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Howe J, Cornwallis CK, Griffin AS. Conflict-reducing innovations in development enable increased multicellular complexity. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20232466. [PMID: 38196363 PMCID: PMC10777161 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.2466] [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: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Obligately multicellular organisms, where cells can only reproduce as part of the group, have evolved multiple times across the tree of life. Obligate multicellularity has only evolved when clonal groups form by cell division, rather than by cells aggregating, as clonality prevents internal conflict. Yet obligately multicellular organisms still vary greatly in 'multicellular complexity' (the number of cells and cell types): some comprise a few cells and cell types, while others have billions of cells and thousands of types. Here, we test whether variation in multicellular complexity is explained by two conflict-suppressing mechanisms, namely a single-cell bottleneck at the start of development, and a strict separation of germline and somatic cells. Examining the life cycles of 129 lineages of plants, animals, fungi and algae, we show using phylogenetic comparative analyses that an early segregation of the germline stem-cell lineage is key to the evolution of more cell types, driven by a strong correlation in the Metazoa. By contrast, the presence of a strict single-cell bottleneck was not related to either the number of cells or the number of cell types, but was associated with early germline segregation. Our results suggest that segregating the germline earlier in development enabled greater evolutionary innovation, although whether this is a consequence of conflict reduction or other non-conflict effects, such as developmental flexibility, is unclear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack Howe
- Center for Evolutionary Hologenomics, Globe Institute, Copenhagen University, 1350 Copenhagen, Denmark
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Kapsetaki SE, Fortunato A, Compton Z, Rupp SM, Nour Z, Riggs-Davis S, Stephenson D, Duke EG, Boddy AM, Harrison TM, Maley CC, Aktipis A. Is chimerism associated with cancer across the tree of life? PLoS One 2023; 18:e0287901. [PMID: 37384647 PMCID: PMC10309991 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0287901] [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: 01/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Chimerism is a widespread phenomenon across the tree of life. It is defined as a multicellular organism composed of cells from other genetically distinct entities. This ability to 'tolerate' non-self cells may be linked to susceptibility to diseases like cancer. Here we test whether chimerism is associated with cancers across obligately multicellular organisms in the tree of life. We classified 12 obligately multicellular taxa from lowest to highest chimerism levels based on the existing literature on the presence of chimerism in these species. We then tested for associations of chimerism with tumour invasiveness, neoplasia (benign or malignant) prevalence and malignancy prevalence in 11 terrestrial mammalian species. We found that taxa with higher levels of chimerism have higher tumour invasiveness, though there was no association between malignancy or neoplasia and chimerism among mammals. This suggests that there may be an important biological relationship between chimerism and susceptibility to tissue invasion by cancerous cells. Studying chimerism might help us identify mechanisms underlying invasive cancers and also could provide insights into the detection and management of emerging transmissible cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania E. Kapsetaki
- Arizona Cancer Evolution Center, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States of America
- Biodesign Institute, Center for Biocomputing, Security and Society, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States of America
| | - Angelo Fortunato
- Arizona Cancer Evolution Center, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States of America
- Biodesign Institute, Center for Biocomputing, Security and Society, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States of America
| | - Zachary Compton
- Arizona Cancer Evolution Center, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States of America
- Biodesign Institute, Center for Biocomputing, Security and Society, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States of America
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States of America
| | - Shawn M. Rupp
- Arizona Cancer Evolution Center, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States of America
- Biodesign Institute, Center for Biocomputing, Security and Society, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States of America
| | - Zaid Nour
- Arizona Cancer Evolution Center, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States of America
- Biodesign Institute, Center for Biocomputing, Security and Society, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States of America
| | - Skyelyn Riggs-Davis
- Arizona Cancer Evolution Center, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States of America
- Biodesign Institute, Center for Biocomputing, Security and Society, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States of America
| | - Dylan Stephenson
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth G. Duke
- Arizona Cancer Evolution Center, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States of America
- Department of Clinical Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States of America
- Exotic Species Cancer Research Alliance, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States of America
| | - Amy M. Boddy
- Arizona Cancer Evolution Center, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States of America
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, United States of America
| | - Tara M. Harrison
- Arizona Cancer Evolution Center, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States of America
- Department of Clinical Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States of America
- Exotic Species Cancer Research Alliance, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States of America
| | - Carlo C. Maley
- Arizona Cancer Evolution Center, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States of America
- Biodesign Institute, Center for Biocomputing, Security and Society, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States of America
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States of America
| | - Athena Aktipis
- Arizona Cancer Evolution Center, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States of America
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States of America
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Abstract
Metazoans function as individual organisms but also as “colonies” of cells whose single-celled ancestors lived and reproduced independently. Insights from evolutionary biology about multicellular group formation help us understand the behavior of cells: why they cooperate, and why cooperation sometimes breaks down. Current explanations for multicellularity focus on two aspects of development which promote cooperation and limit conflict among cells: a single-cell bottleneck, which creates organisms composed of clones, and a separation of somatic and germ cell lineages, which reduces the selective advantage of cheating. However, many obligately multicellular organisms thrive with neither, creating the potential for within-organism conflict. Here, we argue that the prevalence of such organisms throughout the Metazoa requires us to refine our preconceptions of conflict-free multicellularity. Evolutionary theory must incorporate developmental mechanisms across a broad range of organisms—such as unusual reproductive strategies, totipotency, and cell competition—while developmental biology must incorporate evolutionary principles. To facilitate this cross-disciplinary approach, we provide a conceptual overview from evolutionary biology for developmental biologists, using analogous examples in the well-studied social insects.
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Guerrini G, Shefy D, Douek J, Shashar N, Goulet TL, Rinkevich B. Spatial distribution of conspecific genotypes within chimeras of the branching coral Stylophora pistillata. Sci Rep 2021; 11:22554. [PMID: 34799589 PMCID: PMC8604976 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-00981-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Chimerism is a coalescence of conspecific genotypes. Although common in nature, fundamental knowledge, such as the spatial distribution of the genotypes within chimeras, is lacking. Hence, we investigated the spatial distribution of conspecific genotypes within the brooding coral Stylophora pistillata, a common species throughout the Indo-Pacific and Red Sea. From eight gravid colonies, we collected planula larvae that settled in aggregates, forming 2–3 partner chimeras. Coral chimeras grew in situ for up to 25 months. Nine chimeras (8 kin, 1 non-related genotypes) were sectioned into 7–17 fragments (6–26 polyps/fragment), and genotyped using eight microsatellite loci. The discrimination power of each microsatellite-locus was evaluated with 330 ‘artificial chimeras,’ made by mixing DNA from three different S. pistillata genotypes in pairwise combinations. In 68% of ‘artificial chimeras,’ the second genotype was detected if it constituted 5–30% of the chimera. Analyses of S. pistillata chimeras revealed that: (a) chimerism is a long-term state; (b) conspecifics were intermixed (not separate from one another); (c) disproportionate distribution of the conspecifics occurred; (d) cryptic chimerism (chimerism not detected via a given microsatellite) existed, alluding to the underestimation of chimerism in nature. Mixed chimerism may affect ecological/physiological outcomes for a chimera, especially in clonal organisms, and challenges the concept of individuality, affecting our understanding of the unit of selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Guerrini
- Israel Oceanography and Limnological Research, National Institute, of Oceanography, Tel-Shikmona, P.O. Box 9753, 3109701, Haifa, Israel.,Department of Life Sciences, Eilat Campus, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Eilat, Israel
| | - Dor Shefy
- Israel Oceanography and Limnological Research, National Institute, of Oceanography, Tel-Shikmona, P.O. Box 9753, 3109701, Haifa, Israel.,Department of Life Sciences, Eilat Campus, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Eilat, Israel.,The Interuniversity Institute for Marine Science, 88000, Eilat, Israel
| | - Jacob Douek
- Israel Oceanography and Limnological Research, National Institute, of Oceanography, Tel-Shikmona, P.O. Box 9753, 3109701, Haifa, Israel
| | - Nadav Shashar
- Department of Life Sciences, Eilat Campus, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Eilat, Israel
| | - Tamar L Goulet
- Department of Biology, University of Mississippi, P.O. Box 1848, University, MS, 38677-1848, USA.
| | - Baruch Rinkevich
- Israel Oceanography and Limnological Research, National Institute, of Oceanography, Tel-Shikmona, P.O. Box 9753, 3109701, Haifa, Israel
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Chang ES, Orive ME, Cartwright P. Nonclonal coloniality: Genetically chimeric colonies through fusion of sexually produced polyps in the hydrozoan Ectopleura larynx. Evol Lett 2018; 2:442-455. [PMID: 30283694 PMCID: PMC6121865 DOI: 10.1002/evl3.68] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2017] [Accepted: 06/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Hydrozoans typically develop colonies through asexual budding of polyps. Although colonies of Ectopleura are similar to other hydrozoans in that they consist of multiple polyps physically connected through continuous epithelia and shared gastrovascular cavity, Ectopleura larynx does not asexually bud polyps indeterminately. Instead, after an initial phase of limited budding in a young colony, E. larynx achieves its large colony size through the aggregation and fusion of sexually (nonclonally) produced polyps. The apparent chimerism within a physiologically integrated colony presents a potential source of conflict between distinct genetic lineages, which may vary in their ability to access the germline. To determine the extent to which the potential for genetic conflict exists, we characterized the types of genetic relationships between polyps within colonies, using a RAD‐Seq approach. Our results indicate that E. larynx colonies are indeed comprised of polyps that are clones and sexually reproduced siblings and offspring, consistent with their life history. In addition, we found that colonies also contain polyps that are genetically unrelated, and that estimates of genome‐wide relatedness suggests a potential for conflict within a colony. Taken together, our data suggest that there are distinct categories of relationships in colonies of E. larynx, likely achieved through a range of processes including budding, regeneration, and fusion of progeny and unrelated polyps, with the possibility for a genetic conflict resolution mechanism. Together these processes contribute to the reevolution of the ecologically important trait of coloniality in E. larynx.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Sally Chang
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Kansas Lawrence Kansas 66045
| | - Maria E Orive
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Kansas Lawrence Kansas 66045
| | - Paulyn Cartwright
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Kansas Lawrence Kansas 66045
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Fidler AE, Bacq-Labreuil A, Rachmilovitz E, Rinkevich B. Efficient dispersal and substrate acquisition traits in a marine invasive species via transient chimerism and colony mobility. PeerJ 2018; 6:e5006. [PMID: 29915705 PMCID: PMC6004106 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2018] [Accepted: 05/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the past three decades the colonial ascidian Didemnum vexillum has been expanding its global range, significantly impacting marine habitats and aquaculture facilities. What biological features make D. vexillum so highly invasive? Here, we show that juxtaposed allogeneic D. vexillum colony fragments (‘ramets’) may, initially, form chimeric entities. Subsequently, zooids of the differing genotypes within such chimeras coordinately retreat away from fusion zones. A few days following such post-fusion retreat movements there is further ramet fission and the formation of zooid-depauperate tunic zones. Using polymorphic microsatellite loci to distinguish between genotypes, we found that they were sectorial at the fusion zones and the subsequent ramet movements resulted in further spatial separation of the paired-genotypes indicating that the fusion events observed did not lead to formation of long-term, stable chimeras. Thus, movements of D. vexillum colony ramets from initial fusion zones lead to progressive segregation of genotypes probably minimizing potential somatic/germ-cell competition/parasitism. We speculate that relatively fast (≤10 mm/day) movement of D. vexillum colonies on substrates along with frequent, and perhaps unrestrained, transient allogeneic fusions play significant roles in this species’ striking invasiveness and capacity to colonize new substrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew E Fidler
- Institute of Marine Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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