An important change in our ancestor’s DNA occurred millions
of years ago. Life consisted of unicellular organisms a long time ago, and
million cells arose from the fusion of two, ten and many cells. As a result,
different types of cells led to the rise of organisms, which laid the path for
the formation of tissues, organs and ultimately life. Researchers from the
Oregon university believed that a single mutation directed in the transition
from single-celled organisms to multi cellular organisms when they traced back
the steps of evolution through phylogenetic tree. During mitosis, two daughter
cells produced within the tissue are placed in proper orientation. Mitotic
spindles align daughter cells with protein markers on the cell wall. Cancer is the result of improper orientation
of spindles and malformed tissue. The origin of multi cellular life can be
pinpointed if researchers would discover the ancient protein structures that
has the ability to position spindles.
Choanoflagellates are the closest unicellular relatives to
animals and because they are unicellular, they organize into colony to feed on
food. Multiple cells perform a single task as how the organs function. As a
result, the need for the genetic change emerged along the way that allow single
cells to identify each other and come together. Researchers need to do
molecular time travelling to trace this watershed moment. Ancestral protein
reconstruction technique combines gene sequencing with computer algorithms to
duke into millions of years in the past. Researchers were able to distinguish
when mutations took place in more than 40 organisms by working through a chain.
The technique allowed them to create cells with the same DNA. They identified a
single mutation that changed the way certain proteins function with the help of
resurrected cells.
The altered proteins(enzymes) became an interaction domain
which can communicate and link to other proteins. This crucial protein today is
present in all animal genomes and is put to work when a cell divides every
time. This mutation is a small change that intensely changed the protein’s
function, thus allowing it to do an entirely different task. According to Ken
Prehoda, “animals really like these proteins because there are now over 70 of
them inside of us.” The findings of team could lead to innovative insights
about cancer and additional diseases. Cancer cells, lone wolves, misbehave and
stop to communicate with body cells. By considering how cells communicate could
help us understand why they stop. A small change can sometimes have huge
consequences.
I think that this discovery of how a single mutation which altered protein function in unicellular organisms resulted in the rise of multi-cellular organisms is wonderful. Hopefully, it can lead to a better understanding of cancer and finding a cure.
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