Characterization and Transformation of reg Cluster Genes in Volvox powersii Enable Investigation of Convergent Evolution of Cellular Differentiation in Volvox

Grochau-Wright, Zachariah I.; Ferris, Patrick J.; Tumberger, John; Jiménez-Marín, Berenice; Olson, Bradley J. S. C.; Michod, Richard E.

doi:10.1016/j.protis.2021.125834

Cited by 3 publications

(8 citation statements)

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“…Third, the regA, rlsB, and rlsO genes of Y. unicocca are more similar to each other than they are to their homologs in other species suggesting two of these genes were lost and were later replaced via duplication of the remaining gene (thus, these three genes in Y. unicocca are not orthologs of the similarly labeled genes in the other species) (Grochau-Wright et al, 2017). It is possible that similar mechanisms of complex evolution have happened within the regA cluster in other species as well, but phylogenomic analysis supports the orthology of regA cluster genes within Eudorina-group species (Grochau-Wright et al, 2021).…”

Section: Evolution Of the Varl Gene Familymentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Cytodifferentiation occurs just after inversion; all cells <8 µm will terminally differentiate into somatic cells while larger cells will become germ (Kirk, 2001). Cell size has been shown to be sufficient for determining cell fate in V. carteri (Kirk et al, 1993) though this is not the case in all Volvox species (Grochau-Wright, 2019;Grochau-Wright et al, 2021;Ransick, , 1993. In V. carteri, a gene known as regA is turned on in the small cells, which results in the suppression of germ cell development and the differentiation of somatic cells.…”

Section: The Volvocine Model Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Interestingly, Z. I. Grochau-Wright et al (2021) found that a morphological mutant of V. powersii that has fewer cells and a lower soma to germ ratio than the WT strain has a mutation in its rlsB gene. But transformation of the WT-rlsB gene into this mutant did not lead to morphological rescue.…”

Section: Future Directionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Genetics of Fitness Reorganization During the Transition to Multicellularity: The Volvocine regA-Like Family as a Model

Grochau-Wright¹,

Nedelcu²,

Michod³

2023

Preprint

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The evolutionary transition from single-celled to multicellular individuality requires organismal fitness to shift from the cell-level to the cell group. This reorganization of fitness occurs by allocating the two components of fitness, survival and reproduction, between two specialized cell types in the multicellular group – soma and germ, respectively. How does the genetic basis for such fitness reorganization evolve? One possible mechanism is the co-option of life-history genes present in the unicellular ancestors of a multicellular lineage. Single-celled organisms must regulate their investment in survival and reproduction in response to environmental changes, particularly decreasing reproduction to ensure survival when stressed. Such stress response life-history genes can provide the foundation for the genetic basis for cellular differentiation in multicellular lineages. The regA gene family in volvocine green algae provides a model system to study how this co-option occurs. We discuss the origin and evolution of the volvocine regA gene family, including regA – the gene that controls somatic cell development in the model organism Volvox carteri. We hypothesize that the co-option of life history trade-off genes is a general mechanism involved in the transition to multicellular individuality, making volvocine algae and the regA family a useful template for similar investigations in other lineages.

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Section: Evolution Of the Varl Gene Familymentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: The Volvocine Model Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Genetics of Fitness Reorganization During the Transition to Multicellularity: The Volvocine regA-Like Family as a Model

Grochau-Wright¹,

Nedelcu²,

Michod³

2023

Preprint

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“…In contrast, our focal species Volvox powersii evolved characteristics of the Volvox body plan independently fromV. carteri and possesses a type 1 development program, which is thought to be an ancestral mode of development (Desnitski, 1995;Grochau-Wright et al, 2021;vande Berg & Starr, 1971). Unlike V. carteri and other D2 species, all cell divisions in V. powersii are symmetrical throughout development which is more similar to the development of Pleodorina species and undifferentiated volvocine algae.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 94%

Sufficient chloroplast DNA is necessary for germ cell development in Volvox powersii, an emerging model for the evolution of cellular differentiation

Siverio

Ortiz

Grochau-Wright

2022

Preprint

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Germ-soma cellular differentiation plays a key role in the evolutionary transition from single-celled individuality to multicellular individuality. The volvocine green algae, with their relatively recent origin of multicellularity and gradient in multicellular complexity across closely related species, serves as a model system for studying the evolution of multicellularity and cellular differentiation. Volvox carteri is the best studied species in its genus and is consequently a well-established model for the evolution of multicellular development. However, V. carteri possesses a derived type two developmental program in which cellular differentiation is determined by differences in cell size that arise through asymmetric division. Compared to other Volvox species, Volvox powersii is less studied and has ancestral features, including a type one developmental program in which large gonidia undergo rapid, symmetrical divisions with cellular differentiation occurring after hatching. With the absence of asymmetrical divisions, in contrast to the more derived type two developmental program, embryonic cell size cannot be a valid determinant of cell fate. We hypothesized that chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) inheritance may be a determining factor in cell fate due to expression levels of photosynthetic genes varying greatly among somatic and germ cells and greater amounts of chloroplast DNA in germ cells. Using gyrase inhibitors Nalidixic acid and Novobiocin, Volvox powersii cultures were manipulated to disrupt the distribution of cpDNA throughout the colonies and analyze the resulting distribution of cell types, the size of each cell, and the number of offspring in consecutive generations. Our results indicate that there is a specific amount of cpDNA that must be present in each cell to be able to fully develop into a germ cell.

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“…Cytodifferentiation occurs just after inversion; all cells of <8 µm terminally differentiate into somatic cells, while larger cells become germ cells [ 37 ]. Cell size has been shown to be sufficient for determining cell fate in V. carteri [ 39 ], though this is not the case in all Volvox species [ 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 ]. In V. carteri , a gene known as regA is turned on in small cells, which results in the suppression of germ cell development and the differentiation of somatic cells.…”

Section: The Volvocine Model Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Genetics of Fitness Reorganization during the Transition to Multicellularity: The Volvocine regA-like Family as a Model

Grochau-Wright

Nedelcu

Michod

2023

Genes

Self Cite

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The evolutionary transition from single-celled to multicellular individuality requires organismal fitness to shift from the cell level to a cell group. This reorganization of fitness occurs by re-allocating the two components of fitness, survival and reproduction, between two specialized cell types in the multicellular group: soma and germ, respectively. How does the genetic basis for such fitness reorganization evolve? One possible mechanism is the co-option of life history genes present in the unicellular ancestors of a multicellular lineage. For instance, single-celled organisms must regulate their investment in survival and reproduction in response to environmental changes, particularly decreasing reproduction to ensure survival under stress. Such stress response life history genes can provide the genetic basis for the evolution of cellular differentiation in multicellular lineages. The regA-like gene family in the volvocine green algal lineage provides an excellent model system to study how this co-option can occur. We discuss the origin and evolution of the volvocine regA-like gene family, including regA—the gene that controls somatic cell development in the model organism Volvox carteri. We hypothesize that the co-option of life history trade-off genes is a general mechanism involved in the transition to multicellular individuality, making volvocine algae and the regA-like family a useful template for similar investigations in other lineages.

show abstract

Characterization and Transformation of reg Cluster Genes in Volvox powersii Enable Investigation of Convergent Evolution of Cellular Differentiation in Volvox

Cited by 3 publications

References 42 publications

The Genetics of Fitness Reorganization During the Transition to Multicellularity: The Volvocine regA-Like Family as a Model

The Genetics of Fitness Reorganization During the Transition to Multicellularity: The Volvocine regA-Like Family as a Model

Sufficient chloroplast DNA is necessary for germ cell development in Volvox powersii, an emerging model for the evolution of cellular differentiation

The Genetics of Fitness Reorganization during the Transition to Multicellularity: The Volvocine regA-like Family as a Model

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