Journal
DEVELOPMENT
Volume 146, Issue 12, Pages -Publisher
COMPANY BIOLOGISTS LTD
DOI: 10.1242/dev.169854
Keywords
Cell atlas; Cell states; Cell types; Periodic table; Single cell RNA-seq
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Funding
- National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases [R01-AI143290]
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Single cell biology is currently revolutionizing developmental and evolutionary biology, revealing new cell types and states in an impressive range of biological systems. With the accumulation of data, however, the field is grappling with a central unanswered question: what exactly is a cell type? This question is further complicated by the inherently dynamic nature of developmental processes. In this Hypothesis article, we propose that a 'periodic table of cell types' can be used as a framework for distinguishing cell types from cell states, in which the periods and groups correspond to developmental trajectories and stages along differentiation, respectively. The different states of the same cell type are further analogous to 'isotopes'. We also highlight how the concept of a periodic table of cell types could be useful for predicting new cell types and states, and for recognizing relationships between cell types throughout development and evolution.
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