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Published on: October 31, 2013
Complex multicellularity is linked with expanded specialized metabolite production in microorganisms.
Rauf A Salamzade1,2,3, Lindsay R Kalan4,5,6,7, Cameron R Currie8,9,10
1Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA.
Nature Microbiology
|June 26, 2026
Summary
Multicellularity in microbes, like bacteria and fungi, drove major increases in specialized chemical production. This evolution of cooperation is key to understanding biological complexity and finding new medicines.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Biochemistry
- Microbiology
Background:
- Multicellularity is a major evolutionary transition enabling biological complexity.
- Microbial cooperative multicellularity allows for cellular differentiation.
- Specialized metabolites, including polyketides, non-ribosomal peptides, and terpenes, are vital compounds.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test the hypothesis that multicellularity facilitated expanded specialized metabolite production in bacteria and fungi.
- To explore the link between the evolution of multicellularity and microbial biosynthesis.
- To identify potential sources of novel chemical compounds.
Main Methods:
- Systematic investigation of biosynthetic potential across microbial taxa.
- Comparative analysis of gene content related to secondary metabolite production.
- Examination of carbohydrate-active enzymes in relation to metabolic pathways.
Main Results:
- Unicellular microbes show limited secondary metabolite production.
- Multicellular lineages (e.g., Actinomycetota, Cyanobacteriota, Myxococcota, Pezizomycotina, Agaricomycetes) exhibit significant expansions in biosynthetic capabilities.
- These expansions correlate with independent origins of multicellular development (e.g., mycelia, fruiting bodies).
- Multicellular lineages are enriched in carbohydrate-active enzymes, suggesting integration with catabolic processes.
Conclusions:
- The evolution of microbial multicellularity is strongly linked to massive increases in specialized metabolite diversity.
- Intraspecific cooperation in microbes drives the evolution of complex metabolic pathways.
- This research provides a framework for discovering novel chemical compounds, potentially for antimicrobial resistance applications.
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