Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Eukaryotic Evolution01:24

Eukaryotic Evolution

31.4K
The endosymbiont theory is the most widely accepted theory of eukaryotic evolution; however, its progression is still somewhat debated. According to the nucleus-first hypothesis, the ancestral prokaryote first evolved a membrane to enclose DNA and form the nucleus. Conversely, the mitochondria-first hypothesis suggests that the nucleus was formed after endosymbiosis of mitochondria.
Contrary to the endosymbiont theory, the eukaryote-first hypothesis proposes that the simpler prokaryotic and...
31.4K
Convergent Evolution01:54

Convergent Evolution

27.4K
Evolution shapes the features of organisms over time, ensuring that they are suited for the environments in which they live. Sometimes, selection pressure leads to the rise of similar but unrelated adaptations in organisms with no recent common ancestors, a process known as convergent evolution.
27.4K
Protein Complexes with Interchangeable Parts01:57

Protein Complexes with Interchangeable Parts

2.5K
Groups of proteins may form a complex where each protein in this complex has a different role in the overall execution of the complex’s function. Often some of the proteins in the complex can be replaced by a closely related variant to give a complex that contains many of the same components yet is functionally distinct.
The SCF ubiquitin ligase is a protein complex of five individual proteins. This complex attaches ubiquitin to other target proteins to mark them for degradation. In order...
2.5K
Synteny and Evolution02:31

Synteny and Evolution

3.2K
John H. Renwick first coined the term “synteny” in 1971, which refers to the genes present on the same chromosomes, even if they are not genetically linked. The species with common ancestry tend to show conserved syntenic regions. Therefore, the concept of synteny is nowadays used to describe the evolutionary relationship between species.
Around 80 million years ago, the human and mice lineages diverged from the common ancestor. During the course of evolution, the ancestral...
3.2K
Animal and Plant Cell Structure01:30

Animal and Plant Cell Structure

28.7K
Animal and plant cells not only differ in their structure, function, and mode of nutrition but also in how they reproduce, specialize, and organize into complex structures.
Cell Division
Though both plant and animal cells divide by mitosis (for non-gametic cells) and meiosis (for gametic cells), they differ in the specifics of this process. Unlike animal cells, plant cells lack centrosomes — an organelle responsible for organizing the spindle fibers and segregating the chromosomes during...
28.7K
Yeast Signaling01:28

Yeast Signaling

14.3K
Yeasts are single-celled organisms, but unlike bacteria, they are eukaryotes (cells with a nucleus). Cell signaling in yeast is similar to signaling in other eukaryotic cells. A ligand, such as a protein or a small molecule released from a yeast cell, attaches to a receptor on the cell surface. The binding stimulates second-messenger kinases to activate or inactivate transcription factors that further regulate gene expression. Many of the yeast intracellular signaling cascades have similar...
14.3K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Transcription factors SP5 and SP8 drive primary cilia formation in mammalian embryos.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2025
Same author

EpitopeTransfer: a Phylogeny-aware Transfer Learning Framework for Taxon-specific Linear B-cell Epitope Prediction.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025
Same author

Sp Transcription Factors Establish the Signaling Environment in the Neuromesodermal Progenitor Niche During Axial Elongation.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025
Same author

Geographic Distribution of Vaccinia Virus, Diagnosis and Demographic Aspects of Affected Populations, Minas Gerais, Brazil, 2000-2023.

Viruses·2025
Same author

Phylogeny-aware linear B-cell epitope predictor detects targets associated with immune response to orthopoxviruses.

Briefings in bioinformatics·2024
Same author

The rise of taxon-specific epitope predictors.

Briefings in bioinformatics·2024

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 30, 2025

The MultiBac Protein Complex Production Platform at the EMBL
13:51

The MultiBac Protein Complex Production Platform at the EMBL

Published on: July 11, 2013

15.9K

Molecular and Functional Convergences Associated with Complex Multicellularity in Eukarya.

Francisco Pereira Lobo1, Dalbert Macedo Benjamim1, Thieres Tayroni Martins da Silva1

  • 1Laboratório de Algoritmos em Biologia, Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

Molecular Biology and Evolution
|January 29, 2025
PubMed
Summary

Complex multicellularity evolved independently in eukaryotes. Gene family expansions in areas like cell adhesion and communication reveal convergent evolution driven by shared lifestyle pressures.

Keywords:
comparative genomicsevolution of complex multicellularitygenotype–phenotype associationhomologymolecular functional convergence

More Related Videos

Ordering Single Cells and Single Embryos in 3D Confinement: A New Device for High Content Screening
14:22

Ordering Single Cells and Single Embryos in 3D Confinement: A New Device for High Content Screening

Published on: September 18, 2016

8.5K
The Power of Simplicity: Sea Urchin Embryos as in Vivo Developmental Models for Studying Complex Cell-to-cell Signaling Network Interactions
07:34

The Power of Simplicity: Sea Urchin Embryos as in Vivo Developmental Models for Studying Complex Cell-to-cell Signaling Network Interactions

Published on: February 16, 2017

7.8K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 30, 2025

The MultiBac Protein Complex Production Platform at the EMBL
13:51

The MultiBac Protein Complex Production Platform at the EMBL

Published on: July 11, 2013

15.9K
Ordering Single Cells and Single Embryos in 3D Confinement: A New Device for High Content Screening
14:22

Ordering Single Cells and Single Embryos in 3D Confinement: A New Device for High Content Screening

Published on: September 18, 2016

8.5K
The Power of Simplicity: Sea Urchin Embryos as in Vivo Developmental Models for Studying Complex Cell-to-cell Signaling Network Interactions
07:34

The Power of Simplicity: Sea Urchin Embryos as in Vivo Developmental Models for Studying Complex Cell-to-cell Signaling Network Interactions

Published on: February 16, 2017

7.8K

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Genomics
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Complex multicellularity evolved independently multiple times in eukaryotes, including animals, plants, and fungi.
  • This transition involves exaptation of cell adhesion genes, development of cell communication, and expansion of transcription factor families.
  • The number of cell types is a proxy for biological complexity, but the genomic underpinnings of independent evolution remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the genomic components associated with the independent evolution of complex multicellularity across diverse eukaryotic lineages.
  • To identify conserved and novel molecular and functional convergences linked to increased cell type diversity.

Main Methods:

  • A phylogeny-aware strategy was used to analyze genomic data from 81 diverse eukaryotic species, including all complex multicellular lineages.
  • Annotation schemas focused on homology (conserved sequences) and function (Gene Ontology terms) were employed.
  • Associations between the number of cell types and the abundance of genomic components were systematically searched.

Main Results:

  • Multiple gene families related to extracellular matrix, cell-cell communication, and developmental pathways showed independent expansions in different complex multicellular lineages.
  • Novel associations were found between biological complexity and genes involved in wound response, immunity, cell migration, regulation, and response to natural rhythms.
  • These findings highlight functional and molecular convergences that likely arose from common selective pressures.

Conclusions:

  • Independent evolution of complex multicellularity is characterized by convergent expansions of specific gene families across disparate lineages.
  • Genomic analysis reveals shared molecular strategies and functional themes underlying the development of biological complexity in eukaryotes.
  • These convergences suggest that common environmental or lifestyle pressures shape the evolution of multicellularity.