巴黎城市大学Thibaut Brunet团队近日取得一项新成果。经过不懈努力，他们发现了受盐度调控的领鞭毛虫克隆聚集型多细胞性。相关论文于2026年2月25日发表在《自然》杂志上。

在这里，该团队展示了领鞭毛虫物种Choanoeca flexa通过多种机制形成可运动和可收缩的细胞单层（片）——C. flexa 片层既可纯克隆形成，也可纯聚集形成，或通过两者结合形成。该课题组研究人员描述了C. flexa在其自然环境中的生活史（Cura岛上短暂的溅水池）结果表明，在蒸发-再填充循环过程中，弯曲草经历了单细胞和多细胞的可逆转变。不同的飞溅池同源遗传上不同的柔曲菌株，亲缘识别限制了它们之间的聚集。该研究团队表明，克隆-聚集多细胞是在这种多变和快速波动的环境中建立多细胞的一种通用策略。他们的发现挑战了以前关于鞭虫的概括，并扩大了鞭虫动物多细胞性的选择空间。

据了解，多细胞性在真核生物中独立进化了多次。两种不同的机制支撑着多细胞：克隆（连续的细胞分裂而不分离子细胞）和聚集（独立的细胞聚集成一个多细胞实体）。克隆多细胞和聚集多细胞传统上被认为是相互排斥的，很少有例外，进化假说已经解释了为什么多细胞可能会向一个或另一个极端分化。目前已知动物及其姊妹群领鞭毛虫仅通过克隆方式获得多细胞性。

附：英文原文

Title: Clonal-aggregative multicellularity tuned by salinity in a choanoflagellate

Author: Ros-Rocher, Nria, Reyes-Rivera, Josean, Horo, Uzuki, Combredet, Chantal, Foroughijabbari, Yeganeh, Larson, Ben T., Coyle, Maxwell C., Houtepen, Erik A. T., Vermeij, Mark J. A., Steenwyk, Jacob L., Brunet, Thibaut

Issue&Volume: 2026-02-25

Abstract: Multicellularity evolved independently multiple times in eukaryotes1,2,3,4. Two distinct mechanisms underpin multicellularity5: clonality (serial cell division without sister-cell separation) and aggregation (whereby independent cells assemble into a multicellular entity). Clonal and aggregative multicellularity are traditionally considered to be mutually exclusive1,6,7,8, with rare exceptions9, and evolutionary hypotheses have addressed why multicellularity might diverge towards one or the other extreme3,4. Both animals and their sister group, the choanoflagellates, are currently known to acquire multicellularity only clonally4,10,11. Here we show that the choanoflagellate Choanoeca flexa12 forms motile and contractile cell monolayers (sheets) through multiple mechanisms—C. flexa sheets can form purely clonally, purely aggregatively or through a combination of both processes. We characterize the life history of C. flexa in its natural environment—ephemeral splash pools on the island of Curaao—and show that C. flexa undergoes reversible transitions between unicellularity and multicellularity during evaporation–refilling cycles. Different splash pools house genetically distinct strains of C. flexa and kin recognition constrains aggregation between them. We show that clonal-aggregative multicellularity is a versatile strategy for the robust establishment of multicellularity in this variable and fast-fluctuating environment. Our findings challenge former generalizations about choanoflagellates and expand the option space of choanozoan multicellularity.

DOI: 10.1038/s41586-026-10137-y

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10137-y