Diverse evolutionary paths to cell adhesion

The morphological diversity of animals, fungi, plants, and other multicellular organisms stems from the fact that each lineage acquired multicellularity independently. A prerequisite for each origin of multicellularity was the evolution of mechanisms for stable cell-cell adhesion or attachment. Recent advances in comparative genomics and phylogenetics provide critical insights into the evolutionary foundations of cell adhesion. Reconstructing the evolution of cell junction proteins in animals and their unicellular relatives exemplifies the roles of co-option and innovation. Comparative studies of volvocine algae reveal specific molecular changes that accompanied the evolution of multicellularity in Volvox. Comparisons between animals and Dictyostelium show how commonalities and differences in the biology of unicellular ancestors influenced the evolution of adhesive mechanisms. Understanding the unicellular ancestry of cell adhesion helps illuminate the basic cell biology of multicellular development in modern organisms.