The epidemiology of infectious diseases, and especially of emerging and re-emerging diseases, can benefit from evolutionary and ecological approaches, notably when they deal with the mechanisms of host response to parasitism. A response to parasitism like the transfer of antibodies from mother to offspring has also broad potential implications in evolutionary ecology, from the adaptive value of maternal effects to the role of transgenerational plasticity in host-parasite interactions. Recent contributions have addressed key issues such as environmental factors affecting the amount of antibodies transferred and whether maternal antibodies affect offspring immunity, but little is still known about factors driving the evolution of the maternal transfer of antibodies and its eco-epidemiological implications. In the current project, we propose to extend our previous work on this topic by addressing a series of key related issues. To do so, we will use complementary approaches, from theory to field and laboratory experiments. The first objective (Task 2) will be to develop theoretical approaches on the evolutionary issues and epidemiological implications of the maternal transfer of antibodies. This will allow us to investigate feedback loops between ecological and evolutionary processes, notably in relation to the dynamics of parasite transmission within host populations. Second, we will investigate predictions about among and within-species variability in traits related to the transfer of maternal immunity, namely the rates of transfer of antibodies and the temporal persistence of antibodies in the offspring. Recent results we obtained show that strong variability among species exists for at least one of these traits. The potential genetic basis of the transfer of maternal antibodies and its associated potential costs will be investigated by developing a selection experiment with poultry (with the possibility to assess correlated responses to selection on the propensity to transmit antibodies while controlling statistically for the mother capacity to produce antibodies) (Task 3). Third, we will ask whether specific benefits of the transfer of maternal antibodies occur in natural situations (Task 4). This will be done by using a novel approach (the injection of antibodies into the egg yolk) to specifically address the potential protective effects of maternal antibodies in a natural host-parasite system involving the kittiwake gull Rissa tridactyla, seabird tick Ixodes uriae and Lyme disease agent Borrelia burdgorferi s.l. Finally, we will address how social interactions and spatial structure can empirically affect the relationships between disease agent circulation and maternal antibody transfer (Task 5). This will be done by conducting a specific experiment on allosuckling and maternal antibody transmission in a social mammal, and by investigating factors affecting the prevalence of eggs containing antibodies against zoonotic agents in spatially structured populations of wild birds. Overall, the expected results could have important basic implications on the evolutionary ecology of host-parasite interactions, but could also lead to interesting applications in terms of immuno-therapeutics, poultry production, eco-epidemiology and conservation.

Wheat is the crop most widely cultivated worldwide: Each year, more than 550 million tons of wheat are used for human food and animal feed. If conventional breeding has allowed significant advances in terms of yield and grain quality, it will not be able to face the demands for increasing global crop production in a sustainable and environmental-friendly manner. Genomics holds the key to wheat improvement, through the development of new tools and methodologies to help breeders. In particular, the generation of molecular markers offers the potential to renew some breeding methodologies in diverse ways including Linkage disequilibrium (LD) mapping. LD analyses appear very interesting to the plant genetics community for its potential to use existing genetic resources collections in order to fine map quantitative trait loci (QTL), validate candidate genes and identify alleles of interest. Recently, the field of plant association genetics pioneered the use of a new type of association populations, designed to incorporate advantages of both linkage based and linkage disequilibrium based quantitative trait dissection approaches in association studies. These new strategies issued from animal breeding are a powerful tool for fast and large scale validation of candidate genes and precise QTL dissection in plants. The NEWNAM project proposes to investigate one of theses new strategies named NAM for Nested Association Mapping population, in order to create a new powerful resource of winter bread wheat for further use in genetic studies and breeding purposes. The NEWNAM project will be developed by 2 laboratories that are recognized leaders in wheat genomics and genotyping. It aims at providing a key strategy for future wheat research areas through the development of a new biological resource for the wheat community. This high resolution mapping resource will provide researchers and breeders with a tool for integrated research driven by the phenotype.

In Western countries, diseases related to foods represent a major issue in public poliy. Overweight and obesity are increasing at an alarming rate in the world and in Europe more particularly. Obesity is one of the most serious public health problems because it increases significantly the risk of many chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabete. Nutrition is a major health determinant and is one of the key priorities in public health policy, especially in Europe. The comsumption of cereals-based foods with low glycemic indexes, high micronutrients and fibers contents are highly recommended. The target of this work, is to provide new solutions for cereal based foods: the knowledge and understanding on the in vivo fate will be used to define structural features to gain in foods. The objective of this proposal is to use new genetic resources and to assess the role of the role of viscosity on gastric emptying and the kinetic aspects of starch digestion. The digestibility of starch in foods varies widely and can be affected by high content of viscous soluble dietary fiber constituents and relatively high amylose / amylopectine ratios. Amylose content also influences some functional properties of starches like swelling power, solubility, in vitro glycemic index and viscosity. Thus, the strategy of this work is based upon the complementarity of the research teams and upon the integration of various scientific disciplines, from genetics of wheat grain to the human subject while passing by in vitro and animal studies. Natural biodiversity present in a core collection of bread wheat (Clermont-Ferrand) will be examined in order to bring out new wheat varieties containing high amylose contents. These varieties will be selected by the use of molecular and biochemical markers, by phenotyping using a new experimental device based upon image analysis of seeds sections, by biochemical analyses and by nutritional investigations. Viscosity of the ingested meal, gastric function in vivo and the nutritive impact of cereal products with high amylose content will be evaluated using an artificial stomach, a porcine model and a human panel.