Division of labour in the yeast: Saccharomyces cerevisiae

TY - JOUR

T1 - Division of labour in the yeast

T2 - Saccharomyces cerevisiae

AU - Wloch-Salamon, Dominika M.

AU - Fisher, Roberta May

AU - Regenberg, Birgitte

PY - 2017/10

Y1 - 2017/10

N2 - Division of labour between different specialized cell types is a central part of how we describe complexity in multicellular organisms. However, it is increasingly being recognized that division of labour also plays an important role in the lives of predominantly unicellular organisms. Saccharomyces cerevisiae displays several phenotypes that could be considered a division of labour, including quiescence, apoptosis and biofilm formation, but they have not been explicitly treated as such. We discuss each of these examples, using a definition of division of labour that involves phenotypic variation between cells within a population, cooperation between cells performing different tasks and maximization of the inclusive fitness of all cells involved. We then propose future research directions and possible experimental tests using S. cerevisiae as a model organism for understanding the genetic mechanisms and selective pressures that can lead to the evolution of the very first stages of a division of labour.

AB - Division of labour between different specialized cell types is a central part of how we describe complexity in multicellular organisms. However, it is increasingly being recognized that division of labour also plays an important role in the lives of predominantly unicellular organisms. Saccharomyces cerevisiae displays several phenotypes that could be considered a division of labour, including quiescence, apoptosis and biofilm formation, but they have not been explicitly treated as such. We discuss each of these examples, using a definition of division of labour that involves phenotypic variation between cells within a population, cooperation between cells performing different tasks and maximization of the inclusive fitness of all cells involved. We then propose future research directions and possible experimental tests using S. cerevisiae as a model organism for understanding the genetic mechanisms and selective pressures that can lead to the evolution of the very first stages of a division of labour.

KW - altruism

KW - cell types

KW - cooperation

KW - differentiation

KW - sociomicrobiology

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85028341343&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1002/yea.3241

DO - 10.1002/yea.3241

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 28681487

AN - SCOPUS:85028341343

SN - 0749-503X

VL - 34

SP - 399

EP - 406

JO - Yeast

JF - Yeast

IS - 10

ER -