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Updated: May 10, 2026

Visualizing Cytoplasmic Flow During Single-cell Wound Healing in Stentor coeruleus
Published on: December 19, 2013
Cooperatively generated stresslet flows supply fresh fluid to multicellular choanoflagellate colonies
Marcus Roper1, Mark J Dayel, Rachel E Pepper
1Department of Mathematics, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA. mroper@math.ucla.edu
Abstract:
The flagellated protozoan Salpingoeca rosetta is one of the closest relatives of multicellular animals. Unicellular S. rosetta can be induced to form multicellular colonies, but colonies swim more slowly than individual cells so the advantages conferred by colony formation are uncertain. Here we use theoretical models to show that hydrodynamic cooperation between cells can increase the fluid supply to the colony, an important predictor of feeding rate. Our results suggest that hydrodynamic benefits may have been an important selective factor in the evolution of early multicellular animals.
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