Germ cells are uniquely capable of maintaining cellular immortality, allowing them to give rise to new individuals in generation after generation. Recent studies have identified that the germline state is plastic, with frequent interconversion between germline differentiation states and across the germline/soma border. Therefore, features that grant germline immortality must be inducible, with other cells undergoing some form of rejuvenation to a germline state. In this review, we summarize the breadth of our current interpretations of germline plasticity and the ways in which these fate conversion events can aid our understanding of the underlying hallmarks of germline immortality.

生殖细胞具有独特的维持细胞永生的能力，使它们能够一代又一代地产生新的个体。最近的研究已经确定种系状态是可塑的，种系分化状态之间和跨越种系/体细胞边界的频繁相互转换。因此，赋予种系永生的特征必须是可诱导的，其他细胞会经历某种形式的恢复到种系状态。在这篇综述中，我们总结了我们目前对种系可塑性的解释的广度，以及这些命运转换事件如何帮助我们理解种系永生的潜在标志。