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Genome sequencing of the multicellular alga Astrephomene provides insights into convergent evolution of germ-soma differentiation

ABSTRACT: Germ-soma differentiation evolved independently in many eukaryotic lineages and contributed to complex multicellular organizations. However, the molecular genetic bases of such convergent evolution remain unresolved. Two multicellular volvocine green algae, Volvox and Astrephomene, exhibit convergent evolution of germ-soma differentiation. The complete genome sequence is now available for Volvox, while genome information is scarce for Astrephomene. Here, we generated the de novo whole genome sequence of Astrephomene gubernaculifera and conducted RNA-seq analysis of isolated somatic and reproductive cells. In Volvox, tandem duplication and neofunctionalization of the ancestral transcription factor gene (RLS1/rlsD) might have led to the evolution of regA, the master regulator for Volvox germ-soma differentiation. However, our genome data demonstrated that Astrephomene has not undergone tandem duplication of the RLS1/rlsD homolog or acquisition of a regA-like gene. Our RNA-seq analysis revealed the downregulation of photosynthetic and anabolic gene expression in Astrephomene somatic cells, as in Volvox. Among genes with high expression in somatic cells of Astrephomene, we identified three genes encoding putative transcription factors, which may regulate somatic cell differentiation. Thus, the convergent evolution of germ-soma differentiation in the volvocine algae may have occurred by the acquisition of different regulatory circuits that generate a similar division of labor.

SUBMITTER: Yamashita S

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8608804 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:Germ-soma differentiation is a hallmark of complex multicellular organisms, yet its origins are not well understood. Volvox carteri is a simple multicellular green alga that has recently evolved a simple germ-soma dichotomy with only two cell-types: large germ cells called gonidia and small terminally differentiated somatic cells. Here, we provide a comprehensive characterization of the gonidial and somatic transcriptomes of V. carteri to uncover fundamental differences between the molecular and metabolic programming of these cell-types. We found extensive transcriptome differentiation between cell-types, with somatic cells expressing a more specialized program overrepresented in younger, lineage-specific genes, and gonidial cells expressing a more generalist program overrepresented in more ancient genes that shared striking overlap with stem cell-specific genes from animals and land plants. Directed analyses of different pathways revealed a strong dichotomy between cell-types with gonidial cells expressing growth-related genes and somatic cells expressing an altruistic metabolic program geared toward the assembly of flagella, which support organismal motility, and the conversion of storage carbon to sugars, which act as donors for production of extracellular matrix (ECM) glycoproteins whose secretion enables massive organismal expansion. V. carteri orthologs of diurnally controlled genes from C. reinhardtii, a single-celled relative, were analyzed for cell-type distribution and found to be strongly partitioned, with expression of dark-phase genes overrepresented in somatic cells and light-phase genes overrepresented in gonidial cells- a result that is consistent with cell-type programs in V. carteri arising by cooption of temporal regulons in a unicellular ancestor. Together, our findings reveal fundamental molecular, metabolic, and evolutionary mechanisms that underlie the origins of germ-soma differentiation in V. carteri and provide a template for understanding the acquisition of germ-soma differentiation in other multicellular lineages.

Project description:Germ-soma differentiation is a hallmark of complex multicellular organisms, yet its origins are not well understood. Volvox carteri is a simple multicellular green alga that has recently evolved a simple germ-soma dichotomy with only two cell types: large germ cells called gonidia and small terminally differentiated somatic cells. Here, we provide a comprehensive characterization of the gonidial and somatic transcriptomes of Volvox to uncover fundamental differences between the molecular and metabolic programming of these cell types. We found extensive transcriptome differentiation between cell types, with somatic cells expressing a more specialized program overrepresented in younger, lineage-specific genes and gonidial cells expressing a more generalist program overrepresented in more ancient genes that shared striking overlap with metazoan stem-cell-specific genes. Directed analyses of metabolic pathways revealed a strong dichotomy between cell types with gonidial cells expressing growth-related genes and somatic cells expressing an altruistic metabolic program geared towards the assembly of flagella, which support organismal motility, and the conversion of storage carbon to sugars, which act as donors of extracellular matrix glycoproteins whose secretion enables massive organismal expansion. Volvox orthologs of Chlamydomonas diurnally regulated genes were analyzed for cell-type distribution and found to be strongly partitioned, with expression of dark-phase genes overrepresented in somatic cells and light-phase genes overrepresented in gonidial cells, a result that is consistent with cell type programs in Volvox arising by cooption of temporal regulons in a unicellular ancestor. Together our findings reveal fundamental molecular, metabolic, and evolutionary mechanisms that underlie the origins of germ-soma differentiation in Volvox and provide a template for understanding the acquisition of germ-soma differentiation in other multicellular lineages.

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Genome sequencing of the multicellular alga Astrephomene provides insights into convergent evolution of germ-soma differentiation

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