Stem cells expand potency and alter tissue fitness by accumulating diverse epigenetic memories

Abstract

Stem cells remember Tissue stem cells sense their surroundings, and this perception influences subsequent fate and function. Gonzales et al . observed that stem cells accumulate epigenetic memories of diverse environmental events (see the Perspective by Hoste). By wounding skin and monitoring the temporal steps involved in mobilizing stem cells of the hair follicle to repair the epidermis, the authors found that stem cells bear memories of their original niche, migration, encounters with inflammation, and adaptation to the new fate and tasks. During homeostasis, immigrant stem cells are functionally and transcriptionally analogous to native cells, but upon future assaults, they unleash discrete epigenetic memories to heighten physiological response and affect tissue fitness. —BAP