Science news

Science!
82

New research has found that cancer cells can transfer their mitochondria via tunneling nanotubes into Fibroblasts, causing those cells to alter gene expression to the Cancer-associated Fibroblast (CAF) phenotype. Transfer of mitochondria from stromal or immune cells in the tumor microenvironment to cancer cells was previously reported, which promotes tumor growth. Human primary skin fibroblasts (HPFs) with highly malignant A431 belgiumr carcinoma cells were used in the experiment, which stably expresses fluorescently labeled actin (LifeAct A431) as tracker in conjunction with MitoTracker green. Using Fluorescent Microscopy, the scientist observed structures with lengths of 10โ€“100 ฮผm. The study used actin polymerization inhibitors and of SEC3โ€“SEC5 small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) to corroborate the bright signals observed in some fibroblasts adjacent to cancer cells resulted from mitochondrial transfer rather than from dye leakage. The scientists also found that the cancer cells first place their mitochondria close to the edge of their cell membrane before being transferred to the health fibroblasts with nanotubes. Mitochondrial Trafficking Protein 2 (MIRO2) was found to be main regulator of the nanotube formation and transfer using single-cell RNA (scRNA) seq, and experiments using siMIRO2 RNA to knock down gene expression. Western Blots were used to validate protein expression. The authors say this finding is important, as it MIRO2 could be a target for cancer therapy, and it could affect Mitochondrial therapies. This was also important for evolution of life, since the moving of mitochondria from cells was retained after an alphaproteobacterial species underwent endosymbiosis.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s43018-025-01038-6#citeas

Gameplay wise, in the early game stages, perhaps mitochondria could be transferred between cells of your own and other species, acting as an additional way to gain mitochondria and help out your fellow species. Also, Mitochondrial transfer could be a way to alter enemy cells and take control of them for your own needs. In later game stages, this could make it more difficult to fight cancer and develop Mitochondrial Transfer techniques, like three parent babies.

It took me a while to sift through the paper and type this all outโ€ฆ

1 Like
83

Wouldnโ€™t that be mostly negative for the player since itโ€™d remove their advantage?

1 Like
84

It would definitely be challenging, and would make players even more weary of enemy AI cells. But like I said, if you interact with a cell of your own species, it could be beneficial. Plus, taking control of an enemy cell would a unique mechanic, similar to being viruses, but without being a virus.

1 Like
85

I feel like most players donโ€™t really care about the others of their cellular kinโ€ฆ

1 Like
86

A Playerโ€™s fellow cells have greater impact on higher difficulties, so something to help keep them alive would useful. I wonder Mitochondrial Transfer could be also repurposed to play as a intracellular parasite, which people have been wanting for some time?

1 Like
87

You mean you would play as that parasite or would it be an ai species evolving as a risk to the microbe transplantation technique?

1 Like
88

Both, but definitely the former would be better to implement first.

1 Like
89

I feel like thatโ€™s not on any devโ€™s agendaโ€ฆ

1 Like
90

https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2025AV001785

(It took me time to shift through information, since I type and do things without AI, the old fashion way).

According to a recent paper, Phytoplankton blooms at higher latitudes might be important for life after mass extinctions. Previous studies point to the possibility of modern mid- to high-latitude ecosystems providing opportunities for equatorial taxa to escape (sub-)tropical thermal stress (Poloczanska et al., 2016).

32 samples were collected from alternating mudstone, fine-grained sandstone, and uppermost glauconitic sandstone beds at Lusitaniadalen, Svalbard, in the Kapp Starostin Formation prior to the P-T extinction, as well as from the overlying laminated siltstones and very fine-grained sandstones from the post-extinction interval of the Vikinghรธgda Formation. The authors also compared western and central Spitsbergen, and data from Spitsbergen with results from Tethyan sections, from northern Italy (western Paleotethys), the Great Bank of Guizhou in South China (eastern Paleotethys), and the Taurus Mountains in Tรผrkiye (western Neotethys). The authors analyzed lipids extracted from fossils using dichloromethane:methanol (3:1, v:v) for 15 min in an ultrasonic bath, and separate them into maltenes (n-hexane soluble fraction), and maltenes were then separated using column chromatography. Coupled gas chromatography-mass spectrometry isolated important hydrocarbons C33-n-Alkylcyclohexane and Phytanyl Toluene, and subsequent data was analyzed using R.

The ratios of these found compounds exceeds those for Archaea, indicating Phytoplankton as the main source. C33-n-Alkylcyclohexane and Phytanyl Toluene are important biomarkers produced by Phytoplankton, and their 10 times increased abundance in northern rocks after the Great Dying suggests Phytoplankton blossomed after the extinction event. The authors point to extensive fossils of diverse pelagic and benthic fauna, including radiolarians, sponges, bivalves, gastropods, brachiopods and ammonoids, preserved in the basal Vikinghรธgda Formation, as evidence of Phytoplankton blooms supporting life after the extinction event.

Gameplay wise, this could affect strategies of how life recovers after extinctions by having Phytoplankton-like organisms bloom in northern (and southern) parts of a planet, and having other organisms (including Players) migrate closer to the poles to survive.

2 Likes
91

For eyeball planets, would this instead occur closer to the dark side of the globe?

2 Likes
92

a new kingdom on the tree of life has been discoveredโ€ฆ

PROTOTAXITES!

3 Likes
93

Couldnโ€™t it just be another protist type instead?

3 Likes
94

First, we need figure out how to exactly classify protists.

Also, I wonder if there are other โ€œKingdomsโ€ of life that have yet to be discovered in the fossil record?

3 Likes
95

Perhaps, if we never discover them we couldnโ€™t ever know

2 Likes
96


https://royalsocietypublishing.org/rsbl/article/21/8/20250348/236067/Constraining-the-lifespans-of-early-animals-of-the
According to a research paper, there might have been a large range of different maximum lifespans for Ediacaran organisms (from 0.53โ€“30.2 years), with longer lifespans calculated in colder environments and those organisms which are more modular (up to 40.4 years). Even small organisms had longer than expected lifespans, due to a lack of predation during the Ediacaran, and possibly allowed them to have higher evolution rates. This would be important for lifespans in Macroscopic, as this is when Ediacaran-like organisms would start to exist.

4 Likes
Questions about plans on the pre-Cambrian gameplay
97

I presume the lifespan time would go down sharply once the first predators emerge?

2 Likes
98

It would make sense, and then probably come back up slightly as prey animals adapt; do not know whether or not lifespan would reach pre-predation levels.

2 Likes
99

I mean it did with us for example

2 Likes
100

Given macroscopic animals move slower than aware ones, by speeding up passage of time for purposes of distance moved being at a reasonable pace, the difference in lifespan might not be as noticeable.

Generally speaking though, slower moving creatures that are not prey have longer life expectancies. Look at tortoises (over a century, some closer to 2) and sponges (which can live for Thousands of years, some estimate as much as 15,000).

3 Likes
101

How would it like be playing as these? Long sessions or insane speedup around you?

3 Likes