How cells change their phenotype.
Recent attention has focused on the remarkable ability of adult stem cells to produce differentiated cells from embryologically unrelated tissues. This phenomenon is an example of metaplasia and shows that embryological commitments can be reversed or erased under certain circumstances. In some cases, even fully differentiated cells can change their phenotype (transdifferentiation). This review examines recently discovered cases of metaplasia, and speculates on the potential molecular and cellular mechanisms that underlie the switches, and their significance to developmental biology and medicine.
Tosh
David
D
Developmental Biology Programme, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, UK. D.Tosh@bath.ac.uk
Slack
Jonathan M W
JM
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D006801:Humans; D008679:Metaplasia / Q000209:etiology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D010641:Phenotype; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*