Gradual evolution of cell cycle regulation by cyclin-dependant kinases during the transition to animal multicellularity

We assessed temporal gene expression in synchronous cultures of Capsaspora owczarzaki in order to better understand cell cycle regulation in another opisthokont more closely related to animals retaining the ancestral toolkit of cell cycle regulators. Our data suggests that cell cycle regulation in the ancestor of Capsaspora and animals involved one single CDK binding to multiple cyclins of subfamilies in the same temporal order as in animals, and that expansion of CDKs occured later in the lineage that gave rise to animals. Overall design: RNASeq from Capsaspora synchronous cells upon release from hydroxyurea; two independent replicates of sixteen time points. This comprises a window of time where cells progress through DNA replication and mitosis. One additional, non-synchronous sample.