Cell Cycle-Driven Heterogeneity: On the Road to Demystifying the Transitions between “Poised” and “Restricted” Pluripotent Cell States

Figure 1

Hypothetical model depicting the relationship between heterogeneity, the cell cycle, and pluripotent cell types. Stem cells may transition horizontally on pluripotency spectrum (blue double-arrow) as they differentiate or dedifferentiate. As cells progress through the cell cycle, they transition on the heterogeneity spectrum (black double-arrow). The range of the heterogeneity, or metastable states, is shown in gray and increases as you move down the spectrum of pluripotency from naïve to primed cells. G1 cells exist in a “lineage-poised” state, while S-G2/M cells exist in a “lineage-restricted” state.