Asymmetric inheritance of cytoophidia could contribute to determine cell fate and plasticity

Abstract

Two enzymes involved in the synthesis of pyrimidine and purine nucleotides, CTP synthase (CTPS) and IMP dehydrogenase (IMPDH), can assemble into a single or very few large filaments called rods and rings (RR) or cytoophidia. Most recently, asymmetric cytoplasmic distribution of organelles during cell division has been described as a decisive event in hematopoietic stem cell fate. We propose that cytoophidia, which could be considered as membrane-less organelles, may also be distributed asymmetrically during mammalian cell division as previously described for Schizosaccharomyces pombe.Furthermore, because each type of nucleotide intervenes in distinct processes (e.g., membrane synthesis, glycosylation, and G protein-signaling), alterations in the rate of synthesis of specific nucleotide types could influence cell differentiation in multiple ways. Therefore, we hypothesize that whether a daughter cell inherits or not CTPS or IMPDH filaments determines its fate and that this asymmetric inheritance, together with the dynamic nature of these structures enables plasticity in a cell population.

What can asymmetrical cell snakes do?

“…They clearly reasoned by potential effects of the cytoophidium on nucleotide metabolism and so on cell fate determination. [ 5 ] Given the size of the cytoophidium reflects the amount of its protein components, the cell inheriting the large CTPS cytoophidium is presumably having more CTPS than its sibling at the beginning of the cell cycle. However, will this difference lead to distinct fate of the two cells?…”