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A pan‐metazoan concept for adult stem cells: the wobbling Penrose landscape
Author(s) -
Rinkevich Baruch,
Ballarin Loriano,
Martinez Pedro,
Somorjai Ildiko,
BenHamo Oshrat,
Borisenko Ilya,
Berezikov Eugene,
Ereskovsky Alexander,
Gazave Eve,
Khnykin Denis,
Manni Lucia,
Petukhova Olga,
Rosner Amalia,
Röttinger Eric,
Spagnuolo Antonietta,
Sugni Michela,
Tiozzo Stefano,
Hobmayer Bert
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
biological reviews
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.993
H-Index - 165
eISSN - 1469-185X
pISSN - 1464-7931
DOI - 10.1111/brv.12801
Subject(s) - totipotent , biology , stem cell , microbiology and biotechnology , cellular differentiation , somatic cell , regeneration (biology) , mesoderm , evolutionary biology , genetics , embryonic stem cell , gene
Adult stem cells (ASCs) in vertebrates and model invertebrates (e.g. Drosophila melanogaster ) are typically long‐lived, lineage‐restricted, clonogenic and quiescent cells with somatic descendants and tissue/organ‐restricted activities. Such ASCs are mostly rare, morphologically undifferentiated, and undergo asymmetric cell division. Characterized by ‘stemness’ gene expression, they can regulate tissue/organ homeostasis, repair and regeneration. By contrast, analysis of other animal phyla shows that ASCs emerge at different life stages, present both differentiated and undifferentiated phenotypes, and may possess amoeboid movement. Usually pluri/totipotent, they may express germ‐cell markers, but often lack germ‐line sequestering, and typically do not reside in discrete niches. ASCs may constitute up to 40% of animal cells, and participate in a range of biological phenomena, from whole‐body regeneration, dormancy, and agametic asexual reproduction, to indeterminate growth. They are considered legitimate units of selection. Conceptualizing this divergence, we present an alternative stemness metaphor to the Waddington landscape: the ‘wobbling Penrose’ landscape. Here, totipotent ASCs adopt ascending/descending courses of an ‘Escherian stairwell’, in a lifelong totipotency pathway. ASCs may also travel along lower stemness echelons to reach fully differentiated states. However, from any starting state, cells can change their stemness status, underscoring their dynamic cellular potencies. Thus, vertebrate ASCs may reflect just one metazoan ASC archetype.