In this article, the Durbec team showed that neuroblasts, which give rise to neurons in physiological conditions, generate myelinating oligodendrocytes in pathological states. This fate change occurs directly by forming a transient cell state co-expressing neuronal and oligodendrocyte identity markers. This conversion involves fine-tuning of transcriptional and translational mechanisms and regulation of cell metabolism and migratory behaviour.
And yet it diffuses!
Free diffusion of Wnt ligands can polarize target cells at distance in C. elegans embryos.