Papers by Oriol Vilaplana Vidal
Animal Biodiversity and Conservation
Molecular ecology or ecological genetics is an expanding application of population genetics which... more Molecular ecology or ecological genetics is an expanding application of population genetics which has flourished in the last two decades but it is dominated by systematic and phylogeographic studies, with relatively little emphasis on the study of the genetic basis of the process of adaptation to different ecological conditions. The relationship between genotype and adaptive phenotypes is weak because populations are often difficult to quantify and experiments are logistically challenging or unfeasible. Interestingly, in freshwater fish, studies to characterize the genetic architecture of adaptive traits are not as rare as in other vertebrate groups. In this review, we summarize the few cases where the relationship between the ecology and genetics of freshwater fish is more developed, namely the relationship between genetic markers and ecological phenotypes.
2012 IEEE First AESS European Conference on Satellite Telecommunications (ESTEL), 2012
Open Archive Toulouse Archive Ouverte (OATAO) OATAO is an open access repository that collects th... more Open Archive Toulouse Archive Ouverte (OATAO) OATAO is an open access repository that collects the work of Toulouse researchers and makes it freely available over the web where possible.
Animal Genetics, 2018
The melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) gene was investigated as a candidate for plumage variations in... more The melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) gene was investigated as a candidate for plumage variations in Chinese painted quail, Coturnix chinensis. Four silent and two missense nucleotide polymorphisms were identified. The correspondent amino acid changes, p.Glu92Lys and p.Pro292Leu, were found in Blue Face and Red Breasted animals respectively. Blue Face is a melanic phenotype similar to the co-dominant Extended Brown of Japanese quail, and both share the p.Glu92Lys mutation. The association of p.Pro292Leu with the recessive Red Breasted was confirmed in 23 animals from an experimental F2 cross.
The Science of the total environment, 2018
We analyzed variation at the GPI-2 locus and eleven microsatellite loci of eastern mosquitofish G... more We analyzed variation at the GPI-2 locus and eleven microsatellite loci of eastern mosquitofish Gambusia holbrooki populations introduced to the Ebro River (Spain), sampling above and below a dam (Flix Reservoir) where severe chronic pollution has been well documented. Allele frequency changes at the GPI-2 locus in the sites nearest to the polluted sediments agree with previous results from studies in mercury-exposed populations of this highly invasive fish. Genetic distinction of the mosquitofish collected close to the polluted sediments was detected at the GPI locus but also at the presumptive neutral microsatellite loci. Recent migration rates estimated from microsatellites indicated that around 30% of fish collected in a specific location were immigrants from upstream and downstream sources. Such high migration rates probably contribute to the mosquitofish's invasive success and suggest that the consequences on the mosquitofish regional genetic structured of high levels of w...
Animal Biodiversity and Coservation, 2018
SNP identification and validation in two invasive species: zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) an... more SNP identification and validation in two invasive species: zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) and Asian clam (Corbicula fluminea). The development of affordable massive parallel sequencing (MPS) has reduced both time and costs of SNP identification for use in conservation and population genetic studies. After MPS, a second validation is usually required. High resolution melting analysis (HRMA) is a fast and simple method for mutation scanning, and thus a suitable validation protocol, particularly in non-model species. We present a set of nine novel polymorphic SNPs identified by MPS and validated with HRMA in two invasive species (the zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha and the Asian clam Corbicula fluminea). These SNPs can be used in genetic studies to accurately assess and understand past and future invasion events.
Scientific Reports, 2016
The zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha Pallas, 1771) and the quagga mussel (D. rostriformis Desha... more The zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha Pallas, 1771) and the quagga mussel (D. rostriformis Deshayes, 1838) are successful invasive bivalves with substantial ecological and economic impacts in freshwater systems once they become established. Since their eradication is extremely difficult, their detection at an early stage is crucial to prevent spread. In this study, we optimized and validated a qPCR detection method based on the histone H2B gene to quantify combined infestation levels of zebra and quagga mussels in environmental DNA samples. Our results show specific dreissenid DNA present in filtered water samples for which microscopic diagnostic identification for larvae failed. Monitoring a large number of locations for invasive dreissenid species based on a highly specific environmental DNA qPCR assay may prove to be an essential tool for management and control plans focused on prevention of establishment of dreissenid mussels in new locations. The zebra mussel, Dreissena polymorpha (Pallas, 1771) is a successful invasive bivalve native to the brackish estuaries and freshwaters systems of the Ponto-Caspian regions (Black, Caspian, and Azov Seas). It is considered one of the 100 world's worst invasive alien species (IUCN-ISSG) 1 possessing several biological life cycle features that favor its proliferation: rapid growth, early sexual maturity, and high fecundity of up to 1 million eggs per season 2,3. Due to a planktonic larval stage and also facilitated by human-mediated activities such as larvae in ballast water 4 , attachment of adults to hulls of commercial and recreational ships 5-7. The zebra mussel was first time found on the Iberian Peninsula in the Ribarroja Reservoir (Ebro River) in 2001 8 , about 100 years later than its first report in Western Europe 2. This delayed invasion might have been due the Pyrenees mountain range serving as a barrier 9,10 to dispersal. Since then, this species has expanded along the Ebro River and adjacent basins in the northeast region of the Iberian Peninsula 11,12. Moreover, these effects are expected to increase with the imminent arrival of another invasive dreissenid, the quagga mussel (D. rostriformis Deshayes, 1838) 10,13,14. Around 2004 the quagga mussel arrived in Western Europe 15-17 and has been constantly spreading into areas where zebra mussels previously invaded 18-20 , and thus are predicted to arrive to the Iberian Peninsula in a near future unless effective prevention measures are enacted 10. To face these challenges, the National Strategy for the Control of Zebra Mussel in Spain has focused efforts on the rapid detection of both species 21. Plans for control and management 22,23 were developed to prevent further zebra mussel expansion since eradication of dreissenids is extremely difficult once they are established 4,24. Therefore it is critical to detect their presence as early as possible, when measures of eradication could be effective 25,26. The current methodology for detecting the presence of the zebra mussel is rather rudimentary. Adult individual detection is based on visual diagnostics, and veliger larvae are detected using microscopy 25. The latter is
28th AIAA International Communications Satellite Systems Conference (ICSSC-2010), 2010
Aeronautical communications systems are experiencing a fast evolution due to digital migration wh... more Aeronautical communications systems are experiencing a fast evolution due to digital migration which demands new perspectives and solutions in order to define a reliable data link communication. This paper presents a project called FAST: Fiber-like Aircraft Satellite communications. The project is funded by Aerospace Valley (a competitiveness cluster for aeronautics, space and embedded systems) in France and gathers industrial and academic partners. The objective is to design a versatile satellite communication system and to develop and demonstrate key technologies (active antenna, proxies' software ...). A focus will be placed in this paper on the global system design, the definition of supported services and the network and protocols structure. The main challenge is to converge heterogeneous traffics on the same satellite link with high reliability and availability. The proposed services cover classical aeronautical communications ATC/AOC along with "new generation" services such as telemedicine and On-board Security surveillance.
<p><sup></sup> Diagonal values (in italics): Proportions of non-migrant mosquit... more <p><sup></sup> Diagonal values (in italics): Proportions of non-migrant mosquitofish. The most relevant migration rates are shown in bold (see Results for further explanation).</p
Biological Invasions, 2016
The temporal components of genetic diversity and geographical structure of invasive mosquitofish ... more The temporal components of genetic diversity and geographical structure of invasive mosquitofish populations are poorly known. Through the genetic monitoring of four consecutive cohorts of Gambusia holbrooki from three different river basins we aimed to determine temporal patterns of regional genetic variation and dispersal rates within invasive populations. Despite showing evidence of strong population size fluctuations, genetic diversity levels were maintained among local cohorts. We only detected temporal allele frequency changes associated with seasonal flooding that did not modify major trends on population structure among cohorts. Downstream gene flow coupled with increased connectivity at lowland locations to increase genetic diversity levels in these areas. A large proportion of local fish (up to 50%) were dispersers, often originated from locations within the same river basin. High dispersal capability, ecological tolerance, and reproductive traits likely promote river colonization. Finally, our results also confirmed that human-assisted translocations promote within and among basin gene flow and maintained levels of genetic diversity, particularly in upstream locations.
Freshwater Biology, 2015
1. Analyses of the mtDNA of 183 three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus), from freshwat... more 1. Analyses of the mtDNA of 183 three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus), from freshwater Iberian populations, were performed to reconstruct the phylogeography of this species and to inform conservation recommendations on the basis of genetic diversity and the geographical distribution of variation. 2. A high degree of population structure, with high overall genetic diversity but very low intrapopulation variation, was observed. Haplotypes were distributed according to a geographical pattern with most samples fixed by a unique haplotype. 3. Phylogenetic analyses supported two independent lineages in the Mediterranean region, highly divergent from Atlantic (Portuguese) haplotypes. Analyses of the historical demography confirmed that the Iberian Mediterranean three-spined stickleback diverged prior to the last glaciation. 4. Phylogeographic reconstruction, together with 114 representative sequences of the European three-spined stickleback, revealed eight mtDNA lineages and related our Iberian Mediterranean haplotypes to those previously described in the lower Rhône (southern France). Multiple ancient Pleistocene lineages were described through the Adriatic, Black Sea and Mediterranean regions. The highly structured network fits well with a freshwater habit of the three-spined stickleback in the ancient colonisation of southern Europe. 5. Results suggested a Middle Adriatic and Black Sea origin of the European post-glacial three-spined stickleback, but additional colonisation from the northern Adriatic and even from Atlantic marine refuges cannot be discarded. Mediterranean three-spined sticklebacks probably did not contribute to this post-glacial colonisation. 6. Conservation priorities should be established in the Iberian Mediterranean, where the three-spined stickleback has many endemic genotypes whose habitats are threatened. On the basis of the genetic data, we recommend that each river system is considered as an independent conservation unit.
PloS one, 2015
The zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha, Pallas, 1771) is one of the most invasive species of fres... more The zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha, Pallas, 1771) is one of the most invasive species of freshwater bivalves, due to a combination of biological and anthropogenic factors. Once this species has been introduced to a new area, individuals form dense aggregations that are very difficult to remove, leading to many adverse socioeconomic and ecological consequences. In this study, we identified, tested, and validated a new set of polymorphic microsatellite loci (also known as SSRs, Single Sequence Repeats) using a Massive Parallel Sequencing (MPS) platform. After several pruning steps, 93 SSRs could potentially be amplified. Out of these SSRs, 14 were polymorphic, producing a polymorphic yield of 15.05%. These 14 polymorphic microsatellites were fully validated in a first approximation of the genetic population structure of D. polymorpha in the Iberian Peninsula. Based on this polymorphic yield, we propose a criterion for establishing the number of SSRs that require validation in simi...
IET Conference Publications, 2009
ABSTRACT Internet services can be efficiently provided in rural areas using hybrid architectures ... more ABSTRACT Internet services can be efficiently provided in rural areas using hybrid architectures for the access network. Our proposal relies on WiMAX technology for last mile access and satellite backhauling for Internet connectivity. The satellite link uses ETSI standardized air interface: DVB-S2 on the forward link, DVB-RCS on the return link. The application scenario is dedicated to communications in the Amazonian region where many villages are scattered along the Amazon river. The satellite uses Ku or Ka band frequencies. The paper addresses the design problems raised by this difficult propagation/topographical environment. As deep fades can be experienced, Fade Mitigation Techniques are activated. We describe the way physical and access layers are impacted by FMTs. Then cross-layer mechanisms are introduced to adapt network upper layers behavior to the capacity changes on the satellite link. The control load mechanisms are illustrated on the basis of the VoIP service. VoIP codec rate on user side is controlled by the Network Control Center in order to match the satellite link capacity drops due to physical layer adaptation to channel conditions. Realistic modeling is considered for both the hybrid architecture and the satellite channel.
2009 International Workshop on Satellite and Space Communications, 2009
Tabatinga is a SATNEX initiative aimed at defining and designing a DVB-S2/RCS WiMAX system to pro... more Tabatinga is a SATNEX initiative aimed at defining and designing a DVB-S2/RCS WiMAX system to provide access network services over the Amazonian region of Brazil at Ku band. This paper summarizes the work done on the higher layer aspects, network architecture and access performance of the system.
PLoS ONE, 2013
Genetic analyses contribute to studies of biological invasions by mapping the origin and dispersa... more Genetic analyses contribute to studies of biological invasions by mapping the origin and dispersal patterns of invasive species occupying new territories. Using microsatellite loci, we assessed the genetic diversity and spatial population structure of mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki) that had invaded Spanish watersheds, along with the American locations close to the suspected potential source populations. Mosquitofish populations from the Spanish streams that were studied had similar levels of genetic diversity to the American samples; therefore, these populations did not appear to have undergone substantial losses of genetic diversity during the invasion process. Population structure analyses indicated that the Spanish populations fell into four main clusters, which were primarily associated with hydrography. Dispersal patterns indicated that local populations were highly connected upstream and downstream through active dispersal, with an average of 21.5% fish from other locations in each population. After initially introducing fish to one location in a given basin, such dispersal potential might contribute to the spread and colonization of suitable habitats throughout the entire river basin. The two-dimension isolation-by-distance pattern here obtained, indicated that the human-mediated translocation of mosquitofish among the three study basins is a regular occurrence. Overall, both phenomena, high natural dispersal and human translocation, favor gene flow among river basins and the retention of high genetic diversity, which might help retain the invasive potential of mosquitofish populations.
Conservation Genetics Resources, 2014
Asiatic clam (Corbicula fluminea) is one of the most invasive freshwater bivalves. Despite the ec... more Asiatic clam (Corbicula fluminea) is one of the most invasive freshwater bivalves. Despite the ecologic and economic impacts of this species, there are only a few polymorphic microsatellites. In this study, we screened the genome from C. fluminea in search of microsatellite markers using massive parallel sequencing. We identified 246 new microsatellites involving di-, tri-, tetra-and pentanucleotide single repeats and different compound microsatellites, and we used a validation protocol to characterize a sample of those. Nine of them presented two or more alleles indicating a low level of variability.
31st AIAA International Communications Satellite Systems Conference, 2013
The potential of Joint Multiuser Processing in multi-beam satellite systems is assessed in this p... more The potential of Joint Multiuser Processing in multi-beam satellite systems is assessed in this paper and proved to be a potential attractive alternative to current systems. The present contribution aims at investigating linear precoding techniques over an accurate multi-beam architecture modeling and system characterization. Power and precoder design problems are approached through wellknown linear precoding techniques such as Zero Forcing (ZF) and Regularized-ZF. A dual-polarization 2-color reutilization scheme is considered in combination with precoding techniques. Results show a total throughput improvement of +22% achieved by ZF and +38% considering R-ZF, with respect to a conventional 4-color reuse scheme scenario.
Poultry Science, 2010
By sequencing the full coding region of the turkey melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) gene, we have f... more By sequencing the full coding region of the turkey melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) gene, we have found 4 mutations (c.96G &amp;amp;gt; A, c.364A &amp;amp;gt; T, c.450C &amp;amp;gt; T, and c.887C &amp;amp;gt; T) that are organized in 5 different haplotypes (MC1R*1 to MC1R*5). These haplotypes correlate perfectly with the 3 alleles of the bronze locus (i.e., B, b(+), and b(1)). We suggest that the dominant black phenotype, associated with the B allele, results from the constitutive activation of the receptor, an effect that might be mediated by the missense mutation c.364A &amp;amp;gt; T (p.Ile122Phe). Moreover, we propose that the recessive black-winged bronze phenotype (linked to b(1)) might be produced by 2 deleterious mutations of MC1R (c.96G &amp;amp;gt; A and c.887C &amp;amp;gt; T). This is an unexpected finding because in mammals, MC1R deleterious polymorphisms are usually related with either red or lighter fur colors.
ICES Journal of Marine Science, 2010
Viñas, J., Pérez-Serra, A., Vidal, O., Alvarado Bremer, J. R., and Pla, C. 2010. Genetic differen... more Viñas, J., Pérez-Serra, A., Vidal, O., Alvarado Bremer, J. R., and Pla, C. 2010. Genetic differentiation between eastern and western Mediterranean swordfish revealed by phylogeographic analysis of the mitochondrial DNA control region. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 67: 1222–1229. Despite there being evidence of several discrete breeding grounds, Mediterranean populations of swordfish have been considered a single panmictic unit with no genetic substructure. Sequence analysis of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region of five Mediterranean locations (n = 251) reveals for the first time a clear genetic differentiation between eastern and western Mediterranean populations. This differentiation was detected only after conducting separate phylogeographic analyses on two previously described mtDNA clades. Although the frequencies of these clades are similar throughout the Mediterranean Sea, the levels of intra-clade genetic variation drop substantially towards the eastern end. Thi...
Freshwater Biology, 2011
1. The three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) on the Iberian Peninsula is only distrib... more 1. The three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) on the Iberian Peninsula is only distributed in freshwater habitats and has completely disappeared from most of its range, mainly as a consequence of habitat degradation and invasive fish introductions. Genetic investigations have shown that Mediterranean-Adriatic sticklebacks constitute an evolutionarily significant unit. Here, we present the first genetic data for Iberian populations living on the southern edge of the stickleback's range. We used microsatellite markers to study gene diversity, population structure and genetic demography of stickleback populations. 2. High genetic differentiation among collections yielded a model of four genetically homogeneous units related to geography. The observed pattern of isolation by distance resulted mainly from the hydrographical pattern and limited gene flow among rivers. Moreover, low levels of gene diversity, high isolation and recent bottleneck events, which have led to small or even critical effective population sizes in several locations, could be explained by additional recent anthropogenic fragmentation. 3. We defined at least four evolutionarily significant units threatened by habitat fragmentation in northeastern Iberian sticklebacks. Because they retain long evolutionary histories, these populations should be considered of high conservation priority, and urgent management measures should be implemented.
Ecology of Freshwater Fish, 2011
ABSTRACT Abstract – We used a targeted gene approach to amplify genomic fragments to characterise... more ABSTRACT Abstract – We used a targeted gene approach to amplify genomic fragments to characterise single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in introduced European populations of the invasive mosquitofish Gambusia holbrooki. Patterns of diversity within and among European populations of G. holbrooki and American collections of G. holbrooki and Gambusia affinis reveal unexpected high diversities within European populations. This ascertainment bias is one of the major challenges in the development of SNP markers for monitoring species involved in worldwide introductions. Pattern of diversity among European populations confirmed diverse introductions, as suggested by earlier mtDNA studies. However, SNPs showed larger differentiation between populations than had been previously detected with mtDNA sequencing. Five major population groups were identified: central France, southern Iberian, northern Iberian, Eastern Europe and Mediterranean French Rivers.
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Papers by Oriol Vilaplana Vidal