Why isn’t each cell its own cell type? Diminishing returns of increasing cell type diversity can explain cell type allometry
Since the discovery of cells by Robert Hooke and Antoni van Leeuwenhoek in the 17th century, thousands of different cell types have been identified, most recently by sequencing-based single-cell profiling techniques. Yet, for many organisms we still do not know, how many different cell types they ar...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-10-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcell.2022.971721/full |
| _version_ | 1797996796057747456 |
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| author | Stefan Semrau |
| author_facet | Stefan Semrau |
| author_sort | Stefan Semrau |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Since the discovery of cells by Robert Hooke and Antoni van Leeuwenhoek in the 17th century, thousands of different cell types have been identified, most recently by sequencing-based single-cell profiling techniques. Yet, for many organisms we still do not know, how many different cell types they are precisely composed of. A recent survey of experimental data, using mostly morphology as a proxy for cell type, revealed allometric scaling of cell type diversity with organism size. Here, I argue from an evolutionary fitness perspective and suggest that three simple assumptions can explain the observed scaling: Evolving a new cell type has, 1. a fitness cost that increases with organism size, 2. a fitness benefit that also increases with organism size but 3. diminishes exponentially with the number of existing cell types. I will show that these assumptions result in a quantitative model that fits the observed cell type numbers across organisms of all size and explains why we should not expect isometric scaling. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T10:21:53Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-bfe56695ef5c4d5ab8ecc12f042f355b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-634X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T10:21:53Z |
| publishDate | 2022-10-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology |
| spelling | doaj.art-bfe56695ef5c4d5ab8ecc12f042f355b2022-12-22T04:29:43ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology2296-634X2022-10-011010.3389/fcell.2022.971721971721Why isn’t each cell its own cell type? Diminishing returns of increasing cell type diversity can explain cell type allometryStefan SemrauSince the discovery of cells by Robert Hooke and Antoni van Leeuwenhoek in the 17th century, thousands of different cell types have been identified, most recently by sequencing-based single-cell profiling techniques. Yet, for many organisms we still do not know, how many different cell types they are precisely composed of. A recent survey of experimental data, using mostly morphology as a proxy for cell type, revealed allometric scaling of cell type diversity with organism size. Here, I argue from an evolutionary fitness perspective and suggest that three simple assumptions can explain the observed scaling: Evolving a new cell type has, 1. a fitness cost that increases with organism size, 2. a fitness benefit that also increases with organism size but 3. diminishes exponentially with the number of existing cell types. I will show that these assumptions result in a quantitative model that fits the observed cell type numbers across organisms of all size and explains why we should not expect isometric scaling.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcell.2022.971721/fullsingle-cell omicscell typeallometrypower lawevolutionary fitness |
| spellingShingle | Stefan Semrau Why isn’t each cell its own cell type? Diminishing returns of increasing cell type diversity can explain cell type allometry Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology single-cell omics cell type allometry power law evolutionary fitness |
| title | Why isn’t each cell its own cell type? Diminishing returns of increasing cell type diversity can explain cell type allometry |
| title_full | Why isn’t each cell its own cell type? Diminishing returns of increasing cell type diversity can explain cell type allometry |
| title_fullStr | Why isn’t each cell its own cell type? Diminishing returns of increasing cell type diversity can explain cell type allometry |
| title_full_unstemmed | Why isn’t each cell its own cell type? Diminishing returns of increasing cell type diversity can explain cell type allometry |
| title_short | Why isn’t each cell its own cell type? Diminishing returns of increasing cell type diversity can explain cell type allometry |
| title_sort | why isn t each cell its own cell type diminishing returns of increasing cell type diversity can explain cell type allometry |
| topic | single-cell omics cell type allometry power law evolutionary fitness |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcell.2022.971721/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT stefansemrau whyisnteachcellitsowncelltypediminishingreturnsofincreasingcelltypediversitycanexplaincelltypeallometry |