The evolving concept of cell identity in the single cell era
Abstract
Fueled by recent advances in single cell biology, we are moving away from qualitative and undersampled assessments of cell identity, toward building quantitative, high-resolution cell atlases. However, it remains challenging to precisely define cell identity, leading to renewed debate surrounding this concept. Here, I present three pillars that I propose are central to the notion of cell identity: phenotype, lineage and state. I explore emerging technologies that are enabling the systematic and unbiased quantification of these properties, and outline how these efforts will enable the construction of a high-resolution, dynamic landscape of cell identity, potentially revealing its underlying molecular regulation to provide new opportunities for understanding and manipulating cell fate.
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Cell type-specific gene expression changes associated with different cell states may be seen during circadian cycles, variable metabolic states, development, aging, or under behavioral, pharmacological or diseased conditions.
“Cell type-specific gene expression changes associated with different cell states may be seen during circadian cycles, variable metabolic states, development, aging, or under behavioral, pharmacological or diseased conditions (Fig. 4) (Mayr et al., 2019; Morris, 2019).”
From What is a cell type and how to define it? (2022) · cites this paper as Morris, 2019
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- Authors
- Morris, S. A.
- Affiliations
- Washington University in St. Louis (US)
- Corresponding author
- Morris, Samantha A.
- ORCID
- Morris, Samantha A.
- Venue
- Development
- Publisher
- The Company of Biologists
- Published
- 2019-06-15
- Volume
- 146
- Issue
- 12
- ISSN
- 0950-1991 (ISSN-L)
- 1477-9129
- OpenAlex
- W2953614989
- Cited by
- 154
- References
- 63
- Citations by year
- 2026: 21 · 2025: 16 · 2024: 23 · 2023: 16 · 2022: 23 · 2021: 32 · 2020: 20 · 2019: 3
- FWCI
- 6.47
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Development (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- HighWire Press Open Archive (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Single-cell and spatial transcriptomics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Developmental Biology and Gene Regulation
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Gene Regulatory Network Analysis
- Keywords
- cell identity, single-cell biology, cell atlases, cell phenotype, cell lineage, cell states, cell fate
- MeSH terms
- Machine Learning, Animals, Cell Differentiation, Cell Biology, Golgi Apparatus, Humans, Models, Biological, Neurons, Phenotype, Genetic Variation, Caenorhabditis elegans, Cell Lineage, Epigenesis, Genetic, Mice, Single-Cell Analysis, CRISPR-Cas Systems
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