Filasterea

Filasterea is a small group of unicellular eukaryotes closely related to animals and choanoflagellates. Its best-known members include Capsaspora and Ministeria.

Opisthokonta: A major eukaryotic group that includes animals, fungi, and several unicellular lineages. Filasterea belongs to this broad group, alongside animals and fungi.
Capsaspora: A unicellular filasterean genus that includes the species Capsaspora owczarzaki. It is a well-studied filasterean used to investigate the evolution of animal-associated genes.
Actin: A protein that forms filaments supporting cell shape, movement, and intracellular organization. Actin filaments build the filopodia characteristic of filasterean cells.
Choanoflagellate–animal divergence: The evolutionary separation of choanoflagellates and animals from their last common ancestor. Filastereans help compare traits around the deeper branching history of animal relatives.
Holozoa: The opisthokont group comprising animals and their closest unicellular relatives. Filasterea is part of Holozoa, the lineage whose members are closest to animals.
Ministeria: A genus of unicellular filastereans with branching filopodia and no flagellum. Its distinctive cell shape provides a second named example of filasterean diversity.
Cell adhesion: The attachment of cells to other cells or to a surface through molecular interactions. Adhesion-related proteins in Capsaspora illuminate cellular tools that predate animals.
Animal multicellularity: The evolution of animals as organisms composed of multiple coordinated cells. Filasterean genomes help distinguish ancient cellular machinery from innovations tied to animal multicellularity.
Choanozoa: A group of holozoans that includes animals and their unicellular relatives. Filasterea is one of the unicellular lineages within the broader animal-associated radiation.
Capsaspora owczarzaki: A filasterean protist isolated from a freshwater snail and maintained in laboratory culture. Its genome and cell biology have made it a principal model for studying filastereans.

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