Risk and the Evolution of Cell-Cycle Durations of Embryos

Strathmann, Richard R.; Staver, Jennifer M.; Hoffman, Jennifer R.

doi:10.1554/0014-3820(2002)056[0708:rateoc]2.0.co;2

Cited by 18 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 87 publications

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“…The importance of maternal transcripts appears to vary with development time and degree of parental care or protection in metazoans. Reliance on maternal mRNA rather than embryonic transcription may therefore reflect selection for speedy development (Strathmann et al 2002). Buss (1983aBuss ( ,b, 1987 also argued that sequestration of a germ line is a defense against the origination and proliferation of defector cell lineages and their transmission across generations.…”

Section: Programmed Cell Death and Apoptosismentioning

confidence: 99%

The Evolution of Multicellularity: A Minor Major Transition?

Grosberg

Strathmann

2007

Annu. Rev. Ecol. Evol. Syst.

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625

677

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Benefits of increased size and functional specialization of cells have repeatedly promoted the evolution of multicellular organisms from unicellular ancestors. Many requirements for multicellular organization (cell adhesion, cell-cell communication and coordination, programmed cell death) likely evolved in ancestral unicellular organisms. However, the evolution of multicellular organisms from unicellular ancestors may be opposed by genetic conflicts that arise when mutant cell lineages promote their own increase at the expense of the integrity of the multicellular organism. Numerous defenses limit such genetic conflicts, perhaps the most important being development from a unicell, which minimizes conflicts from selection among cell lineages, and redistributes genetic variation arising within multicellular individuals between individuals. With a unicellular bottleneck, defecting cell lineages rarely succeed beyond the life span of the multicellular individual. When multicellularity arises through aggregation of scattered cells or when multicellular organisms fuse to form genetic chimeras, there are more opportunities for propagation of defector cell lineages. Intraorganismal competition may partly explain why multicellular organisms that develop by aggregation generally exhibit less differentiation than organisms that develop clonally.

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Section: Programmed Cell Death and Apoptosismentioning

confidence: 99%

The Evolution of Multicellularity: A Minor Major Transition?

Grosberg

Strathmann

2007

Annu. Rev. Ecol. Evol. Syst.

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625

677

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“…Early embryogenesis often proceeds without zygotic transcription, using stored maternal gene products . Maternal control of embryonic cleavage has been interpreted as an adaptation for rapid development to minimise predation of immobile yolk‐filled embryos . In this view, oocytes transcribe RNAs and translate proteins in the safety of the ovary, and store them for later use, rather than have these time‐consuming processes occur in the vulnerable embryo.…”

Section: Maternal Control Of Early Development Restricts Embryonic Trmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transposable elements: Self‐seekers of the germline, team‐players of the soma

Haig

2016

BioEssays

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The germ track is the cellular path by which genes are transmitted to future generations whereas somatic cells die with their body and do not leave direct descendants. Transposable elements (TEs) evolve to be silent in somatic cells but active in the germ track. Thus, the performance of most bodily functions by a sequestered soma reduces organismal costs of TEs. Flexible forms of gene regulation are permissible in the soma because of the self-imposed silence of TEs, but strict licensing of transcription and translation is maintained in the germ track to control proliferation of TEs. Delayed zygotic genome activation (ZGA) and maternally inherited germ granules are adaptations that enhance germ-track security. Mammalian embryos exhibit very early ZGA associated with extensive mobilization of retroelements. This window of vulnerability to retrotransposition in early embryos is an indirect consequence of evolutionary conflicts within the mammalian genome over postzygotic maternal provisioning.

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“…A strategy used by many embryos is to have a highly accelerated developmental program through a rapid cleavage to abbreviate the period when the non motile embryo is susceptible to stresses so that a motile and/or feeding larvae is produced in as short a time as possible [26]. However, if cells encounter stresses that could damage their DNA or proteins, the common response is the induction of stress response mechanisms, including activation of: heat shock proteins (HSPs), reversing protein damage, metallothioneins, sequestering toxic metals, checkpoints, to repair damaged DNA, and apoptosis to remove irreparably damaged cells [27][28][29].…”

Section: Apoptosis Induced By Chemical and Physical Agentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Apoptosis: focus on sea urchin development

Agnello

Roccheri

2009

Apoptosis

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It has been proposed that the apoptosis is an essential requirement for the evolution of all animals, in fact the apoptotic program is highly conserved from nematodes to mammals. Throughout development, apoptosis is employed by multicellular organisms to eliminate damaged or unnecessary cells. Here, we will discuss both developmental programmed cell death (PCD) under normal conditions and stress induced apoptosis, in sea urchin embryos. Sea urchin represent an excellent model system for studying embryogenesis and cellular processes involved in metamorphosis. PCD plays an essential role in sculpting and remodelling the embryos and larvae undergoing metamorphosis. Moreover, this marine organism directly interacts with its environment, and is susceptible to effects of several aquatic contaminants. Apoptosis can be adopted as a defence mechanism against any environmental chemical, physical and mechanical stress, for removing irreversibly damaged cells. This review, while not comprehensive in its reporting, aims to provide an overview of current knowledge on mechanisms to regulate physiological and the induced apoptotic program in sea urchin embryos.

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Risk and the Evolution of Cell-Cycle Durations of Embryos

Cited by 18 publications

References 87 publications

The Evolution of Multicellularity: A Minor Major Transition?

The Evolution of Multicellularity: A Minor Major Transition?

Transposable elements: Self‐seekers of the germline, team‐players of the soma

Apoptosis: focus on sea urchin development

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