ERC Advanced Grant · 2016
Evolution of multicellularity and somatic cell specialization
The evolution of multicellularity allowed specialization of cells into functions that support rather than cause propagation. While yielding immense gain of function, the organisation of these somatic cells into tissues and organs required novel cell-cell signalling systems. We seek to identify the genetic changes that caused transitions to multicellularity and enabled cell specialization. We use genetically tractable Dictyostelia with multicellular structures that contain from 1 to 5 cell-types to address these fundamental questions. Dictyostelia evolved from unicellular Amoebozoa and are subdivided into 4 major groups, with most novel cell-types appearing in group 4. We found that gene…
From the public funding record at EU CORDIS. Describes the funded project, not the reviews below.