1
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Pineau RM, Libby E, Demory D, Lac DT, Day TC, Bravo P, Yunker PJ, Weitz JS, Bozdag GO, Ratcliff WC. Emergence and maintenance of stable coexistence during a long-term multicellular evolution experiment. Nat Ecol Evol 2024; 8:1010-1020. [PMID: 38486107 PMCID: PMC11090753 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-024-02367-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
The evolution of multicellular life spurred evolutionary radiations, fundamentally changing many of Earth's ecosystems. Yet little is known about how early steps in the evolution of multicellularity affect eco-evolutionary dynamics. Through long-term experimental evolution, we observed niche partitioning and the adaptive divergence of two specialized lineages from a single multicellular ancestor. Over 715 daily transfers, snowflake yeast were subjected to selection for rapid growth, followed by selection favouring larger group size. Small and large cluster-forming lineages evolved from a monomorphic ancestor, coexisting for over ~4,300 generations, specializing on divergent aspects of a trade-off between growth rate and survival. Through modelling and experimentation, we demonstrate that coexistence is maintained by a trade-off between organismal size and competitiveness for dissolved oxygen. Taken together, this work shows how the evolution of a new level of biological individuality can rapidly drive adaptive diversification and the expansion of a nascent multicellular niche, one of the most historically impactful emergent properties of this evolutionary transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rozenn M Pineau
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Quantitative Biosciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Eric Libby
- Integrated Science Lab, Umeå university, Umeå, Sweden.
- Department of Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics, Umeå university, Umeå, Sweden.
| | - David Demory
- CNRS, Sorbonne Université, USR 3579 Laboratoire de Biodiversité et Biotechnologies Microbiennes (LBBM), Observatoire Océanologique, Banyuls-sur-Mer, France
| | - Dung T Lac
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Thomas C Day
- School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Pablo Bravo
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Quantitative Biosciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
- School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Peter J Yunker
- School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Joshua S Weitz
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
- School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
- Department of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - G Ozan Bozdag
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - William C Ratcliff
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA.
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.
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2
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Kidner RQ, Goldstone EB, Laidemitt MR, Sanchez MC, Gerdt C, Brokaw LP, Ros-Rocher N, Morris J, Davidson WS, Gerdt JP. Host lipids regulate multicellular behavior of a predator of a human pathogen. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.31.578218. [PMID: 38352462 PMCID: PMC10862850 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.31.578218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
As symbionts of animals, microbial eukaryotes benefit and harm their hosts in myriad ways. A model microeukaryote (Capsaspora owczarzaki) is a symbiont of Biomphalaria glabrata snails and may prevent transmission of parasitic schistosomes from snails to humans. However, it is unclear which host factors determine Capsaspora's ability to colonize snails. Here, we discovered that Capsaspora forms multicellular aggregates when exposed to snail hemolymph. We identified a molecular cue for aggregation: a hemolymph-derived phosphatidylcholine, which becomes elevated in schistosome-infected snails. Therefore, Capsaspora aggregation may be a response to the physiological state of its host, and it may determine its ability to colonize snails and exclude parasitic schistosomes. Furthermore, Capsaspora is an evolutionary model organism whose aggregation may be ancestral to animals. This discovery, that a prevalent lipid induces Capsaspora multicellularity, suggests that this aggregation phenotype may be ancient. Additionally, the specific lipid will be a useful tool for further aggregation studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ria Q Kidner
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | | | - Martina R Laidemitt
- Department of Biology, Center for Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology, Parasite Division, Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, USA
| | - Melissa C Sanchez
- Department of Biology, Center for Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology, Parasite Division, Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, USA
| | - Catherine Gerdt
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Lorin P Brokaw
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Núria Ros-Rocher
- Department of Functional Genomics and Evolution, Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology and Infection and Department of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris-Cité, CNRS UMR3691, 25-28 Rue du Docteur Roux, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Jamie Morris
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati OH 45237, USA
| | - W Sean Davidson
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati OH 45237, USA
| | - Joseph P Gerdt
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
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3
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Leeks A, Bono LM, Ampolini EA, Souza LS, Höfler T, Mattson CL, Dye AE, Díaz-Muñoz SL. Open questions in the social lives of viruses. J Evol Biol 2023; 36:1551-1567. [PMID: 37975507 PMCID: PMC11281779 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Social interactions among viruses occur whenever multiple viral genomes infect the same cells, hosts, or populations of hosts. Viral social interactions range from cooperation to conflict, occur throughout the viral world, and affect every stage of the viral lifecycle. The ubiquity of these social interactions means that they can determine the population dynamics, evolutionary trajectory, and clinical progression of viral infections. At the same time, social interactions in viruses raise new questions for evolutionary theory, providing opportunities to test and extend existing frameworks within social evolution. Many opportunities exist at this interface: Insights into the evolution of viral social interactions have immediate implications for our understanding of the fundamental biology and clinical manifestation of viral diseases. However, these opportunities are currently limited because evolutionary biologists only rarely study social evolution in viruses. Here, we bridge this gap by (1) summarizing the ways in which viruses can interact socially, including consequences for social evolution and evolvability; (2) outlining some open questions raised by viruses that could challenge concepts within social evolution theory; and (3) providing some illustrative examples, data sources, and conceptual questions, for studying the natural history of social viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asher Leeks
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Quantitative Biology Institute, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Lisa M. Bono
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, USA
| | - Elizabeth A. Ampolini
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Lucas S. Souza
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Thomas Höfler
- Institute of Virology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Courtney L. Mattson
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Anna E. Dye
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Samuel L. Díaz-Muñoz
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA
- Genome Center, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA
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4
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Cornwallis CK, Svensson-Coelho M, Lindh M, Li Q, Stábile F, Hansson LA, Rengefors K. Single-cell adaptations shape evolutionary transitions to multicellularity in green algae. Nat Ecol Evol 2023; 7:889-902. [PMID: 37081145 PMCID: PMC10250200 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02044-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023]
Abstract
The evolution of multicellular life has played a pivotal role in shaping biological diversity. However, we know surprisingly little about the natural environmental conditions that favour the formation of multicellular groups. Here we experimentally examine how key environmental factors (predation, nitrogen and water turbulence) combine to influence multicellular group formation in 35 wild unicellular green algae strains (19 Chlorophyta species). All environmental factors induced the formation of multicellular groups (more than four cells), but there was no evidence this was adaptive, as multicellularity (% cells in groups) was not related to population growth rate under any condition. Instead, population growth was related to extracellular matrix (ECM) around single cells and palmelloid formation, a unicellular life-cycle stage where two to four cells are retained within a mother-cell wall after mitosis. ECM production increased with nitrogen levels resulting in more cells being in palmelloids and higher rates of multicellular group formation. Examining the distribution of 332 algae species across 478 lakes monitored over 55 years, showed that ECM and nitrogen availability also predicted patterns of obligate multicellularity in nature. Our results highlight that adaptations of unicellular organisms to cope with environmental challenges may be key to understanding evolutionary routes to multicellular life.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Markus Lindh
- Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute, Västra Frölunda, Sweden
| | - Qinyang Li
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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5
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Pineau RM, Demory D, Libby E, Lac DT, Day TC, Bravo P, Yunker PJ, Weitz JS, Bozdag GO, Ratcliff WC. Emergence and maintenance of stable coexistence during a long-term multicellular evolution experiment. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.19.524803. [PMID: 36711513 PMCID: PMC9882323 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.19.524803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
The evolution of multicellular life spurred evolutionary radiations, fundamentally changing many of Earth’s ecosystems. Yet little is known about how early steps in the evolution of multicellularity transform eco-evolutionary dynamics, e.g., via niche expansion processes that may facilitate coexistence. Using long-term experimental evolution in the snowflake yeast model system, we show that the evolution of multicellularity drove niche partitioning and the adaptive divergence of two distinct, specialized lineages from a single multicellular ancestor. Over 715 daily transfers, snowflake yeast were subject to selection for rapid growth in rich media, followed by selection favoring larger group size. Both small and large cluster-forming lineages evolved from a monomorphic ancestor, coexisting for over ~4,300 generations. These small and large sized snowflake yeast lineages specialized on divergent aspects of a trade-off between growth rate and survival, mirroring predictions from ecological theory. Through modeling and experimentation, we demonstrate that coexistence is maintained by a trade-off between organismal size and competitiveness for dissolved oxygen. Taken together, this work shows how the evolution of a new level of biological individuality can rapidly drive adaptive diversification and the expansion of a nascent multicellular niche, one of the most historically-impactful emergent properties of this evolutionary transition.
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6
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Chin NE, Wu TC, O'Toole JM, Xu K, Hata T, Koehl MAR. Formation of multicellular colonies by choanoflagellates increases susceptibility to capture by amoeboid predators. J Eukaryot Microbiol 2022; 70:e12961. [PMID: 36578145 DOI: 10.1111/jeu.12961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Many heterotrophic microbial eukaryotes are size-selective feeders. Some microorganisms increase their size by forming multicellular colonies. We used choanoflagellates, Salpingoeca helianthica, which can be unicellular or form multicellular colonies, to study the effects of multicellularity on vulnerability to predation by the raptorial protozoan predator, Amoeba proteus, which captures prey with pseudopodia. Videomicrography used to measure the behavior of interacting S. helianthica and A. proteus revealed that large choanoflagellate colonies were more susceptible to capture than were small colonies or single cells. Swimming colonies produced larger flow fields than did swimming unicellular choanoflagellates, and the distance of S. helianthica from A. proteus when pseudopod formation started was greater for colonies than for single cells. Prey size did not affect the number of pseudopodia formed and the time between their formation, pulsatile kinematics and speed of extension by pseudopodia, or percent of prey lost by the predator. S. helianthica did not change swimming speed or execute escape maneuvers in response to being pursued by pseudopodia, so size-selective feeding by A. proteus was due to predator behavior rather than prey escape. Our results do not support the theory that the selective advantage of becoming multicellular by choanoflagellate-like ancestors of animals was reduced susceptibility to protozoan predation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole E Chin
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Tiffany C Wu
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - J Michael O'Toole
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Kevin Xu
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Tom Hata
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Mimi A R Koehl
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
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7
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Belpaire TER, Pešek J, Lories B, Verstrepen KJ, Steenackers HP, Ramon H, Smeets B. Permissive aggregative group formation favors coexistence between cooperators and defectors in yeast. THE ISME JOURNAL 2022; 16:2305-2312. [PMID: 35778439 PMCID: PMC9477849 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-022-01275-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the FLO1 gene encodes flocculins that lead to formation of multicellular flocs, that offer protection to the constituent cells. Flo1p was found to preferentially bind to fellow cooperators compared to defectors lacking FLO1 expression, enriching cooperators within the flocs. Given this dual function in cooperation and kin recognition, FLO1 has been termed a "green beard gene". Because of the heterophilic nature of the Flo1p bond however, we hypothesize that kin recognition is permissive and depends on the relative stability of the FLO1+/flo1- versus FLO1+/FLO1+ detachment force F. We combine single-cell measurements of adhesion, individual cell-based simulations of cluster formation, and in vitro flocculation to study the impact of relative bond stability on the evolutionary stability of cooperation. We identify a trade-off between both aspects of the green beard mechanism, with reduced relative bond stability leading to increased kin recognition at the expense of cooperative benefits. We show that the fitness of FLO1 cooperators decreases as their frequency in the population increases, arising from the observed permissive character (F+- = 0.5 F++) of the Flo1p bond. Considering the costs associated with FLO1 expression, this asymmetric selection often results in a stable coexistence between cooperators and defectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom E R Belpaire
- Division of Mechatronics, Biostatistics, and Sensors, KU Leuven, 3001, Leuven, Belgium.
- Centre for Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven, 3001, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Jiří Pešek
- Team SIMBIOTX, Inria Saclay, 91120, Palaiseau, France
| | - Bram Lories
- Centre for Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven, 3001, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Kevin J Verstrepen
- Centre for Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven, 3001, Leuven, Belgium
- Laboratory of Systems Biology, VIB-KU Leuven Center for Microbiology, 3001, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Hans P Steenackers
- Centre for Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven, 3001, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Herman Ramon
- Division of Mechatronics, Biostatistics, and Sensors, KU Leuven, 3001, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Bart Smeets
- Division of Mechatronics, Biostatistics, and Sensors, KU Leuven, 3001, Leuven, Belgium
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8
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Gao Y, Pichugin Y, Gokhale CS, Traulsen A. Evolution of reproductive strategies in incipient multicellularity. J R Soc Interface 2022; 19:20210716. [PMID: 35232276 PMCID: PMC8889184 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2021.0716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Multicellular organisms potentially show a large degree of diversity in reproductive strategies, producing offspring with varying sizes and compositions compared to their unicellular ancestors. In reality, only a few of these reproductive strategies are prevalent. To understand why this could be the case, we develop a stage-structured population model to probe the evolutionary growth advantages of reproductive strategies in incipient multicellular organisms. The performance of reproductive strategies is evaluated by the growth rates of the corresponding populations. We identify the optimal reproductive strategy, leading to the largest growth rate for a population. Considering the effects of organism size and cellular interaction, we found that distinct reproductive strategies could perform uniquely or equally well under different conditions. If a single reproductive strategy is optimal, it is binary splitting, dividing into two parts. Our results show that organism size and cellular interaction can play crucial roles in shaping reproductive strategies in nascent multicellularity. Our model sheds light on understanding the mechanism driving the evolution of reproductive strategies in incipient multicellularity. Beyond multicellularity, our results imply that a crucial factor in the evolution of unicellular species’ reproductive strategies is organism size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanxiao Gao
- Department of Evolutionary Theory, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, August-Thienemann-Str. 2, 24306 Plön, Germany
| | - Yuriy Pichugin
- Department of Evolutionary Theory, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, August-Thienemann-Str. 2, 24306 Plön, Germany
| | - Chaitanya S Gokhale
- Research Group for Theoretical Models of Eco-evolutionary Dynamics, Department of Evolutionary Theory, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, August-Thienemann-Str. 2, 24306 Plön, Germany
| | - Arne Traulsen
- Department of Evolutionary Theory, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, August-Thienemann-Str. 2, 24306 Plön, Germany
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9
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Selective drivers of simple multicellularity. Curr Opin Microbiol 2022; 67:102141. [PMID: 35247708 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2022.102141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
In order to understand the evolution of multicellularity, we must understand how and why selection favors the first steps in this process: the evolution of simple multicellular groups. Multicellularity has evolved many times in independent lineages with fundamentally different ecologies, yet no work has yet systematically examined these diverse selective drivers. Here we review recent developments in systematics, comparative biology, paleontology, synthetic biology, theory, and experimental evolution, highlighting ten selective drivers of simple multicellularity. Our survey highlights the many ecological opportunities available for simple multicellularity, and stresses the need for additional work examining how these first steps impact the subsequent evolution of complex multicellularity.
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10
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Rose CJ, Hammerschmidt K. What Do We Mean by Multicellularity? The Evolutionary Transitions Framework Provides Answers. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.730714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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11
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The evolution of convex trade-offs enables the transition towards multicellularity. Nat Commun 2021; 12:4222. [PMID: 34244514 PMCID: PMC8270964 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24503-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The evolutionary transition towards multicellular life often involves growth in groups of undifferentiated cells followed by differentiation into soma and germ-like cells. Theory predicts that germ soma differentiation is facilitated by a convex trade-off between survival and reproduction. However, this has never been tested and these transitions remain poorly understood at the ecological and genetic level. Here, we study the evolution of cell groups in ten isogenic lines of the unicellular green algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii with prolonged exposure to a rotifer predator. We confirm that growth in cell groups is heritable and characterized by a convex trade-off curve between reproduction and survival. Identical mutations evolve in all cell group isolates; these are linked to survival and reducing associated cell costs. Overall, we show that just 500 generations of predator selection were sufficient to lead to a convex trade-off and incorporate evolved changes into the prey genome. Multicellularity is a major evolutionary transition that remains poorly characterized at the ecological and genetic level. Exposing unicellular green algae to a rotifer predator showed that just 500 generations of predator selection were sufficient to lead to a convex trade-off and incorporate evolved changes into the prey genome.
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12
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West SA, Cooper GA, Ghoul MB, Griffin AS. Ten recent insights for our understanding of cooperation. Nat Ecol Evol 2021; 5:419-430. [PMID: 33510431 PMCID: PMC7612052 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-020-01384-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Since Hamilton published his seminal papers in 1964, our understanding of the importance of cooperation for life on Earth has evolved beyond recognition. Early research was focused on altruism in the social insects, where the problem of cooperation was easy to see. In more recent years, research into cooperation has expanded across the entire tree of life, and has been revolutionized by advances in genetic, microbiological and analytical techniques. We highlight ten insights that have arisen from these advances, which have illuminated generalizations across different taxa, making the world simpler to explain. Furthermore, progress in these areas has opened up numerous new problems to solve, suggesting exciting directions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart A West
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Guy A Cooper
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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13
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Colizzi ES, Vroomans RM, Merks RM. Evolution of multicellularity by collective integration of spatial information. eLife 2020; 9:56349. [PMID: 33064078 PMCID: PMC7652420 DOI: 10.7554/elife.56349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
At the origin of multicellularity, cells may have evolved aggregation in response to predation, for functional specialisation or to allow large-scale integration of environmental cues. These group-level properties emerged from the interactions between cells in a group, and determined the selection pressures experienced by these cells. We investigate the evolution of multicellularity with an evolutionary model where cells search for resources by chemotaxis in a shallow, noisy gradient. Cells can evolve their adhesion to others in a periodically changing environment, where a cell's fitness solely depends on its distance from the gradient source. We show that multicellular aggregates evolve because they perform chemotaxis more efficiently than single cells. Only when the environment changes too frequently, a unicellular state evolves which relies on cell dispersal. Both strategies prevent the invasion of the other through interference competition, creating evolutionary bi-stability. Therefore, collective behaviour can be an emergent selective driver for undifferentiated multicellularity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Renske Ma Vroomans
- Informatics Institute, University of Amsterdam; Origins Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Roeland Mh Merks
- Mathematical Institute, Leiden University; Institute of Biology, Leiden University; Origins Center, Leiden, Netherlands
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14
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Erten EY, Kokko H. From zygote to a multicellular soma: Body size affects optimal growth strategies under cancer risk. Evol Appl 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/eva.12969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- E. Yagmur Erten
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
| | - Hanna Kokko
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
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15
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Koehl MAR. Selective factors in the evolution of multicellularity in choanoflagellates. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART B-MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION 2020; 336:315-326. [PMID: 32198827 DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.22941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2019] [Revised: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Choanoflagellates, unicellular eukaryotes that can form multicellular colonies by cell division and that share a common ancestor with animals, are used as a model system to study functional consequences of being unicellular versus colonial. This review examines performance differences between unicellular and multicellular choanoflagellates in swimming, feeding, and avoiding predation, to provide insights about possible selective advantages of being multicellular for the protozoan ancestors of animals. Each choanoflagellate cell propels water by beating a single flagellum and captures bacterial prey on a collar of microvilli around the flagellum. Formation of multicellular colonies does not improve the swimming performance, but the flux of prey-bearing water to the collars of some of the cells in colonies of certain configurations can be greater than for single cells. Colony geometry appears to affect whether cells in colonies catch more prey per cell per time than do unicellular choanoflagellates. Although multicellular choanoflagellates show chemokinetic behavior in response to oxygen, only the unicellular dispersal stage (fast swimmers without collars) use pH signals to aggregate in locations where bacterial prey might be abundant. Colonies produce larger hydrodynamic signals than do single cells, and raptorial protozoan predators capture colonies while ignoring single cells. In contrast, ciliate predators entrain both single cells and colonies in their feeding currents, but reject larger colonies, whereas passive heliozoan predators show no preference. Thus, the ability of choanoflagellate cells to differentiate into different morphotypes, including multicellular forms, in response to variable aquatic environments might have provided a selective advantage to the ancestors of animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- M A R Koehl
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California
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16
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Abstract
Many protists form cell colonies. Among them several are filter-feeders depending on suspended food particles such as bacteria. It has been suggested that the formation of colonies enhances feeding efficiency and implied that - in the case of colonial choanoflagellates - it was an adaptive trait that led to the evolution of metazoans. Here it is shown experimentally - for a colonial peritrich ciliate and for a choanoflagellate - that colony-formation does not enhance the efficiency of filter-feeding relative to solitary cells and that the adaptive significance of cell colony-formation must have some other explanation.
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Sudianto E. Digest: Banding together to battle adversaries has its consequences. Evolution 2019; 73:1320-1321. [PMID: 31006855 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Accepted: 04/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Why did life evolve from single-celled to multicellular organisms? Could there be advantages to this transition? What about associated fitness costs? Kapsetaki and West found that although multicellularity allows Chlorella sorokiniana to avoid predation from similarly-sized predators, it also reduces their competitiveness when resources are limited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edi Sudianto
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan
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