Preprint examines whether transposable elements contributed to the evolution of multicellularity in eukaryotes

A preprint posted to bioRxiv presents a comparative analysis of transposable element (TE) composition, diversity, and genome-density organisation across a range of eukaryotic protist lineages in which multicellularity has evolved independently. The study includes a newly generated genome assembly for *Acrasis kona*, a facultatively multicellular amoeba.

Transposable elements — mobile DNA sequences that can copy or cut and paste themselves within genomes — are known to influence genome architecture, gene regulation, and the evolution of new regulatory networks. The authors reason that if TEs contribute to the genomic changes that accompany multicellular transitions, signatures of this should be detectable in comparative analyses across lineages that independently evolved multicellular organisation. The study examines TE composition and the relationship between TE density and gene expression across the sampled taxa.

Multicellularity has evolved at least 25 times independently across the eukaryotic tree of life, including in animals, plants, fungi, and multiple protist groups, making it a tractable system for studying the genomic underpinnings of major evolutionary transitions. This preprint has not yet been peer-reviewed; findings should be interpreted with appropriate caution pending independent evaluation.