Leveraging phylogenetic diversity: Cellular dynamics in non-model organisms

Abstract

Cell biologists use a severely undersampled population of eukaryotes as model organisms to infer cellular processes across an immense diversity. In consequence, mechanisms are defined in only a few lineages. Here, we highlight cellular behaviors not observed in model organisms. We describe examples (multicellular and protistan) from several major supergroups (TSAR, Haptista, Archaeplastida, Amorphea, Excavates), focusing on species for which quantified dynamic measurements are available. Through these examples, we discuss how these behaviors and underlying dynamics matter for the cell biology community. We aim to increase the awareness of such organisms and familiarize readers with the diversity of behaviors present in nature. By expanding the bestiary of organisms available to researchers, we can obtain a better picture of eukaryotic cells' features and capabilities.