Cited by 1,148Hematopoietic Stem Cell TransplantationDevelopmental Biology and Gene RegulationMesenchymal stem cell research

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 164 of the 164 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; none of the 171 sources its claims cite is checked for support yet.

Molecular regulation of stem cell quiescence

Open access
Cheung, Tom H., Rando, Thomas A.·2013·Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology

Abstract

Subsets of mammalian adult stem cells reside in the quiescent state for prolonged periods of time. This state, which is reversible, has long been viewed as dormant and with minimal basal activity. Recent advances in adult stem cell isolation have provided insights into the epigenetic, transcriptional and post-transcriptional control of quiescence and suggest that quiescence is an actively maintained state in which signalling pathways are involved in maintaining a poised state that allows rapid activation. Deciphering the molecular mechanisms regulating adult stem cell quiescence will increase our understanding of tissue regeneration mechanisms and how they are dysregulated in pathological conditions and in ageing.

Overview

AI snapshot

Written from the paper’s full text.

TL;DR

This review argues that adult stem cell quiescence is not passive dormancy but an actively maintained, reversible condition primed for rapid activation. It synthesizes transcriptional, epigenetic, post-transcriptional, signalling, metabolic, and genome-protective mechanisms across several tissue stem cell populations.

Key findings

  • Quiescent stem cells share a transcriptional signature: downregulation of DNA replication and cell-cycle genes such as cyclin A2, cyclin B1, cyclin E2, survivin, PCNA, and MCM4, plus reduced mitochondrial CYCS; upregulation of regulators including FOXO3 and EZH1, based on comparisons of haematopoietic, muscle, and hair follicle stem cells.
  • Quiescence is enforced by p53/RB, CDK inhibitors (p21, p27, p57), Notch signalling in muscle and neural stem cells but not haematopoietic stem cells, and microRNAs such as miR-126 in haematopoietic stem cells and miR-489/miR-31 in muscle stem cells; disrupting these pathways causes premature activation, differentiation, or stem cell pool exhaustion.
  • Survival during quiescence involves FOXO-mediated resistance to oxidative stress, HIF1α and LKB1 metabolic sensing, autophagy through Atg7, and DNA repair; quiescent haematopoietic stem cells preferentially use error-prone non-homologous end-joining, which may permit mutation accumulation.
  • The authors propose that quiescence is a poised condition: permissive H3K4me3 marks, miRNA-mediated fine-tuning, and 3′ UTR regulation keep activation programmes ready while limiting energy expenditure.

Methods

  • Design: narrative review, not a primary experimental study; it synthesizes published literature and advances a conceptual model.
  • Data or sample: cited studies of adult stem cell populations including haematopoietic, muscle, neural, hair follicle, and intestinal stem cells; no new sample, dataset, or original quantitative results are reported.
  • Analysis: conceptual integration of genetic ablation, lineage tracing, transcriptomic, epigenetic, and post-transcriptional findings; no formal meta-analysis or statistical method is described.

Limitations

  • The paper states that the molecular control of quiescence remains incompletely understood and that some epigenetic correlations and their significance still require experimental demonstration.
  • It identifies unresolved issues: mechanisms of asymmetric chromosome segregation remain undetermined, its prevalence varies by experimental paradigm, and Notch’s role in quiescence in some compartments remains to be determined.
  • Evident from the text: as a review, it provides no primary data, systematic search strategy, or quantitative synthesis, so its conclusions depend on cited studies and the authors’ proposed model.

Model-written summary. Check it against the paper before relying on it.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1038/nrm3591

Cites

164 of 164 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Nothing to recompute.

Verification

Claims the paper makes

0 of 171 cited sources checked · 0 supported · 0 flagged

Show all 105 claims

  • It may state two separate claims as one. 40
  • Probably not a substantial claim. 9
45 of 45
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    In mammals, the ability of tissue stem cells to remain quiescent is crucial for proper homeostasis and regeneration of many tissues.

    “In mammals, the ability of tissue stem cells to reside in the quiescent state is crucial for proper homeostasis and regeneration of many tissue types.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Mitochondrial biogenesis is required for stem cell activation.

    “As mitochondrial biogenesis is required for stem cell activation, low expression of CYCS reflects low metabolic activity of the quiescent stem cell.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Quiescent stem cells are generally less differentiated than their proliferating progeny.

    “quiescent stem cells are, in general, less differentiated than their proliferating progeny”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The molecular control of quiescence remains to be fully elucidated.

    “To date, the molecular control of quiescence still remains to be fully elucidated.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Quiescent stem cells are rare in many tissue compartments.

    “Our understanding of the characteristics of quiescent stem cells has been limited by the rarity of this population in many tissue compartments.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Quiescent stem cells have a low metabolic state.

    “given the low metabolic state of a quiescent stem cell”
    “compatible with the low metabolic state of quiescence”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    miRNAs can affect multiple target genes that are important in a shared pathway.

    “As miRNAs can affect a number of target genes that are important in a shared pathway”
7 of 7

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

Each contradiction between two passages listed here was confirmed by an independent check.

  • Conflicting claims about p57 and HSC quiescence

    Minor

    The text says p57 deficiency has no effect on HSC quiescence, but the title of its cited reference says p57 is required for that quiescence.

1 of 1

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Metadata

Authors
Cheung, T. H., & Rando, T. A.
Affiliations
Stanford Medicine (US)
Corresponding author
Rando, Thomas A.
Venue
Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology
Published
2013-05-23
Volume
14
Issue
6
Pages
329-340
ISSN
  • 1471-0072 (ISSN-L)
  • 1471-0080
OpenAlex
W2075670261
Cited by
1,148
References
164
Citations by year
2026: 45 · 2025: 72 · 2024: 76 · 2023: 91 · 2022: 95 · 2021: 106 · 2020: 121 · 2019: 115 · 2018: 98 · 2017: 101 · 2016: 91 · 2015: 72 · 2014: 57 · 2013: 8
FWCI
11.60
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • Rare & Special e-Zone (The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
  • Glenn Foundation for Medical Research
  • Muscular Dystrophy Association
  • National Institute on Aging (R37AG023806, R01AG023806, P01AG036695)
  • National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (R01AR062185, R01AR056849)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Hematology › Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Developmental Biology and Gene Regulation
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Mesenchymal stem cell research
Keywords
adult stem cells, stem cell quiescence, epigenetic regulation, transcriptional regulation, post-transcriptional regulation, signaling pathways, stem cell activation, tissue regeneration, aging
MeSH terms
Aging, Animals, Humans, Regeneration, Transcription, Genetic, Signal Transduction, Epigenesis, Genetic, Adult Stem Cells

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