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The chiaroscuro stem cell: a unified stem cell theory
Peter J Quesenberry1, Gerald A Colvin, Jean-Francois Lambert
1Center for Stem Cell Biology, Roger Williams Medical Center, Providence, RI 02908-4735, USA. pquesenberry@rwmc.org
Blood
|October 24, 2002
Summary
Hematopoiesis is not a strict hierarchy but a plastic continuum. Cell cycle transit influences stem cell phenotypes and gene expression, suggesting a dynamic system rather than fixed stem and progenitor cells.
Area of Science:
- Hematology
- Stem Cell Biology
- Cell Cycle Regulation
Background:
- Hematopoiesis has traditionally been viewed as a hierarchical system.
- Recent findings challenge this view, suggesting functional plasticity.
- Variations in cell cycle transit, gene expression, and progenitor phenotypes are observed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the dynamic nature of hematopoietic stem cells.
- To explore the relationship between cell cycle and stem cell identity.
- To propose a model for hematopoietic cell plasticity.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of engraftment and progenitor phenotypes in relation to cell cycle.
- Examination of gene expression patterns during cell cycle transit.
- Development of a general model for marrow cell behavior.
Main Results:
- Engraftment and progenitor phenotypes show inverse correlation with cell cycle transit.
- Gene expression profiles vary significantly with cell cycle.
- Evidence suggests a reversible continuum rather than a fixed hierarchy.
- Phenotypic changes in primitive marrow cells occur with cell cycle progression.
Conclusions:
- Hematopoiesis is a functionally plastic system, not a rigid hierarchy.
- Cell cycle transit significantly impacts stem cell phenotype and gene expression.
- A model of a reversible continuum, influenced by chromatin and gene expression shifts, is proposed.
- Stem cell identity may be masked in unsynchronized populations due to dynamic changes.