Scientific productions

Mariette, J., Carcaud, J. & Sandoz, JC. The neuroethology of olfactory sex communication in the honeybee Apis mellifera L. Cell Tissue Res 383, 177–194 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-020-03401-8

Summary: This invited review synthesises current knowledge on the neural basis of olfactory sex communication in honey bees, highlighting open questions and experimental opportunities. It has become a reference for researchers investigating pheromone processing and sexual communication in social insects.

 

Mariette J, Noël A, Louis T, Montagné N, Chertemps T, Jacquin-Joly E, Marion-Poll F and Sandoz J-C (2023) Transcuticular calcium imaging as a tool for the functional study of insect odorant receptors. Front. Mol. Neurosci. 16:1182361. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnmol.2023.1182361

Summary: this methodological article introduces a novel transcuticular calcium imaging approach for functional studies of insect odorant receptors. By providing a non-invasive and efficient tool, it broadens experimental possibilities in insect neuroethology and chemical ecology. The method has been adopted by other groups, underlining its utility for the community (citation: 4)

 

Mariette J, Carcaud, J, Louis T, Lacassagne, E, Servais, I, Montagné N, Chertemps T, Jacquin-Joly E, Meslin, C, Marion-Poll F and Sandoz J-C (2024) Evolution of queen pheromone receptor tuning in four honey bee species (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Apis). iScience. 27, 12, 111243. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2024.111243

Summary: This original research article provides the first comparative analysis of queen sex pheromone detection across multiple Apis species, combining electrophysiology and behavioural assays. The study sheds light on the evolutionary conservation and divergence of pheromonal communication mechanisms, advancing our understanding of social signal evolution in eusocial insects

 

Andreu, B., Mariette, J., Delarue, A. et al. Identification of two odorant receptors tuned to alarm pheromone compounds in the honey bee Apis mellifera. Commun Biol 9, 115 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-09391-z

Summary: Building on my thesis work, this study will be groundbreaking as it aims to identify the specific olfactory receptors responsible for detecting the alarm pheromone, a key social cue in honey bees.

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Mariette J., Claisse, G., Drabo, S., Faber, C., Valadares, L., Larcher, V., Duportets, L., Maindive, B., Oppersma, J., Gilardet, N., Branle, E., Sandoz, J-C. & Carcaud, J (in prep). Queen pheromone receptor Knock-Out alter processing in male honey bee brain but not detection.

Summary: using Crispr-Cas9 genome-editing tools, we generated knock-out male for the queen pheromone receptor OR11, aiming to unravel the processing of sexual compound in the honey bee brain. This article will be submitted in 2026. 

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