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Regulation of stem cell function by protein ubiquitylation
Author(s) -
Strikoudis Alexandros,
Guillamot Maria,
Aifantis Iannis
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
embo reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.584
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1469-3178
pISSN - 1469-221X
DOI - 10.1002/embr.201338373
Subject(s) - stem cell , microbiology and biotechnology , ubiquitin , biology , embryonic stem cell , chromatin , cellular differentiation , genetics , gene
Tissue homeostasis depends largely on the ability to replenish impaired or aged cells. Thus, tissue‐resident stem cells need to provide functional progeny throughout the lifetime of an organism. Significant work in the past years has characterized how stem cells integrate signals from their environment to shape regulatory transcriptional networks and chromatin‐regulating factors that control stem cell differentiation or maintenance. There is increasing interest in how post‐translational modifications, and specifically ubiquitylation, control these crucial decisions. Ubiquitylation modulates the stability and function of important factors that regulate key processes in stem cell behavior. In this review, we analyze the role of ubiquitylation in embryonic stem cells and different adult multipotent stem cell systems and discuss the underlying mechanisms that control the balance between quiescence, self‐renewal, and differentiation. We also discuss deregulated processes of ubiquitin‐mediated protein degradation that lead to the development of tumor‐initiating cells.