The Gonium pectorale genome demonstrates co-option of cell cycle regulation during the evolution of multicellularity

Erik R. Hanschen (), Tara N. Marriage, Patrick J. Ferris, Takashi Hamaji, Atsushi Toyoda, Asao Fujiyama, Rafik Neme, Hideki Noguchi, Yohei Minakuchi, Masahiro Suzuki, Hiroko Kawai-Toyooka, David R. Smith, Halle Sparks, Jaden Anderson, Robert Bakarić, Victor Luria, Amir Karger, Marc W. Kirschner, Pierre M. Durand, Richard E. Michod, Hisayoshi Nozaki and Bradley J. S. C. Olson ()
Additional contact information
Erik R. Hanschen: University of Arizona
Tara N. Marriage: Kansas State University
Patrick J. Ferris: University of Arizona
Takashi Hamaji: Donald Danforth Plant Science Center
Atsushi Toyoda: Center for Advanced Genomics, National Institute of Genetics
Asao Fujiyama: Center for Advanced Genomics, National Institute of Genetics
Rafik Neme: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology
Hideki Noguchi: Center for Advanced Genomics, National Institute of Genetics
Yohei Minakuchi: Center for Information Biology, National Institute of Genetics
Masahiro Suzuki: Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo
Hiroko Kawai-Toyooka: Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo
David R. Smith: Western University
Halle Sparks: Kansas State University
Jaden Anderson: Kansas State University
Robert Bakarić: Ruđer Bošković Institute
Victor Luria: Harvard Medical School
Amir Karger: Harvard Medical School
Marc W. Kirschner: Harvard Medical School
Pierre M. Durand: University of Arizona
Richard E. Michod: University of Arizona
Hisayoshi Nozaki: Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo
Bradley J. S. C. Olson: Kansas State University

Nature Communications, 2016, vol. 7, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Abstract The transition to multicellularity has occurred numerous times in all domains of life, yet its initial steps are poorly understood. The volvocine green algae are a tractable system for understanding the genetic basis of multicellularity including the initial formation of cooperative cell groups. Here we report the genome sequence of the undifferentiated colonial alga, Gonium pectorale, where group formation evolved by co-option of the retinoblastoma cell cycle regulatory pathway. Significantly, expression of the Gonium retinoblastoma cell cycle regulator in unicellular Chlamydomonas causes it to become colonial. The presence of these changes in undifferentiated Gonium indicates extensive group-level adaptation during the initial step in the evolution of multicellularity. These results emphasize an early and formative step in the evolution of multicellularity, the evolution of cell cycle regulation, one that may shed light on the evolutionary history of other multicellular innovations and evolutionary transitions.

Date: 2016
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms11370

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