Cell-in-cell phenomena across the tree of life
Abstract Cells in obligately multicellular organisms by definition have aligned fitness interests, minimum conflict, and cannot reproduce independently. However, some cells eat other cells within the same body, sometimes called cell cannibalism. Such cell-in-cell events have not been thoroughly disc...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2024-03-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-57528-7 |
| _version_ | 1797233568250855424 |
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| author | Stefania E. Kapsetaki Luis H. Cisneros Carlo C. Maley |
| author_facet | Stefania E. Kapsetaki Luis H. Cisneros Carlo C. Maley |
| author_sort | Stefania E. Kapsetaki |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Cells in obligately multicellular organisms by definition have aligned fitness interests, minimum conflict, and cannot reproduce independently. However, some cells eat other cells within the same body, sometimes called cell cannibalism. Such cell-in-cell events have not been thoroughly discussed in the framework of major transitions to multicellularity. We performed a systematic screening of 508 articles, from which we chose 115 relevant articles in a search for cell-in-cell events across the tree of life, the age of cell-in-cell-related genes, and whether cell-in-cell events are associated with normal multicellular development or cancer. Cell-in-cell events are found across the tree of life, from some unicellular to many multicellular organisms, including non-neoplastic and neoplastic tissue. Additionally, out of the 38 cell-in-cell-related genes found in the literature, 14 genes were over 2.2 billion years old, i.e., older than the common ancestor of some facultatively multicellular taxa. All of this suggests that cell-in-cell events may have originated before the origins of obligate multicellularity. Thus, our results show that cell-in-cell events exist in obligate multicellular organisms, but are not a defining feature of them. The idea of eradicating cell-in-cell events from obligate multicellular organisms as a way of treating cancer, without considering that cell-in-cell events are also part of normal development, should be abandoned. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T16:18:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fa588e944668439cbe9a5159b2428609 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T16:18:14Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-fa588e944668439cbe9a5159b24286092024-03-31T11:21:02ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222024-03-011411910.1038/s41598-024-57528-7Cell-in-cell phenomena across the tree of lifeStefania E. Kapsetaki0Luis H. Cisneros1Carlo C. Maley2Arizona Cancer Evolution Center, Arizona State UniversityArizona Cancer Evolution Center, Arizona State UniversityArizona Cancer Evolution Center, Arizona State UniversityAbstract Cells in obligately multicellular organisms by definition have aligned fitness interests, minimum conflict, and cannot reproduce independently. However, some cells eat other cells within the same body, sometimes called cell cannibalism. Such cell-in-cell events have not been thoroughly discussed in the framework of major transitions to multicellularity. We performed a systematic screening of 508 articles, from which we chose 115 relevant articles in a search for cell-in-cell events across the tree of life, the age of cell-in-cell-related genes, and whether cell-in-cell events are associated with normal multicellular development or cancer. Cell-in-cell events are found across the tree of life, from some unicellular to many multicellular organisms, including non-neoplastic and neoplastic tissue. Additionally, out of the 38 cell-in-cell-related genes found in the literature, 14 genes were over 2.2 billion years old, i.e., older than the common ancestor of some facultatively multicellular taxa. All of this suggests that cell-in-cell events may have originated before the origins of obligate multicellularity. Thus, our results show that cell-in-cell events exist in obligate multicellular organisms, but are not a defining feature of them. The idea of eradicating cell-in-cell events from obligate multicellular organisms as a way of treating cancer, without considering that cell-in-cell events are also part of normal development, should be abandoned.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-57528-7 |
| spellingShingle | Stefania E. Kapsetaki Luis H. Cisneros Carlo C. Maley Cell-in-cell phenomena across the tree of life Scientific Reports |
| title | Cell-in-cell phenomena across the tree of life |
| title_full | Cell-in-cell phenomena across the tree of life |
| title_fullStr | Cell-in-cell phenomena across the tree of life |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cell-in-cell phenomena across the tree of life |
| title_short | Cell-in-cell phenomena across the tree of life |
| title_sort | cell in cell phenomena across the tree of life |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-57528-7 |
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