Integrin-Mediated Adhesion in the Unicellular Holozoan Capsaspora owczarzaki.

In animals, cell-matrix adhesions are essential for cell migration, tissue organization, and differentiation, which have central roles in embryonic development [1-6]. Integrins are the major cell surface adhesion receptors mediating cell-matrix adhesion in animals. They are heterodimeric transmembrane proteins that bind extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules on one side and connect to the actin cytoskeleton on the other [7].

Transfection of , a close unicellular relative of animals.

How animals emerged from their unicellular ancestor remains a major evolutionary question. New genome data from the closest unicellular relatives of animals have provided important insights into the evolution of animal multicellularity. We know that the unicellular ancestor of animals had an unexpectedly complex genetic repertoire, including many genes that are key to animal development and multicellularity.

The Dynamic Regulatory Genome of Capsaspora and the Origin of Animal Multicellularity.

The unicellular ancestor of animals had a complex repertoire of genes linked to multicellular processes. This suggests that changes in the regulatory genome, rather than in gene innovation, were key to the origin of animals. Here, we carry out multiple functional genomic assays in Capsaspora owczarzaki, the unicellular relative of animals with the largest known gene repertoire for transcriptional regulation.

Comparative epigenomics in distantly related teleost species identifies conserved cis-regulatory nodes active during the vertebrate phylotypic period.

The complex relationship between ontogeny and phylogeny has been the subject of attention and controversy since von Baer's formulations in the 19th century. The classic concept that embryogenesis progresses from clade general features to species-specific characters has often been revisited. It has become accepted that embryos from a clade show maximum morphological similarity at the so-called phylotypic period (i.

Regulated aggregative multicellularity in a close unicellular relative of metazoa.

The evolution of metazoans from their unicellular ancestors was one of the most important events in the history of life. However, the cellular and genetic changes that ultimately led to the evolution of multicellularity are not known. In this study, we describe an aggregative multicellular stage in the protist Capsaspora owczarzaki, a close unicellular relative of metazoans.