Stem cells rolling down a landscape of hills and valleys (IMAGE)

University of California - Riverside

Stem cells rolling down a landscape of hills and valleys

Caption

Stem cells (shown as small balls) can be imagined to roll down a landscape of hills and valleys, following specific paths as they mature (differentiation). Under normal conditions (blue), they stay on track. When histone chaperones stop working, the landscape shifts and cells may enter alternative valleys, taking on new fates (red or green). Through epigenetic reprogramming, cells can even be pushed back uphill or rerouted, changing their identity. Illustration is adapted from Waddington’s 1957 concept and created with BioRender.

Credit

Brian Zhang, UC Riverside.

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