Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 16, 2026
11:06
Identifying DNA Mutations in Purified Hematopoietic Stem/Progenitor Cells
Published on: February 24, 2014
13.5K
Plant stem cells maintain genome stability by limiting protein synthesis
Meng Su1, Xiaoya Qu2, Haijun Wu3
1Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Cellular Dynamics, School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China.
Plant Physiology
|September 29, 2025
Summary
Plant stem cells maintain genome stability by strictly controlling protein synthesis. Inhibiting protein synthesis prevents unfolded proteins, safeguarding DNA integrity and ensuring reproductive continuity.
Area of Science:
- Plant biology
- Molecular biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Stem cells are vital for reproduction and species continuity, requiring genome stability.
- Understanding how stem cells prevent genetic errors is crucial for maintaining species.
- The link between proteome fidelity and genome stability in stem cells remains largely unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of protein synthesis control in plant stem cell maintenance.
- To determine the impact of increased protein synthesis on stem cell genome stability.
- To elucidate the mechanisms linking proteome integrity and genome stability in stem cells.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Arabidopsis thaliana as a model organism.
- Manipulated protein synthesis levels in stem cells.
- Assessed stem cell fate, protein accumulation, and DNA damage.
Main Results:
- Strict control of protein synthesis is essential for maintaining plant stem cell fate.
- Elevated protein synthesis leads to unfolded/misfolded protein accumulation and impaired stem cell maintenance.
- Stem cells are hypersensitive to unfolded proteins, which trigger DNA breaks and genomic instability.
Conclusions:
- Proteome fidelity is critical for maintaining genome stability in plant stem cells.
- Inhibiting protein synthesis in stem cells is a mechanism plants use to safeguard genome integrity.
- This study reveals a mechanistic link between proteome quality control and genome stability in stem cells.
Related Concept Videos
01:14Maintenance of the ES Cell State
2.7K
The cells of the blastocyst inner cell mass only remain pluripotent for a short time. This state of pluripotency and self-renewal can be maintained in embryonic stem (ES) cell culture by adding specific chemicals or growth factors to ensure the cells can continue dividing and later differentiate into different cell types. In some cases, the cells are grown on a feeder layer of differentiated cells, which provides the growth factors and extracellular matrix components necessary for stem cell...
2.7K
01:23Negative Regulator Molecules
38.3K
Positive regulators allow a cell to advance through cell cycle checkpoints. Negative regulators have an equally important role as they terminate a cell’s progression through the cell cycle—or pause it—until the cell meets specific criteria.
38.3K
02:15Replicative Cell Senescence
4.3K
Replicative cell senescence is a property of cells that allows them to divide a finite number of times throughout the organism's lifespan while preventing excessive proliferation. Replicative senescence is associated with the gradual loss of the telomere — short, repetitive DNA sequences found at the end of the chromosomes. Telomeres are bound by a group of proteins to form a protective cap on the ends of chromosomes. Embryonic stem cells express telomerase — an enzyme that adds...
4.3K
02:36DNA Damage can Stall the Cell Cycle
10.0K
In response to DNA damage, cells can pause the cell cycle to assess and repair the breaks. However, the cell must check the DNA at certain critical stages during the cell cycle. If the cell cycle pauses before DNA replication, the cells will contain twice the amount of DNA. On the other hand, if cells arrest after DNA replication but before mitosis, they will contain four times the normal amount of DNA. With a host of specialized proteins at their disposal,cells must use the right protein at...
10.0K
02:36DNA Damage Can Stall the Cell Cycle
3.0K
In response to DNA damage, cells can pause the cell cycle to assess and repair the breaks. However, the cell must check the DNA at certain critical stages during the cell cycle. If the cell cycle pauses before DNA replication, the cells will contain twice the amount of DNA. On the other hand, if cells arrest after DNA replication but before mitosis, they will contain four times the normal amount of DNA. With a host of specialized proteins at their disposal,cells must use the right protein at...
3.0K
01:29Replication in Eukaryotes
17.1K
In eukaryotic cells, DNA replication is highly conserved and tightly regulated. Multiple linear chromosomes must be duplicated with high fidelity before cell division, so there are many proteins that fulfill specialized roles in the replication process. Replication occurs in three phases: initiation, elongation, and termination, and ends with two complete sets of chromosomes in the nucleus.
Many Proteins Orchestrate Replication at the Origin
Eukaryotic replication follows many of the same...
Many Proteins Orchestrate Replication at the Origin
Eukaryotic replication follows many of the same...
17.1K