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The multipotency-to-commitment transition in Caenorhabditis elegans-implications for reprogramming from cells to
Erik A Spickard1, Pradeep M Joshi1, Joel H Rothman1
1Department of MCD Biology and Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, CA, USA.
FEBS Letters
|January 16, 2018
Summary
Cell differentiation involves a transition from multipotency to commitment. Endoderm transcription factors can reprogram cells even after this transition, enabling transdifferentiation and offering insights into conserved mechanisms of cellular plasticity.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Cell Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Cells in animal embryos transition from multipotent to terminally differentiated states.
- This multipotency-to-commitment transition (MCT) is a critical developmental process.
- Cell fate reprogramming by transcription factors is well-studied in Caenorhabditis elegans.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review cell reprogramming and transdifferentiation events in C. elegans.
- To highlight the cellular and developmental contexts of these events.
- To discuss conserved mechanisms underlying direct cell lineage reprogramming.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of experimental data on cell fate reprogramming in C. elegans.
- Review of studies on transcription factor-mediated differentiation.
- Examination of natural transdifferentiation events during development.
Main Results:
- Transcription factors for endoderm development can reprogram cells post-MCT.
- These factors can induce "transorganogenesis," redirecting organ development.
- Natural transdifferentiation occurs in a subset of differentiated cells in C. elegans.
Conclusions:
- Endoderm transcription factors exhibit potent reprogramming capacity.
- These findings suggest conserved mechanisms of cellular plasticity.
- Understanding these mechanisms may provide insights into human cellular plasticity and disease.
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