Multicellular development, evolution

In this section, two models of development were presented, a complex model consisting of a multioperon genome and a cytoplasm, and a simple model based on random Boolean networks. The simpler model was explained in more detail, as it is the basis for the extended example described here. This model utilizes both development and evolution to get to a cell that can develop into a multicellular organism able to seek a chemical trace. 

The significance of exon shuffling to protein evolution, in particular in respect to the development of multicellularity, is signified by a short inventory of processes involving proteins created by modular assembly. Exon shuffling facilitates the construction of proteins involved in regulation of blood coagulation, fibrinolysis, and complement activation, plus most constituents of the extracellular matrix, cell adhesion proteins, and receptor proteins [10, 57]. 

Other proteins crucial to signal-transduction pathways arose much later. For example, the eukaryotic protein kinases are one of the largest protein families in all eukaryotes and yet appear to be absent in prokaryotes. The evolution of the eukaryotic protein kinase domain appears to have been an important biochemical step in the appearance of eukaryotes and the subsequent development of multicellular organisms. 

While all cells retain the basic features of sulfur metabolism, cell type-specific differences in their dynamic activity can be observed, with important consequences for redox- and methylation-related activities. These differences reflect the evolution of multicellular organisms, and the human brain, as a highly evolved organ, exhibits a unique pattern that supports its specialized function but also introduces higher vulnerability to oxidative stress. Understanding the unique pattern of sulfur metabolism in the human brain allows novel insights into autism and brain development. 

The evolution of primeval life forms into complex multicellular organisms required the concomitant development of effective intercellular communication systems for coordinating essential functions. In higher animals intercellular signaling occurs rapidly via the activation of electrochemical transmission through various neural networks or, more slowly, through the release of humoral substances into the circulation. By virtue of its regulatory actions on cellular processes, calcium ion functions... 

Kessin, R.H. Dictyostelium-. Evolution, Cell Biology, and the Development of Multicellularity. 2001. Cambridge, U.K., Cambridge University Press. 

Segawa Y, Suga H, Iwabe N, Oneyama C, Akagi T, Miyata T, Okada M 2006. Functional development of Src tyrosine kinases during evolution from a unicellular ancestor to multicellular animals. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 103(32) 12021-12026. 

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