First among equals: competition between genetically identical cells

ABSTRACT Competition between genetically identical organisms is considered insignificant in evolutionary theory because it is presumed to have little selective consequence. We argue that

competition between genetically identical cells could improve the fitness of a multicellular organism by directing fitter cells to the germ line or by eliminating unfit cells, and that

cell-competition mechanisms have been conserved in multicellular organisms. We propose that competition between genetically identical or highly similar units could have similar selective

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Download references ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We thank D. Queller, L. Santorelli, A. Kuspa and B. Loomis for critical review of this manuscript and for helpful discussions. We thank Z. Pancer, J.

Strassmann and N. Boerkoel for enlightening discussions. This work has been supported by a FIBR (Frontiers in Integrative Biological Research) grant from the US National Science Foundation.

AUTHOR INFORMATION AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS * Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, 77030, Texas, USA Anupama Khare & Gad

Shaulsky Authors * Anupama Khare View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Gad Shaulsky View author publications You can also search for this

author inPubMed Google Scholar CORRESPONDING AUTHOR Correspondence to Gad Shaulsky. ETHICS DECLARATIONS COMPETING INTERESTS The authors declare no competing financial interests. RELATED

LINKS RELATED LINKS DATABASES OMIM incontinentia pigmenti type 2 Wiskott–Aldrich syndrome X-linked agammaglobulinaemia X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency FURTHER INFORMATION Gad

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identical cells. _Nat Rev Genet_ 7, 577–583 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrg1875 Download citation * Published: 16 May 2006 * Issue Date: 01 July 2006 * DOI:

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