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The importance of cancer cells for animal evolutionary ecology

Nature Ecology & Evolution volume 1, pages 1592–1595 (2017)Cite this article

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Reciprocal interactions between hosts, their symbionts and their oncobiota (cancer cell communities) are yet to be studied in detail. Considering malignant cells in addition to the holobiont perspective allows greater understanding of the processes governing both host phenotypes and cancer dynamics.

It is now widely established that multicellular organisms are not autonomous entities, but rather ‘holobionts’ composed of the host plus all of its commensal and mutualistic microorganisms, as well as a diversity of parasite taxa (viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoans and metazoans)1. Extensive research has demonstrated the considerable importance of parasites in influencing the phenotype of their hosts2. These studies have also demonstrated that the eco-evolutionary dynamics of animals (hosts) and symbionts (encompassing all types of symbioses) are inextricably linked with reciprocal interactions3. For instance, almost every aspect of an animal’s behaviour — be it when feeding, breeding, or interacting with conspecifics — potentially contributes to increasing or decreasing the individual’s probability of exposure to infection as well as altering the consequences of being infected4. In turn, behaviour may be affected by infection, and indeed parasite-induced changes in host phenotype (for example, activity, morphology, behaviour) are well documented for a wide range of host and parasite interactions2. In many of the best-known examples, these changes appear advantageous for the parasites’ transmission and/or survival, or conversely are host adaptations aimed at eliminating the infection or reducing its cost.

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Acknowledgements

We thank R. Poulin for relevant comments on an earlier version of this paper. This work was supported by the ANR (Blanc project EVOCAN) by the CNRS (INEE), by the Montpellier Hérault Sport Club, by an International Associated Laboratory Project France/Australia and A. Hoffmann (MAVA Fondation). This article is dedicated to the memory of our friend and colleague, Janice Britton-Davidian.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre de Recherches Ecologiques et Evolutives sur le Cancer/Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle. Unité Mixte de Recherche 5290 (Centre national de la recherche scientifique, Institut de recherche pour le développement, Université de Montpellier), 911 Avenue Agropolis, BP 64501, Montpellier, Cedex 5, 34394, France

    Frédéric Thomas, Camille Jacqueline, Tazzio Tissot, Morgane Henard & François Renaud

  2. Station d’Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale, Unité Mixte de Recherche 5321 (Centre national de la recherche scientifique – Université Paul Sabatier), 2 route du CNRS, 09200, Moulis, France

    Simon Blanchet

  3. Laboratoire Evolution et Diversité Biologique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 5174 (Centre national de la recherche scientifique – Université Paul Sabatier), 118 route de Narbonne, F-31062, Toulouse, Cedex 4, France

    Géraldine Loot

  4. Laboratoire Evolution, Génomes et Speciation, Unité Propre de Recherche 9034, Centre national de la recherche scientifique, 91198, Gif-sur-Yvette, France

    Erika Dawson & Frédéric Mery

  5. Instiute for Integrative of the Cell, UMR 9198, CNRS, Universite Paris-Saclay, CEA, 91198, Gif-sur-Yvette, France

    Jacques Montagne

  6. Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Victoria, 3216, Australia

    Christa Beckmann, Peter A. Biro, Rodrigo Hamede & Beata Ujvari

  7. Centre for Behavioural and Physiological Ecology, Zoology School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, 2351, Australia

    Christa Beckmann

  8. School of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 55, Hobart, Tasmania, 7001, Australia

    Rodrigo Hamede & Beata Ujvari

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  1. Frédéric Thomas
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Correspondence to Frédéric Thomas.

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Thomas, F., Jacqueline, C., Tissot, T. et al. The importance of cancer cells for animal evolutionary ecology. Nat Ecol Evol 1, 1592–1595 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-017-0343-z

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