Open AccessBiophysical principles of choanoflagellate self-organization
Author(s) -
Ben T. Larson,
Teresa Ruiz-Herrero,
Stacey Lee,
Sanjay Kumar,
L. Mahadevan,
Nicole King
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.1909447117
Subject(s) - multicellular organism , rosette (schizont appearance) , morphogenesis , biology , extracellular matrix , microbiology and biotechnology , evolutionary biology , cell , genetics , gene , immunology
Significance Comparisons among animals and their closest living relatives, the choanoflagellates, have begun to shed light on the origin of animal multicellularity and development. Here, we complement previous genetic perspectives on this process by focusing on the biophysical principles underlying choanoflagellate colony morphology and morphogenesis. Our study reveals the crucial role of the extracellular matrix in shaping the colonies and leads to a phase diagram that delineates the range of morphologies as a function of the biophysical mechanisms at play.