Cel All living animals are descended from a single-celled ancestor. Understanding how this ancestor became the first multicellular animal remains a major challenge in the field of evolutionary biology. Phylogenomic analyses have shown that animals are closely related to three unicellular lineages: choanoflagellates, filastereans and ichthyosporeans, altogether forming the Holozoa clade. Genetic and phenotypic studies have shown that the filasterean Capsaspora owczarzaki can under specific growth conditions form transient multicellular aggregates. However, why is this multicellularity only transient? What are the genetic and phenotypic requirements for its emergence and stabilization? And what is the role of the actin cytoskeleton in this transition? Indeed the actin cytoskeleton is known for its pivotal role for cell coordination and morphology, which must play a role in evolution of multicellularity. To address these questions, we will use the C. owczarzaki as a model organism. We will combine cell biology, genomics and experimental evolution to unravel multicellularity emergence and stabilization. Specifically, we will aim to obtain evolved mutants showing excessive and more stable multicellular behaviour of C. owczarzaki using long-term experimental evolution. Such evolved strains would unravel how multicellularity emerged and stabilized. In addition, using random mutagenesis screen, we aim to identify mutants unable to form multicellular aggregates. Such mutants would reveal the minimum genetic requirements for such a transition. Finally, we will take advantage of recently developed genetic tools in C. owczarzaki to study the actin cytoskeleton during the cell cycle. Our results could reveal how the first multicellular ancestor of animals appeared from a genetic and cellular perspective, and, how cell fate specification was established during evolution. Results generated on this fellowship will be relevant to evolutionary, cell and developmental biologists. Dziedzina nauki natural sciencesbiological sciencesgeneticsnatural sciencesbiological sciencesevolutionary biologynatural sciencesbiological sciencescell biology Słowa kluczowe Multicellularity emergence Metazoa Actin organization Experimental evolution Program(-y) H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Main Programme H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility Temat(-y) MSCA-IF-2016 - Individual Fellowships Zaproszenie do składania wniosków H2020-MSCA-IF-2016 Zobacz inne projekty w ramach tego zaproszenia System finansowania MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF) Koordynator AGENCIA ESTATAL CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICAS Wkład UE netto € 158 121,60 Adres CALLE SERRANO 117 28006 Madrid Hiszpania Zobacz na mapie Region Comunidad de Madrid Comunidad de Madrid Madrid Rodzaj działalności Research Organisations Linki Kontakt z organizacją Opens in new window Strona internetowa Opens in new window Uczestnictwo w unijnych programach w zakresie badań i innowacji Opens in new window sieć współpracy HORIZON Opens in new window Koszt całkowity € 158 121,60
