Evolution of altruistic cooperation among nascent multicellular organisms.

ABSTRACT: Cooperation is a classic solution to hostile environments that limit individual survival. In extreme cases this may lead to the evolution of new types of biological individuals (e.g., eusocial super-organisms). We examined the potential for interindividual cooperation to evolve via experimental evolution, challenging nascent multicellular "snowflake yeast" with an environment in which solitary multicellular clusters experienced low survival. In response, snowflake yeast evolved to form cooperative groups composed of thousands of multicellular clusters that typically survive selection. Group formation occurred through the creation of protein aggregates, only arising in strains with high (>2%) rates of cell death. Nonetheless, it was adaptive and repeatable, although ultimately evolutionaril

SUBMITTER: Gulli JG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6685537 | biostudies-literature | 2019 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature