Hsp90 and the Evolution of Novel Cellular Differentiation

Abstract

Cellular differentiation is a prerequisite for complex multicellular life, yet little is known about how it evolves de novo. Several mechanisms may explain how early multicellular organisms evolved to perform cell-specific roles. In this work, I explore the potential role of cellular aging in driving age-dependent differences that evolve to become co-opted for a novel role in cellular differentiation. Specifically, I am examining how, in the snowflake yeast model system of nascent multicellularity, the Hsp90 class chaperone proteins have evolved to act in a novel age-dependent manner, thus driving the emergence of adaptive differences in protein activity among cells.