Chantal Dauphin-Villemant

My main research interest is to understand to which extent the endocrine regulation of development and reproduction is conserved amongin multicellular organisms. Using both vertebrate and invertebrate models, I have focused my research on understanding the biogenesis and endocrine function of steroid hormones (see Publication list).
As a member of the Flatt group, I am presently interested in characterizing the steroidogenic function of Drosophila ovaries and in unravelling how ecdysteroids and other hormonal signalling pathways may affect longevity and other life history traits in fruit flies.

As the lab manager in the Flatt group, I am in charge of the practical organization of the laboratory and helping students/postdocs with their experimental research.
My previous laboratory experience has led me to acquire various technical skills :

• Biochemistry: Sample preparation and sample analysis, liquid chromatography and HPLC, SDS-PAGE, Western blotting, coomassie gel stainings, ELISA and RIA.
• Molecular biology: RNA and DNA extraction, RT-PCR, primer design, DNA purification and extraction from agarose gels and standard cloning techniques.
• Cell biology and microbiology: Bacterial transformation and culture, Insect cell culture and transfection, Immunofluorescence and phase contrast microscopy on fix cells
• Computing: Training and day-to-day usage of Microsoft Office suite, Endnote, Adobe Acrobat Photoshop, Internet explorer/Mozilla Firefox, bioinformatics tools including sequence alignment, BLAST searches.

2011- 12
Guest Scientist, working on specific research projects in France (Universities of Grenoble and Paris) and in Austria (VetMedUni Vienna)

1983-2011
CNRS Scientist (Permanent position at the National Centre for Scientific Research) in Paris, France; Group Leader responsability from 2000 to 2011.

1990-91
Postdoctoral Research Fellow. Regulation of steroidogenic activity in a crayfish. Institute of Zoophysiology, Bonn, RFA (Dir. Prof. R. Keller, Advisor Dr. D. Sedlmeier).

1989-90
Postdoctoral Research Fellow. Organization and function of the cell nucleus. Institute Jacques Monod, Paris, France (Advisor Dr. D. Hernandez-Verdun).

• French: Mother tongue
• English and German: Fluent speaking and reading
• Czech: Beginner

1987
Habilitation. Study of interrenal (corticoadrenal) function in the female Lacerta vivipara Jacquin. Evolution during the annual activity and reproduction cycle. UPMC, Paris, France

1982
Ph. D. In vitro metabolism of steroids by interrenals of females Lacerta vivipara during annual cycle (Reproduction Physiology). UPMC, Paris, France. Advisor: Dr. F. Xavier, ENS, Paris, France.

1980
M. Sc. Sexual behaviour and follicular development during pseudogestation in the domestic rabbit (Reproduction Physiology). UPMC, Paris, France. Advisor: Dr. L. Martinet, INRA (National Institute of Agronomic Research) Jouy en Josas, France

1977-82
ENS Scholarship (Ecole Normale Supérieure, higher education institution), Paris, France

Lafont R, Dauphin-Villemant C, Warren J & Rees HH. (2012) Ecdysteroid chemistry and biochemistry. In Insect Endocrinology, LI Gilbert Ed; Academic Press, pp106-176.

Lang M, Murat S, Clark AG, Gouppil G, Blais C, Matzkin LM, Guittard E, Yoshiyama-Yanagawa T, Kataoka H, Niwa R, Lafont R, Dauphin-Villemant C, Orgogozo V (2012) Mutations in the neverland gene turned Drosophila pachea into an obligate specialist species. Science 337(6102),1658-1661.

Guittard E, Blais C, Maria A, Parvy JP, Pasricha S, Lumb C, Lafont R, Daborn PJ, Dauphin-Villemant C (2011) Drosophila melanogaster CYP18A1: a key enzyme of molting hormone (20-hydroxyecdysone) inactivation essential for metamorphosis. Developmental Biology 349(1), 35-45.

Blais C, Blasco T, Maria A, Dauphin-Villemant C, Lafont R (2010) Characterization of ecdysteroids in Drosophila melanogaster by enzyme immunoassay and nano-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. J. Chromatography B 878, 925–932.

Markov GV, Tavares R, Dauphin-Villemant C, Demeneix BA, Baker ME, Laudet V (2009) Independent elaboration of steroid hormone signaling pathways in metazoans. PNAS 106(29), 11913-11918.

Pondeville E, Maria A, Jacques JC, Bourgouin C, Dauphin-Villemant C (2008) Anopheles gambiae males produce and transfer the vitellogenic steroid hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone to females during mating. PNAS 105(50), 19631–19636.

McBrayer Z, Ono H, Shimell MJ, Parvy JP, Beckstead RB, Warren JT, Thummel CS, Dauphin-Villemant C, Gilbert LI, O’Connor MB (2007) Prothoracicotropic hormone regulates developmental timing and body size in Drosophila. Developmental Cell. 13(6), 857-71.

David JP, Boyer S, Mesneau A, Ball A, Ranson H, Dauphin-Villemant C (2006) Involvement of cytochrome P450 monooxygenases in the response of mosquito larvae to dietary plant xenobiotics. Insect Biochem Mol Biol. 36 (5), 410-420.

Colombani J, Bianchini L, Layalle S, Pondeville E, Dauphin-Villemant C, Antoniewski C, Carre C, Noselli S, Leopold P (2005) Antagonistic Actions of Ecdysone and Insulins Determine Final Size in Drosophila. Science 310 (5748), 667-670.

Parvy JP, Blais C, Bernard F, Warren JT, Petryk A, O’connor MB, Gilbert LI, Dauphin-Villemant C (2005) A role for ßFTZ-F1 in regulating ecdysteroid titers during post-embryonic development in Drosophila melanogaster. Developmental Biology 282 (1), 84-94.

Petryk A, Warren JT, Marqués G, Jarcho MP, Gilbert LI, Kahler J, Parvy JP, Li Y, Dauphin-Villemant C, O’connor MB (2003) Shade is the Drosophila P450 enzyme that mediates the hydroxylation of ecdysone to the steroid insect molting hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone. PNAS 100 (24), 13773–13778.

BOOK TRANSLATIONS
Dauphin-Villemant C & Böcking D (Co-translation English-French) (2009). Mini-manuel de Biologie humaine by Philip BRADLEY & Jane CALVERT (Authors), Dunod Ed, pp231.

Danot O, Dauphin-Villemant C & Böcking D (Co-translation German-French) (2007). Biochimie et biologie moléculaire by Werner Müller-Esterl (Author), Dunod Ed, pp 653.

I enjoy doing outdoor activities such as mountain hiking and climbing. I have also a particular interest in travelling around the world to discover different cultures.