Group leader: Sylvie Rétaux

Development & Evolution of the Forebrain

In brief

The vertebrate forebrain has undergone an extraordinary diversification in the course of evolution. For instance, could anyone see that the mammalian cerebral cortex, with its well-known organization into 6 layers, and the so-called everted pallium of teleost fishes, are homologous brain regions? Using an evolutionary developmental approach, we aim to understand the genetic and cellular mechanisms which govern the unity (homology) and the differences (diversification) present in the forebrains of various vertebrates. And we study the consequences of the observed developmental variations in terms of adaptive behaviors. To this end, we use an original animal model: the blind cavefish Astyanax mexicanus, which we consider as a “natural mutant”. During its adaptation to life in total and permanent darkness, this fish lost its eyes (and its pigmentation).

Projects

Astyanax mexicanus, aalso called the Mexican tetra, is a freshwater characiform fish with a large distribution in Central America. The eyed, river-dwelling forms and the eyeless, cave-dwelling forms of this species are used as models for evolutionary biology, including for the study of the evolution of the nervous system. During their adaptation to life in their dark habitat, cavefish populations have lost their eyes and their pigmentation, but they have also developed some traits that are more “useful” for cave life, such as enhanced olfaction and lateral line, large jaws and more teeth, and a series of specific behaviors which are considered as adaptive.
There are 29 known caves hosting Astyanax mexicanus cavefish populations. Some of these populations represent cases of convergent evolution, resulting from independent colonization events. They thus permit to study developmental micro-evolution and the mechanisms for generation of morphological and behavioral evolution.

In the lab, we mostly use the blind cavefish originating from the Pachón cave.

We work along three axes of research

1- Developmental evolution of the cavefish forebrain.
What are the developmental mechanisms leading to eye loss in cavefish embryos?
What are the consequences on other parts of the developing forebrain?
This part of our project, said « evo-devo », aims at comparing the morphogenesis, the patterning, the neurogenesis and the neuronal specification in embryos of the two morphs. We wish to understand the interactions between neural plate organizer centers which secrete morphogen molecules of the Hedgehog, Fgf, Dkk1b or Bmp families. Modifications in these signaling centers are at the origin of eye loss in cavefish, but also shape the neural plate and neural tube and are responsible for important and possibly adaptive modifications in other parts of the forebrain (olfactory bulbs, hypothalamus). We also analyze the impact of these signaling centers on the development of sensory placodes, from which the lens (apoptotic in cavefish), the olfactory epithelium, or the lateral line originate.

2- Behavioral evolution of cavefish.
What are the neural bases of the multiple behavioral changes, sometimes grouped under the term “behavioral syndrome”, in the blind cavefish?
Are these changes adaptive?
In this part of the team project, our aim is to establish a link between the early modifications of patterning and neurogenesis that we have observed in cavefish with the development of neuronal networks and the behaviors they govern. We study social behaviors (aggressiveness, hierarchy), homeostatic behaviors (feeding) and the evolution of sensory capabilities (olfaction) in cavefish, always in a comparative manner with its surface fish counterparts. Finally, we also try whenever possible to do field work in order to analyze cavefish behavior in its natural environment.

3- Molecular evolution of the cavefish transcriptome and genome.
Which mutations are at the origin of the cavefish phenotypic evolution?
What are the evolutionary forces at play?
Through transcriptome-wide analyses, or through studies focusing on particular gene families, we get some information about ongoing evolutionary mechanisms (i.e., selection or drift? Or both?), and on the evolutionary history of cavefish populations (i.e., since how long did they colonize the cave environment?). These studies are performed in collaboration with the group of Didier Casane (LEGS, Gif sur Yvette).
Through candidate gene approaches we have also identified mutations in the coding sequences of particular genes (for example, MAO) or defects in the expression of some transcripts (example: crystallins). We study the functional consequences of these genetic modifications in cavefish.


A few words about our Astyanax fish facility
Although it is not exactly a “platform”, we have set up an Astyanax facility in the central animal building
(it is unique in France). We are now breeding surface fish and the population of cavefish called Pachón.
Thanks to the people who took care of them along the years, and who gave us valuable advices: Stéphane Père, Magalie Bouvet, Diane Denis, Matthieu Simion, Laurent Legendre, Krystel Saroul, Victor Simon, Louise Vernier.
We are also indebted to Bill Jeffery, who brought us in 2004 the first adults to start our colony, and who got us started in the Astyanax world.

Selected publications

  • Jorge Torres-Paz*, Julien Leclercq* and Sylvie Rétaux.(2019) Maternally-regulated gastrulation as a source of variation contributing to cavefish forebrain evolution. eLife. Oct 31;8. pii: e50160. DOI: 10.7554/eLife.50160. (*equal contribution). See also https://thenode.biologists.com/
    Cited in Faculty of 1000, by Corinne Houart
  • Carole Hyacinthe, Joël Attia, and Sylvie Rétaux (2019) Evolution of acoustic communication in blind cavefish. Nature Comms. Sep 17;10(1):4231. doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-12078-9. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12078-9
    See also https://natureecoevocommunity.nature.com/
  • Jorge Torres-Paz#, Carole Hyacinthe#, Constance Pierre, and Sylvie Rétaux (2018). Towards an integrated approach to understand Mexican cavefish evolution. Biology Letters, 14 (8): 1-7. DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2018.0101 # equal contribution.
  • Maryline Blin, Eugène Tine, Lydvina Meister, Yannick Elipot, Jonathan Bibliowicz, Luis Espinasa and Sylvie Rétaux (2018) Developmental evolution and developmental plasticity of the olfactory epithelium and olfactory skills in Mexican cavefish. Developmental Biology, 441(2):242-251. DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2018.04.019
  • Julien Fumey, Hélène Hinaux, Céline Noirot, Sylvie Rétaux and Didier Casane (2018). Evidence for Late Pleistocene origin of Astyanax mexicanus cavefish BMC Evol. Biol. 18(1):43. DOI: 10.1186/s12862-018-1156-7
  • Alexandre Alié#, Lucie Devos#, Jorge Torres-Paz#, Lise Prunier, Fanny Boulet, Maryline Blin, Yannick Elipot and Sylvie Rétaux. (2018) Developmental evolution of the prosencephalon in blind cavefish: origins of natural variations in neuropeptidergic patterning and their behavioral consequences. eLife, 10. 7554. DOI: 10.7554/eLife.32808 # equal contribution.
  • Sylvie Rétaux, Alexandre Alié, Maryline Blin, Lucie Devos, Yannick Elipot, Hélène Hinaux (2016). Neural development and evolution in Astyanax mexicanus: comparing cavefish and surface fish brains. In: The Biology and Evolution of the Mexican Cavefish. Eds AC Keen, M Yoshizawa, SE McGaugh. Elsevier, Academic Press. DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-12-802148-4.00012-8
  • Hélène Hinaux, Lucie Devos, Maryline Blin, Yannick Elipot, Jonathan Bibliowicz and Sylvie Rétaux. (2016) Sensory evolution in blind cavefish is driven by early events during gastrulation and neurulation. Development. 143, pp 4521-4532. DOI: 10.1242/dev.141291
  • Yannick Elipot, Hélène Hinaux, Jacques Callebert, Jean-Marie Launay, Maryline Blin and Sylvie Rétaux (2014) A Mutation in the Enzyme Mono Amine Oxidase explains part of the Astyanax Cavefish Behavioural Syndrome. Nature Communications, 5:3647. DOI: 10.1038/ncomms4647
  • Yannick Elipot, Laurent Legendre, Stéphane Père, Frédéric Sohm and Sylvie Rétaux (2014) Astyanax transgenesis and husbandry: how cavefish enters the lab. Zebrafish, 11(4):291-9. DOI: 10.1089/zeb.2014.1005
  • Suzanne E. McGaugh, Joshua B. Gross, Bronwen Aken, Maryline Blin, Richard Borowsky, Domitille Chalopin, Hélène Hinaux, William Jeffery, Alex Keene, Li Ma, Pat Minx, Daniel Murphy, Kelly E. O’Quin, Sylvie Rétaux, Nicolas Rohner, Steve M. J. Searle, Bethany Stahl, Cliff Tabin, Jean-Nicolas Volff, Masato Yoshizawa, Wes C. Warren (2014). The cavefish genome reveals candidate genes for eye loss. Nature Communications, Oct 20; 5: 5307. DOI: 10.1038/ncomms6307
  • Yannick Elipot, Hélène Hinaux, Jacques Callebert and Sylvie Rétaux (2013) Evolutionary shift from fighting to foraging behavior in blind cavefish through developmental changes in serotonin network. Current Biology, 23: 1–10. DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2012.10.044
  • Karen Pottin, Hélène Hinaux and Sylvie Rétaux (2011) Restauring eye size in Astyanax mexicanus blind cavefish embryos through modulation of the Shh and Fgf8 forebrain organizers. Development, 138: 2467-2476. DOI: 10.1242/dev.054106
  • Hélène Hinaux, Karen Pottin, Houssein Chalhoub, Stéphane Père, Yannick Elipot, Laurent Legendre, and Sylvie Rétaux (2011). A developmental staging table for Astyanax mexicanus surface fish and Pachón cavefish. Zebrafish, 8 (4):155-65. DOI: 10.1089/zeb.2011.0713

Sylvie Rétaux gives lectures to Licence 3 and Master Students (M1 and M2) for several Universities (Paris-Saclay, Sorbonne Université, Paris-7) on subjects related to Evolution, Development, Neurobiology.
François Agnès is Assistant Professor at the University Paris-Saclay; he teaches animal biology, cell biology and developmental biology.
Constance Pierre, « agrégée » in life sciences, teaches in the preparative year for the “aggregation”, at the University Paris-Saclay.
Julien Leclercq teaches in first year of medical school (PACES) at the University Paris-Saclay.

Our associated Doctoral School is Biosigne » École Doctorale Signalisations et Réseaux Intégratifs en Biologie.

Funding sources

Our work is currently supported by:

  • ANR-Blanc SVSE7, BLINDTEST project (2013-2016)
  • Equipe FRM (2015-2018)
  • Lidex Neuro-Saclay (2016)
  • Programme de collaboration Ecos-Nord Mexique (2016-2020)
  • Ministère de la Recherche et de l’Education (BioSigne Doctoral School)

Our work in the past years has been supported by:

  • ANR
  • Equipe FRM
  • IDEEV
  • Fondation des Treilles
  • UNADEV
  • Lidex Neuro-Saclay
  • Ecos-Nord
  • Ministère de la Recherche et de l’Education (BioSigne Doctoral School)

2020

  • Luis Espinasa, Carly Heintz, Sylvie Rétaux, Masato Yoshisawa, François Agnès, Patricia Ornelas-Garcia, and Robert Balogh-Robinson. Vibration Attraction Response (VAB) is a plastic trait in Blind Mexican tetra (Astyanax mexicanus), variable within subpopulations inhabiting the same cave. Journal of Fish Biology, Oct 12. doi: 10.1111/jfb.14586. IF2.
  • Maryline Blin, Julien Fumey, Camille Lejeune, Maxime Policarpo, Julien Leclercq, Stéphane Père, Jorge Torres-Paz, Constance Pierre, Boudjema Imarazene and Sylvie Rétaux. (2020) Diversity of olfactory responses and skills in Astyanax mexicanus cavefish populations inhabiting different caves. Diversity,12 (10), 395; https://doi.org/10.3390/d12100395. IF2.
  • Luis Espinasa, Claudia Patricia Ornelas-García, Laurent Legendre, Sylvie Rétaux, Alexandra Best, Ramses Gamboa-Miranda, Hector Espinosa-Pérez and Peter Sprouse (2020) Discovery of Two New Astyanax Cavefish Localities Leads to Further Understanding of the Species Biogeography. Diversity, 12, 368; doi: 10.3390/d12100368. IF2.
  • Maxime Policarpo#, Julien Fumey#, Philippe Lafargeas, Laurent Legendre, Delphine Naquin, Claude Thermes, Peter Rask Møller, Louis Bernatchez, Erik García-Machado, Sylvie Rétaux* and Didier Casane* (2020) Contrasted gene decay in subterranean vertebrates: insights from cavefishes and fossorial mammals. Molecular Biology and Evolution. Sep 28; msaa249. doi: 10.1093/molbev/msaa249. IF11. (preprint BIORXIV/2020/97821). * co-corresponding authors. # co-first authors.
  • Constance Pierre, Naomie Pradère, Cynthia Froc, Patricia Ornelas-García, Jacques Callebert, Sylvie Rétaux (2020) A mutation in monoamine oxidase (MAO) affects the evolution of stress behavior in the blind cavefish Astyanax mexicanus. Journal of Experimental Biology, Jul 31:jeb.226092. IF3.5
  • Marandel Lucie, Plagnes-Juan Elisabeth, Marchand Michael, Callet Therese, Dias Karine, Frederic Terrier, Père Stéphane, Vernier Louise, Panserat Stephane, and Rétaux Sylvie (2020) Nutritional regulation of glucose-metabolism related genes in the emerging teleost model Mexican Tetra surface fish: a first exploration. Royal Society Open Science,7: 191853. IF2.5

2019

  • Jorge Torres-Paz*, Julien Leclercq* and Sylvie Rétaux (2019) Maternally-regulated gastrulation as a source of variation contributing to cavefish forebrain evolution. eLife. Oct 31;8. pii: e50160. doi: 10.7554/eLife.50160. (*equal contribution). IF7.
  • Carole Hyacinthe, Joël Attia, and Sylvie Rétaux (2019) Evolution of acoustic communication in blind cavefish. Nature Comms. Sep 17;10(1):4231. doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-12078-9. IF12
  • Victor Simon, Carole Hyacinthe and Sylvie Rétaux (2019) Breeding behavior in the blind Mexican cavefish and its river-dwelling conspecific. PLoS One Feb 20;14(2):e0212591.IF2.7
  • Maryline Blin, Sylvie Rétaux (2019) Voir ou sentir, l’histoire d’Astyanax mexicanus. Médecine Science, vol 35 (Janvier): 19-23.
  • Lucie Devos, Florent Klee, Joanne Edouard, Victor Simon, Laurent Legendre, Naima El Khallouki, Maryline Blin, Sosthène Barbachou, Frédéric Sohm and Sylvie Rétaux. Morphogenetic and patterning defects explain the coloboma phenotype of the eye in the Mexican cavefish. BioRxiv 698035; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/698035.

2018

  • Claudia Patricia Ornelas-García, Silvia Pajares, Víctor Manuel Sosa-Jiménez, Sylvie Rétaux and Ramsés Alejandro Miranda-Gambo (2018) Microbiome differences between river-dwelling and cave-adapted populations of the fish Astyanax mexicanus (De Filippi, 1853). PeerJ 6:e5906
  •  Gore AV, Rohner N, Rétaux S, Jeffery WR (2018) Seeing a bright future for a blind fish. Editorial. Dev Biol. 441(2):207-208. doi : https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ydbio.2018.08.004.
  • Jorge Torres-Paz#, Carole Hyacinthe#, Constance Pierre, and Sylvie Rétaux (2018). Towards an integrated approach to understand Mexican cavefish evolution. Biology Letters, 14 (8) : 1-7. # equal contribution.
  • Luis Espinasa, Laurent Legendre, Julien Fumey, Maryline Blin, Sylvie Rétaux, Monika Espinasa (2018) A new cave locality for Astyanax cavefish in Sierra de El Abra, Mexico. Subterranean Biology, 26 : 39-53.
  • Letelier J *, Terriente J *, I Belzunce, A Voltes, C Undurraga, Lucie Devos, J Tena, I Maeso, Sylvie Rétaux, JL Gomez-Skarmeta, JR Martinez-Morales, Cristina Pujades. (2018) The evolutionary emergence of the rac3b/rfng/sgca regulatory cluster refined mechanisms for hindbrain boundaries formation. PNAS 115(16) : E3731-E3740. * equal contribution.
  • Maryline Blin, Eugène Tine, Lydvina Meister, Yannick Elipot, Jonathan Bibliowicz, Luis Espinasa and Sylvie Rétaux (2018) Developmental evolution and developmental plasticity of the olfactory epithelium and olfactory skills in Mexican cavefish. Developmental Biology, 441(2):242-251.
  • Julien Fumey, Hélène Hinaux, Céline Noirot, Sylvie Rétaux and Didier Casane (2018). Evidence for Late Pleistocene origin of Astyanax mexicanus cavefish BMC Evol. Biol. 18(1):43.
  • Sylvie Rétaux. The healthy diabetic cavefish conundrum (2018) News&Views, Nature. doi : https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-018-03242-0.
  • Alexandre Alié#, Lucie Devos#, Jorge Torres-Paz#, Lise Prunier, Fanny Boulet, Maryline Blin, Yannick Elipot and Sylvie Rétaux. (2018) Developmental evolution of the prosencephalon in blind cavefish : origins of natural variations in neuropeptidergic patterning and their behavioral consequences. eLife, 10. 7554. # equal contribution.

2017

  • Victor Simon, Romain Elleboode, Kélig Mahé, Laurent Legendre, Patricia Ornelas-Garcia, Luis Espinasa, and Sylvie Rétaux (2017) Comparing growth in surface and cave morphs of the species Astyanax mexicanus : insights from scales. EvoDevo, 8 (23) : 1-13.
  • Luis Espinasa, Natalie Bonaroti, Jae Wong, Karen Pottin, Eric Queinnec, and Sylvie Rétaux (2017) Contrasting feeding habits of post-larval and adult Astyanax cavefish. Subterranean Biology, 21 : 1-17.
  • Hélène Hinaux, Gaëlle Recher, Alexandre Alié, Laurent Legendre, Maryline Blin, Sylvie Rétaux. Lens apoptosis in the Astyanax blind cavefish is not triggered by its small size or defects in morphogenesis (2017). PlosOne. Feb 24 ;12(2) : e0172302.

2016

  • Sylvie Rétaux, Alexandre Alié, Maryline Blin, Lucie Devos, Yannick Elipot, Hélène Hinaux (2016). Neural development and evolution in Astyanax mexicanus : comparing cavefish and surface fish brains. In : The Biology and Evolution of the Mexican Cavefish. Eds AC Keen, M Yoshizawa, SE McGaugh. Elsevier, Academic Press.
  • Hélène Hinaux, Sylvie Rétaux, Yannick Elipot (2016). Social behavior and aggressiveness in Astyanax. In : The Biology and Evolution of the Mexican Cavefish. Eds AC Keen, M Yoshizawa, SE McGaugh. Elsevier, Academic Press.
  • Amandine Bery, Yohann Mérot and Sylvie Rétaux (2016). Genes expressed in mouse cortical progenitors are enriched in Pax, Lhx, and Sox transcription factor putative binding sites. Brain Research, (1633) pp 37-51. IF2.8

2015

  • Hélène Hinaux, Maryline Blin, Julien Fumey, Laurent Legendre, Didier Casane and Sylvie Rétaux (2015). Lens defects in Astyanax mexicanus Cavefish : Evolution of crystallins and a role for alphaA-crystallin. Developmental Neurobiology 75(5):505-21. IF4.2

2014

  • Sylvie Rétaux, Franck Bourrat, Jean-Stéphane Joly, Hélène Hinaux (2014) Perspectives in Evo-Devo of the Vertebrate Brain. pp 151-172. In Advances in Evolutionary Developmental Biology, First Edition. Edited by J. Todd Streelman. Published 2014 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
  • Yannick Elipot, Hélène Hinaux, Jacques Callebert, Jean-Marie Launay, Maryline Blin and Sylvie Rétaux (2014) A Mutation in the Enzyme Mono Amine Oxidase explains part of the Astyanax Cavefish Behavioural Syndrome. Nature Communications, 5:3647. IF10.
  •  Yannick Elipot, Laurent Legendre, Stéphane Père, Frédéric Sohm and Sylvie Rétaux (2014) Astyanax transgenesis and husbandry : how cavefish enters the lab. Zebrafish, 11(4):291-9. IF3
  • Luis Espinasa, Jonathan Bibliowicz, William R. Jeffery, and Sylvie Rétaux. (2014) Enhanced prey capture skills in Astyanax cavefish larvae are independent from eye loss. Evo Devo 5 : 35.
  • Suzanne E. McGaugh, Joshua B. Gross, Bronwen Aken, Maryline Blin, Richard Borowsky, Domitille Chalopin, Hélène Hinaux, William Jeffery, Alex Keene, Li Ma, Pat Minx, Daniel Murphy, Kelly E. O’Quin, Sylvie Rétaux, Nicolas Rohner, Steve M. J. Searle, Bethany Stahl, Cliff Tabin, Jean-Nicolas Volff, Masato Yoshizawa, Wes C. Warren (2014) The cavefish genome reveals candidate genes for eye loss. Nature Comms, Oct 20 ; 5 : 5307. IF 10

2013

  • Yannick Elipot, Hélène Hinaux, Jacques Callebert and Sylvie Rétaux (2013) Evolutionary shift from fighting to foraging behavior in blind cavefish through developmental changes in serotonin network. Current Biology, 23 : 1–10. IF9.6
  • Hélène Hinaux, Julie Poulain, Corinne Da Silva, Céline Noirot, William R Jeffery, Didier Casane, and Sylvie Rétaux (2013) De novo sequencing of Astyanax mexicanus surface fish and Pachón cavefish transcriptomes reveals enrichment of mutations in cavefish putative eye genes. Plos One, 8(1) : e53553. IF4
  • Sylvie Rétaux and Yannick Elipot (2013) Feed or fight : a behavioral shift in blind cavefish. Communicative and Integrative Biology (formerly American Zoologist) 6(2):e23166.IF3
  • Amandine Bery, Ben Martynoga, François Guillemot, Jean-Stéphane Joly, and Sylvie Rétaux (2013) Identification and characterization of enhancers active in the mouse embryonic cerebral cortex highlights the heterogeneity of cortical progenitors. Cerebral Cortex, May 29 bht126 : 13pp. IF7.4
  • Jonathan Bibliowicz, Alexandre Alié, Luis Espinasa, Masato Yoshizawa, Maryline Blin, Hélène Hinaux, Laurent Legendre, Stéphane Père and Sylvie Rétaux (2013) Differences in chemosensory response between eyed and eyeless Astyanax mexicanus of the Rio Subterráneo cave. Evo Devo 4(1) : 25-31.IF3.9
  • Sylvie Rétaux and Didier Casane (2013) Evolution of development in the darkness of caves : adaptation, drift, or both ? Evo Devo 4(1) : 26-38.IF3.9

2011

  • Sylvie Rétaux and Karen Pottin (2011) A question of homology for chordate adhesive organs. Communicative and Integrative Biology 4(1):75-7.
  • Karen Pottin, Hélène Hinaux and Sylvie Rétaux (2011) Restauring eye size in Astyanax mexicanus blind cavefish embryos through modulation of the Shh and Fgf8 forebrain organizers. Development, 138 : 2467-2476. IF6.6
  • Hélène Hinaux, Karen Pottin, Houssein Chalhoub, Stéphane Père, Yannick Elipot, Laurent Legendre, and Sylvie Rétaux (2011). A developmental staging table for Astyanax mexicanus surface fish and Pachón cavefish. Zebrafish, 8 (4):155-65. IF3

2010

  • Abellan A., Menuet A., Dehay C., Medina L., and Rétaux S. (2010) Differential expression of LIM-homeodomain factors in Cajal-Retzius cells of primates, rodents and birds. Cerebral Cortex. 20 (8):1788-98.
  • Osório Joana, Mueller Thomas, Rétaux Sylvie, Vernier Philippe and Wullimann Mario (2010) Phylotypic expression of the bHLH genes neurogenin2, NeuroD and Mash1 in the mouse embryonic forebrain. The Journal of Comparative Neurology, 518(6):851-871. IF3.8
  • Yann Gibert, Laure Bernard, Melanie Debiais-Thibaud, Franck Bourrat, Jean-Stephane Joly, Karen Pottin, Axel Meyer, Sylvie Rétaux, Gerrit Begemann and Vincent Laudet (2010) Formation of oral and pharyngeal dentition in teleosts depends on differential recruitment of retinoic acid signalling. Faseb Journal. 24(9):3298-309. IF5.7
  • Sylvie Rétaux and Shungo Kano (2010) Midline signalling and forebrain evolution in chordates : a focus on the lamprey Hedgehog case. Integrative and Comparative Biology, 50 : 98-109.
  • Abellan, Antonio, Vernier, Baptiste, Rétaux, Sylvie, Medina, Loreta (2010) Similarities and differences in the forebrain expression of Lhx1 and Lhx5 between chicken and mouse : insights for understanding telencephalic development and evolution. The Journal of Comparative Neurology 518(17):3512-3528. IF3.8
  • Delphine Cast, J. Mark Cock, Bernard Kloareg, Benoît Menand, Gurvan Michel, Sylvie Rétaux, Charlie Scutt, Aurelie Vialette-Guiraud (2010) Des modèles pour comprendre l’évolution du développement des eucaryotes. Biofutur.
  • Karen Pottin, Carole Hyacinthe and Sylvie Rétaux. (2010) A cement gland on the head of the fish Astyanax mexicanus through co-option of a developmental module. PNAS, 107(40) : 17256-61. IF9.7
  • Shungo Kano, Jin-Hua Xiao, Joana Osório, Marc Ekker, Yavor Hadzhiev, Ferenc Müller, Didier Casane, Ghislaine Magdelenat and Sylvie Rétaux (2010) Two lamprey Hedgehog genes share non-coding regulatory sequences and expression patterns with gnathostome Hedgehogs. PLoS one, 5(10) e13332. IF4

2009

  • Adèle Guérin, Emna Marakchi, Yves d’Aubenton-Carafa, Corinne Da Silva, Patrick Wincker, Sylvie Mazan, and Sylvie Rétaux (2009) Neurodevelopment Genes in Lampreys Reveal Trends for Forebrain Evolution in Craniates. PloSone, 4 (4) : e5374.
  • Antonio Abellán, Isabel Legaz, Baptiste Vernier, Sylvie Rétaux and Loreta Medina (2009) Olfactory and amygdalar structures of the chicken ventral pallium based on the combinatory expression patterns of LIM and other developmental regulatory genes. The Journal of Comparative Neurology 516(3):166-186.
  • Moreno Nerea, González Agustín and Rétaux Sylvie (2009) Development and evolution of the subpallium. Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology, 20(6):735-43.
  • Mérot Yohann, Sylvie Rétaux and Heng Julian (2009) Molecular mechanisms of projection neuron production and maturation in the developing cerebral cortex. Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology 20(6):726-34.
  • Sylvie Rétaux (2009) Editorial. Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology 20(6):697.
  • Abellan A., Menuet A., Dehay C., Medina L., and Rétaux S. Differential expression of LIM-homeodomain factors in Cajal-Retzius cells of primates, rodents and birds. Cerebral Cortex, in press.
  • Osório Joana, Mueller Thomas, Rétaux Sylvie, Vernier Philippe and Wullimann Mario (2009) Phylotypic expression of the bHLH genes neurogenin2, NeuroD and Mash1 in the mouse embryonic forebrain. The Journal of Comparative Neurology, in press.

2008

  • Moreno, N., Gonzales A. and Rétaux S. (2008) Evidences for tangential migrations in Xenopus telencephalon : developmental patterns and cell tracking experiments. Journal of Neurobiology, 68(4):504-20.
  • Moreno Nerea, Domínguez Laura, Rétaux Sylvie and González Agustín (2008) Islet1 as a marker of subdivisions and cell types in the developing forebrain of Xenopus. Neuroscience 154(4) :1423-1439.
  • Moreno Nerea, Rétaux Sylvie and González Agustín (2008) Spatio-temporal expression of Pax6 in Xenopus forebrain. Brain Research, 1239 : 92-99.
  • Rétaux S., Pottin K., and Alunni A. (2008) Shh and forebrain evolution in the blind cavefish Astyanax mexicanus. Biology of the Cell, 100 (3) : 139-147.
  • Osorio, J. and Rétaux, S. (2008) The lamprey in evolutionary studies. Dev. Genes Evol. 218(5) : 221-235.

2007

  • Menuet A*., Alunni A.*, Joly JS., Jeffery WR, and Rétaux S. (2007) Shh overexpression in Astyanax cavefish : multiple consequences on forebrain development and evolution. Development, 134 : 845-855.
  • Alunni A*, Menuet A*, Candal E, Pénigault JB, Jeffery WR, and Rétaux S. (2007) Developmental mechanisms for retinal degeneration in the blind cavefish, Astyanax mexicanus. The Journal of Comparative Neurology, 505 : 221-233.
  • Joly JS., Osorio J., Alunni A., Auger H., Kano S., and Rétaux S. (2007) Windows of the brain : towards a developmental biology of circumventricular and other neurohemal organs. Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology, 18 : 512-524.

2006

  • Bachy I. and Rétaux, S. (2006) GABAergic specification in the basal forebrain is controlled by the LIM-hd factor Lhx7. Developmental Biology, 291(2) 218-226.
  • Osório J., Megias M., Pombal M. and Rétaux S. (2006) Dynamic expression of the LIM-homeodomain Lhx15 through larval development of the sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus. Gene Expression Patterns, 6 : 873-878.

2005

  • Moreno N., Bachy I., Rétaux S., and Gonzalez A. (2005) LIM-homeodomain genes as territory markers in the brainstem of adult and developing Xenopus laevis. Journal of Comparative Neurology, 485(3):240-254.
  • Coolen M., Sii Felice K., Bronchain O., Mazabraud A., Bourrat F., Rétaux S., Felder-Schmittbuhl M.P., Mazan S. and Plouhinec J.L. (2005) Phylogenomic analysis and expression patterns of large Maf genes in Xenopus tropicalis provide new insights into the functional evolution of the gene family in osteichthyans. Development, Genes and Evolution 215(7):327-39.
  • Osório J., Mazan S. and Rétaux S. (2005) Organisation of the lamprey (Lampetra fluviatilis) embryonic brain : insights from LIM-homeodomain, Pax and hedgehog genes. Developmental Biology, 288 (1) : 100-112.
  • Rétaux S. and Vernier P. (2005) Développement et évolution des ganglions de la base chez les vertébrés. Revue Mouvements, (2) 3-22.

2004

  • Moreno N., Bachy I., Rétaux S., and Gonzalez A. (2004) LIM-homeodomain genes as developmental and adult genetic markers of Xenopus forebrain functional subdivisions. Journal of Comparative Neurology. 472(1):52-72.
  • Alunni A., Blin M., Deschet K., Bourrat F., Vernier P., and Rétaux S. (2004) Cloning and developmental expression patterns of Dlx2, Lhx7 and Lhx9 in the medaka fish (Oryzias latipes). Mechanisms of Development 121:977-983.
  • Molle, B., Père S., Failli V., Bach I., and Rétaux S. (2004) Lhx9 and Lhx9alpha : differential biochemical properties and effects on neuronal differentiation. DNA & Cell Biology 23(11) : 761-768

2003

  • Moreno N., Bachy I., Rétaux S., and Gonzalez A. (2003) Pallial origin of mitral cells in the olfactory bulbs of Xenopus. Neuroreport, 14 : 2355-2358.

2002

  • Bachy I., Berthon J., and Rétaux S. (2002) Defining pallial and subpallial compartments in developing Xenopus forebrain. Mechanisms of Development, 117 (1-2) : 163-172.
  • Failli V, Bachy I., and Rétaux S. (2002) Expression of the LIM-homeodomain gene Lmx1a (dreher) during mouse development. Mechanisms of Development, 118 : 225-228.
  • Bachy I., Failli V., and Rétaux S. (2002) A LIM-homeodomain code for development and evolution of forebrain connectivity. Neuroreport, 11 ; 13(2):A23-7.
  • Rétaux S. and Bachy I. (2002) A short history of LIM domains (1993-2002) : from protein interaction to degradation. Molecular Neurobiology Reviews, 26 (2-3) : 269-81.

2001

  • Bachy I., Vernier P., and Rétaux S. (2001) The LIM-homeodomain family in the developing Xenopus brain : conservation and divergences with the mouse related to the evolution of the forebrain. The Journal of Neuroscience, 21(19) : 7620-7629.

2000

  • Failli V., Rogard M., Mattei M-G., Vernier P., and Rétaux S. (2000) Lhx9 and Lhx9alpha LIM homeodomain factors : genomic structure, expression patterns, chromosomal localization, and phylogenetic analysis. Genomics 64 : 307-317.