Lichens and microbial syntrophies offer models for an interdependent route to multicellularity
Open accessAbstract
The evolution of multicellularity paved the way for significant increases in biological complexity. Although multicellularity has evolved many times independently, we know relatively little about its origins. Directed evolution is a promising approach to studying early steps in this major transition, but current experimental systems have examined only a subset of the possible evolutionary routes to multicellularity. Here we consider egalitarian routes to multicellularity, in which unrelated unicellular organisms evolve to become a multicellular organism. Inspired by microbial syntrophies and lichens, we outline three such routes from a system of different species to an interdependent relationship that replicates. We compare these routes to contemporary experimental systems and consider how physical structure, the threat of invasion, division of labour and co-transmission affect their evolution.
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There is a vast array of possible multicellular forms involving multiple species.
“We note that this definition does not explicitly require groups to be formed of the same species, and indeed, there is a vast array of possible multicellular forms involving multiple species [190–192].”
From Fundamental constraints to the logic of living systems (2024) · cites this paper as [191]
Cites
Asgard archaea illuminate the origin of eukaryotic cellular complexity
Zaremba-Niedzwiedzka, K., Caceres, E. F., Saw, J. H., Bäckström, D., Juzokaite, L., Vancaester, E., Seitz, K. W., Anantharaman, K., Starnawski, P., Kjeldsen, K. U., et al. (2017) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature21031 · Cited by 1,226 · see citing works
The Capsaspora genome reveals a complex unicellular prehistory of animals
Suga, H., Chen, Z., de Mendoza, A., Sebé-Pedrós, A., Brown, M. W., Kramer, E., Carr, M., Kerner, P., Vervoort, M., Sánchez-Pons, N., et al. (2013) · Nature Communications · doi:10.1038/ncomms3325 · Cited by 317 · see citing works
Evolutionary construction by staying together and coming together
Tarnita, C. E., Taubes, C. H., & Nowak, M. A. (2013) · Journal of Theoretical Biology · doi:10.1016/j.jtbi.2012.11.022 · Cited by 119 · cited 2× · see citing works
“As in the experimental approaches, theoretical models typically focus on simple replicating groups of cells (Roze & Michod 2001; Gavrilets 2010; Libby & Rainey 2013a; Tarnita et al. 2013) and consider the various ways they can originate, persist, or evolve.”
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Fundamental constraints to the logic of living systems
Solé, R., Kempes, C. P., Corominas-Murtra, B., De Domenico, M., Kolchinsky, A., Lachmann, M., Libby, E., Saavedra, S., Smith, E., & Wolpert, D. (2024) · Interface Focus · doi:10.1098/rsfs.2024.0010 · Cited by 34 · see citing works
Self-citation
- Authors
- Libby, E., & Ratcliff, W. C.
- Affiliations
- Umeå University (SE)
- Georgia Institute of Technology (US)
- Corresponding author
- Libby, Eric
- Venue
- The Lichenologist
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Published
- 2021-07
- Volume
- 53
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 283-290
- ISSN
- 0024-2829 (ISSN-L)
- 1096-1135
- OpenAlex
- W3190638530
- Cited by
- 13
- References
- 3
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 2
- FWCI
- 1.13
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Locations
- The Lichenologist (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- KTH Publication Database DiVA (KTH Royal Institute of Technology) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Evolution and Genetic Dynamics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Evolutionary Game Theory and Cooperation
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Protist diversity and phylogeny
- Keywords
- evolution of multicellularity, lichens, microbial syntrophy, interdependence, directed evolution, division of labor, invasion threat, co-transmission, physical structure
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