Abstract
Somatic stem cells are rare cells with unique properties residing in many organs and tissues. They are undifferentiated cells responsible for tissue regeneration and homeostasis, and contain both the capacity to self-renew in order to maintain their stem cell potential and to differentiate towards tissue-specific, specialized cells. However, the knowledge about the mechanisms controlling somatic stem cell fate decisions remains sparse. One mechanism which has been described to control daughter cell fates in selected somatic stem cell systems is the process of asymmetric cell division (ACD). ACD is a tightly regulated and evolutionary conserved process allowing a single stem or progenitor cell to produce two differently specified daughter cells. In this concise review, we will summarize and discuss current concepts about the process of ACD as well as different ACD modes. Finally, we will recapitulate the current knowledge and our recent findings about ACD in human hematopoiesis.
Highlights
Somatic stem cells are rare cells with unique properties residing in many organs and tissues
asymmetric cell division (ACD) is a fundamental process for controlling cell fates in somatic stem cell and developmental biology
Different groups separated daughter cells of single human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs), and consistently reported that in 20%–40% of the cases both daughter cells showed different proliferation rates and differentiation capacities [54,55,56,57]. Even though this functional asymmetry of arising daughter cells was explained by ACD, theoretically it could have been established by post-mitotic communication processes between identical daughter cells [1]
Summary
Somatic stem cells are undifferentiated cells, which are required for tissue and organ regeneration and homeostasis. They are capable of differentiation towards multiple cell types of the corresponding tissue, thereby providing a means for replacing lost cells, regenerating damaged tissue and the natural tissue turnover. To perpetuate tissue regeneration and homeostasis during the entire life span of an organism, the pool of somatic stem cells has to be kept relatively constant in a highly controlled manner [1]. The stem cell fate decision between differentiation and self-renewal has to be highly regulated. It is an important issue in stem cell biology to unravel the underlying mechanisms. We summarize and discuss different types of ACD in model organisms and human hematopoiesis
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