roeseli : Evidence for vertical transmission and positive effect on reproduction. International Journal of Parasitology, 34: 1137-1146.

Devin, S., Bollache, L., Beisel, J.-N., Moreteau, J.-C. & Perrot-Minnot, M.-J. 2005. Pigmentation polymorphism in the invasive amphipod species Dikerogammarus villosus: some insights into its maintenance. Journal of Zoology, 264: 391-397.

Navajas, M., Perrot-Minnot, M.-J., Lagnel ,J., Migeon, A., Bourse, T. & Cornuet, J.-M. 2002. Genetic structure of a greenhouse population of the spider mite Tetranychus urticae: spatio-temporal analysis with microsatellite markers. Insect Molecular Biology, 11: 157-165.

Navajas, M., Tsagkarakov, A., Lagnel, J. & Perrot-Minnot, M.-J. 2000. Genetic differentiation in Tetranychus urticae (Acari : Tetranychidae): polymorphism, host races or sibling species ? Experimental and Applied Acarology, 24: 365-376.

Werren, J. H. & Perrot-Minnot, M.-J. 1999. An antennapedia-like mutation in Nasonia vitripennis. Journal of Heredity, 90 : 319-320.

Book Chapters

Perrot-Minnot, M.-J. & Cézilly, F. 2007. Parasites et comportement. In Ecologie et Evolution des systèmes parasités (Ed. F. Thomas, J.-F. Guégan, F. Renaud). Dunod, Paris.

Perrot-Minnot, M.-J. & Cézilly, F. 2009. Parasites and Behaviour. In Ecology and Evolution of Parasitism (Eds. F. Thomas, J.-F. Guégan, F. Renaud). Oxford University Press, Oxford (revised and translated version of the above).