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Evolution

Gene regulation in transition

Nature volume 534, pages 482–483 (2016)Cite this article

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An in-depth analysis of a close relative of animals, Capsaspora owczarzaki, provides clues to the changes in gene regulation that occurred during the transition to multicellularity.

The origin of all animals, from humans to sponges and comb jellies, can be traced back to a major event in evolutionary history: the transition to multicellularity. This transition was no doubt shaped by environmental changes — such as rising oxygen levels — and the evolution of cells that could engulf other, smaller cells1. However, to fully understand what drove this seminal event, we must look to the genome. Writing in Cell, Sebé-Pedrós et al.2 report an investigation of gene regulation in a microscopic cousin of animals, Capsaspora owczarzaki. The study indicates that Capsaspora represents a transitional state in the evolution of gene-regulatory mechanisms, and provides a foundation for investigating how such mechanisms might have contributed to animal origins.

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Figure 1: Evolution of gene-regulatory mechanisms.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. David S. Booth and Nicole King are at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720-3200, USA.,

    David S. Booth & Nicole King

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  1. David S. Booth
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  2. Nicole King
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Correspondence to David S. Booth or Nicole King.

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Booth, D., King, N. Gene regulation in transition. Nature 534, 482–483 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature18447

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