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Changing potency by spontaneous fusion

Author

Listed:
  • Qi-Long Ying

    (University of Edinburgh)

  • Jennifer Nichols

    (University of Edinburgh)

  • Edward P. Evans

    (University of Oxford)

  • Austin G. Smith

    (University of Edinburgh)

Abstract

Recent reports have suggested that mammalian stem cells residing in one tissue may have the capacity to produce differentiated cell types for other tissues and organs1–9. Here we define a mechanism by which progenitor cells of the central nervous system can give rise to non-neural derivatives. Cells taken from mouse brain were co-cultured with pluripotent embryonic stem cells. Following selection for a transgenic marker carried only by the brain cells, undifferentiated stem cells are recovered in which the brain cell genome has undergone epigenetic reprogramming. However, these cells also carry a transgenic marker and chromosomes derived from the embryonic stem cells. Therefore the altered phenotype does not arise by direct conversion of brain to embryonic stem cell but rather through spontaneous generation of hybrid cells. The tetraploid hybrids exhibit full pluripotent character, including multilineage contribution to chimaeras. We propose that transdetermination consequent to cell fusion10 could underlie many observations otherwise attributed to an intrinsic plasticity of tissue stem cells9.

Suggested Citation

  • Qi-Long Ying & Jennifer Nichols & Edward P. Evans & Austin G. Smith, 2002. "Changing potency by spontaneous fusion," Nature, Nature, vol. 416(6880), pages 545-548, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:416:y:2002:i:6880:d:10.1038_nature729
    DOI: 10.1038/nature729
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    Cited by:

    1. Le Tran Phuc Khoa & Wentao Yang & Mengrou Shan & Li Zhang & Fengbiao Mao & Bo Zhou & Qiang Li & Rebecca Malcore & Clair Harris & Lili Zhao & Rajesh C. Rao & Shigeki Iwase & Sundeep Kalantry & Stephani, 2024. "Quiescence enables unrestricted cell fate in naive embryonic stem cells," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-19, December.
    2. Ling-Li Li & Guohua Ding & Nan Feng & Ming-Huang Wang & Yuh-Shan Ho, 2009. "Global stem cell research trend: Bibliometric analysis as a tool for mapping of trends from 1991 to 2006," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 80(1), pages 39-58, July.

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