Year-end Sale % OFF 
Abstract
Heterogeneity among isogenic cells/individuals has been known for at least 150 years. Even Mendel, working on pea plants, realized that not all tall plants were identical. However, Mendel was more interested in the discontinuous variation between genetically distinct individuals. The concept of environment dictating distinct phenotypes among isogenic individuals has since been shown to impact the evolution of populations in numerous examples at different scales of life. In this review, we discuss how phenotypic heterogeneity and its evolutionary implications exist at all levels of life, from viruses to mammals. In particular, we discuss how a particular disease condition (cancer) is impacted by heterogeneity among isogenic cells, and propose a potential role that phenotypic heterogeneity might play toward the onset of the disease.
Highlights
PHENOTYPIC HETEROGENEITY IN ISOGENIC CELLSHeterogeneity in a population has been a topic of long-standing interest in populations
Cancer cells are a clonal population with accelerated growth and exhibit intrinsic micro-heterogeneity attributed to non-genetic factors
The resultant changes in the functioning of oncogenes or tumor-suppressing genes via mutations potentially upset the regulatory balance between proliferation and apoptosis, allowing cells to enter the state of cancerous growth
Summary
PHENOTYPIC HETEROGENEITY IN ISOGENIC CELLSHeterogeneity in a population has been a topic of long-standing interest in populations. The heterogeneity between the phenotype of isogenic cells plays an important role in dictating the evolutionary fate of populations much better. A change in the external environment like exposure to androgens or maternal tumors can act on the bipotential gonad and cause the reversal of phenotypic sex or mosaicism leading to ambiguous development of genitalia where the hormonal factors induce variability in the phenotype of cells with similar chromosomal sex (Witchel, 2018). Cancer cells are a clonal population with accelerated growth and exhibit intrinsic micro-heterogeneity attributed to non-genetic factors.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
