title: Immortal strands? Give me a break.
abstract: The "immortal strand" hypothesis proposes that asymmetrically dividing stem cells selectively retain chromosomes containing "old" DNA to prevent accumulation of mutations. As I describe in this Essay, such a possibility seems unlikely. An alternative explanation is that asymmetric cell divisions and cell fate are codirected by epigenetic differences between sister chromatids.
authors.affiliation: Terry Fox Laboratory, BC Cancer Agency, Vancouver, BC, Canada. plansdor@bccrc.ca
authors.forename: Peter M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Lansdorp
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division / Q000235:genetics; D020090:Chromosome Segregation / Q000235:genetics*; D053904:DNA Breaks, Single-Stranded; D004260:DNA Repair / Q000235:genetics*; D004261:DNA Replication / Q000235:genetics*; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D034622:RNA Interference / Q000502:physiology; D012854:Sister Chromatid Exchange / Q000235:genetics; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism*