dedifferenciáció

Dedifferentiation is a biological process where a specialized cell loses its characteristic features and reverts to a less specialized or progenitor state. This phenomenon is particularly observed in plants, where differentiated cells can regain totipotency or pluripotency under specific environmental conditions or through experimental manipulation. For example, plant cells from various tissues can be induced to dedifferentiate in tissue culture, forming a callus, which is an undifferentiated mass of cells. These callus cells can then be redifferentiated into a whole new plant.

In animals, dedifferentiation is less common and often associated with wound healing and regeneration. Certain cell types in some regenerating organisms, like salamanders, can dedifferentiate to form a blastema, a mass of undifferentiated cells that can then differentiate into the missing tissue or limb. In mammals, while some limited dedifferentiation has been observed in specific contexts, such as skeletal muscle regeneration, it is not as widespread or as complete as in plants or some lower vertebrates. The molecular mechanisms underlying dedifferentiation involve complex changes in gene expression, including the activation of genes associated with developmental plasticity and the suppression of genes that maintain cell specialization. This process is of significant interest for regenerative medicine and understanding developmental biology.