The SynMuvA <i>lin-15A</i> licenses natural transdifferentiation by antagonizing identity safeguarding mechanisms

The useful part

by Sarah Frieda Becker, Marie-Charlotte Morin, Julien Lambert, Shashi Kumar Suman, Francesco Nicola Carelli, Alex Appert, Stéphane Roth, Sarah Hoff-Yoessle, Jessica D. However, the diversity of both pro- and anti-plasticity mechanisms remains incompletely understood. Here, we identify the THAP domain gene lin-15A as a novel factor involved in the natural rectal-to-neuronal Y-to-PDA transdifferentiation in Caenorhabditis elegans.

How it works

• Our genetic analyses show that lin-15A acts in parallel to previously described plasticity factors.
• our data show that even cells developmentally programmed to undergo transdifferentiation exhibit reprogramming barriers.
• Null mutant suggests that, rather than driving the process, LIN-15A licenses its initiation by antagonizing several chromatin-modifying complexes known to safeguard differentiated cell identities.
• Interestingly, lin-15A is not a core plasticity factor per se but acts as one specifically in the Y cell context.

Details worth keeping

Medina-Sanchez, Manuela Portoso, Julie Ahringer, Sophie Jarriault The mechanisms that restrict or enable latent cellular plasticity have attracted growing interest over the past decade, with important implications for cancer and regenerative therapies.