Dr Solenn Patalano

Dr Patalano has now left ZSL.

Curriculum Vitae:

• 2009-2010: Research Assistant, Institute of Zoology, London, UK.
• 2003-2008: PhD, Centro de Regulación Genómica (CRG), Gene Regulation program, Barcelona, SPAIN.
• 2001-2003: Master degree, Biologie Cellulaire et Moleculaire du Developpement, UMR 7009 CNRS/UPMC, Villefranche sur Mer, FRANCE.
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Research Interests:

I am interested in phenotypic plasticity or how a single genome gives rise to a variety of phenotypes. The eusocial Hymenoptera (bees, wasps and ants) are an excellent study system as they display great variation in social complexity, with highly derived social behaviours.

Recent advances in genomic techniques and the completion of several insect genome sequencing projects (e.g. fruit fly, mosquito, honeybee) mean that we can now study social evolution in the Hymenoptera at the molecular level. Using different approaches I am attempting to unravel the molecular mechanisms of phenotypic plasticity in social insects.
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Current Projects:

Candidate gene approach:

Importance of the MRJP in the evolution of sociality.

Major Royal Jelly Proteins (MRJPs) play a crucial role in the social behaviour of honeybees in determining whether a larva develops into a queen or worker. MRJPs were thought to have evolved uniquely in this group. However, the identification of an MRJP-like EST in simple societies of the eusocial paper wasp Polistes canadensis wasp suggest that the role of MRJPs in social evolution is more ancient and may play a role in the origins of sociality. We want to determine the extent to which MRJP evolution underlies important transitions in social evolution, and determine its functional evolution in different Polistes paper wasps.

Collaborators: Seirian Sumner (IoZ), Stefan Albert (University of Wurzburg, Germany)

Cross-species analysis of gene expression in Polistes and its social parasite.

The paper wasp Polistes sulcifer is a social parasite of the temperate paper wasp Polistes dominulus. We are examining the molecular basis of social parasitism using qPCR to quantify expression of genes previously identified as caste-specific.

Collaborators: Seirian Sumner (IoZ), Rita Cervo & Alessandro Cini (University of Florence, Italy).
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Transcriptomic approach:

Transcriptome assembly of Polistes canadensis and SOLEXA analysis.

• 454 sequencing is a reliable method to develop functional genomic tools and allow de novo transcriptome assembly in non-model species. We are sequencing caste-associated transcripts to determine expression of shared gene in different castes.
• To complement this, SOLEXA sequencing associated with behavioural observations will provide deeper differential gene expression to analyze wasps at individual level.

We expect from these novel sequencing methods to provide insights into the evolution of both sociality and polyphenisms in a non-model primitively eusocial wasp.

Collaborators: Seirian Sumner (IoZ) & Roderic Guigo (CRG, Barcelona).
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Fitness advantages of nest drifting behaviour in Polistes canadensis.

I also collaborate on a project which aims to understand the productivity payoffs of helping behaviour in a primitively eusocial wasp, using RFID technology to accurately quantify drifting rate.

Collaborators: Seirian Sumner (IoZ), Thibault Lengronne & Laurent Keller (Univ. Lausanne)

The method of tagging wasps is explained in the following short movie:

“Have you ever thought of tagging a wasp?” © Solenn Patalano, ZSL, 2010.
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Publications:

Patalano S., Mihailovic, M., Belacortu Y., Paricio N., Gebauer F. (2009) Dual sex-specific functions of Drosophila Upstream of N-ras in the control of X chromosome dosage compensation. Development 136: 689-98.

Abaza I., Coll O., Patalano S., Gebauer F. (2006) Drosophila UNR is required for translational repression of male-specific lethal 2 mRNA during regulation of X-chromosome dosage compensation. Genes & Dev 20:380-9.

Patalano S., Pruliere G., Prodon F., Sardet C., Dru P., Chenevert J. (2006) The aPKC-PAR-6-PAR-3 cell polarity complex localizes to the centrosome attracting body, a macroscopic cortical structure responsible for asymmetric divisions in the early ascidian embryo. J Cell Sci 119: 1592-603.