scholarly journals A single-cell atlas of human glioblastoma reveals a single axis of phenotype in tumor-propagating cells

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sören Müller ◽  
Elizabeth Di Lullo ◽  
Aparna Bhaduri ◽  
Beatriz Alvarado ◽  
Garima Yagnik ◽  
...  

AbstractTumor-propagating glioblastoma (GBM) stem-like cells (GSCs) of the proneural and mesenchymal molecular subtypes have been described. However, it is unknown if these two GSC populations are sufficient to generate the spectrum of cellular heterogeneity observed in GBM. The lineage relationships and niche interactions of GSCs have not been fully elucidated. We perform single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) and matched exome sequencing of human GBMs (12 patients; >37,000 cells) to identify recurrent hierarchies of GSCs and their progeny. We map sequenced cells to tumor-anatomical structures and identify microenvironment interactions using reference atlases and quantitative immunohistochemistry. We find that all GSCs can be described by a single axis of variation, ranging from proneural to mesenchymal. Increasing mesenchymal GSC (mGSC) content, but not proneural GSC (pGSC) content, correlates with significantly inferior survival. All clonal expressed mutations are found in the GSC populations, with a greater representation of mutations found in mGSCs. While pGSCs upregulate markers of cell-cycle progression, mGSCs are largely quiescent and overexpress cytokines mediating the chemotaxis of myeloid-derived suppressor cells. We find mGSCs enriched in hypoxic regions while pGSCs are enriched in the tumor’s invasive edge. We show that varying proportions of mGSCs, pGSCs, their progeny and stromal/immune cells are sufficient to explain the genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity observed in GBM. This study sheds light on a long-standing debate regarding the lineage relationships between GSCs and other glioma cell types.

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chiaowen Joyce Hsiao ◽  
PoYuan Tung ◽  
John D. Blischak ◽  
Jonathan E. Burnett ◽  
Kenneth A. Barr ◽  
...  

AbstractCellular heterogeneity in gene expression is driven by cellular processes such as cell cycle and cell-type identity, and cellular environment such as spatial location. The cell cycle, in particular, is thought to be a key driver of cell-to-cell heterogeneity in gene expression, even in otherwise homogeneous cell populations. Recent advances in single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) facilitate detailed characterization of gene expression heterogeneity, and can thus shed new light on the processes driving heterogeneity. Here, we combined fluorescence imaging with scRNA-seq to measure cell cycle phase and gene expression levels in human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Using these data, we developed a novel approach to characterize cell cycle progression. While standard methods assign cells to discrete cell cycle stages, our method goes beyond this, and quantifies cell cycle progression on a continuum. We found that, on average, scRNA-seq data from only five genes predicted a cell’s position on the cell cycle continuum to within 14% of the entire cycle, and that using more genes did not improve this accuracy. Our data and predictor of cell cycle phase can directly help future studies to account for cell-cycle-related heterogeneity in iPSCs. Our results and methods also provide a foundation for future work to characterize the effects of the cell cycle on expression heterogeneity in other cell types.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ji Tu ◽  
Wentian Li ◽  
Sidong Yang ◽  
Pengyi Yang ◽  
Qi Yan ◽  
...  

Degeneration of the nucleus pulposus (NP) is a major contributor to intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) and low back pain. However, the underlying molecular complexity and cellular heterogeneity remain poorly understood. Here, we first reported a comprehensive single-cell resolution transcriptional landscape of human NP. Six novel human nucleus pulposus cell (NPCs) populations were identified by distinct molecular signatures. The potential functional differences among NPC subpopulations were analyzed at the single-cell level. Predictive genes, transcriptional factors, and signal pathways with respect to degeneration grades were analyzed. We reported that fibroNPCs, one of our identified subpopulations, might be a population for NP regeneration. CD90+NPCs were observed to be progenitor cells in degenerative NP tissues. NP-infiltrating immune cells comprise a previously unrecognized diversity of cell types, including granulocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells (G-MDSCs). We uncovered CD11b, OLR1, and CD24 as surface markers of NP-derived G-MDSCs. The G-MDSCs were also found to be enriched in mildly degenerated (grade I and II) NP tissues compared to severely degenerated (grade III and IV) NP tissues. Their immunosuppressive function and protective effects for NPCs were revealed . Collectively, this study revealed the NPC type complexity and phenotypic characteristics in NP, providing new insights and clues for IVDD treatment.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinyue Liao ◽  
Shuk Han Ng ◽  
Jiajie Tu ◽  
Alfred Chun Shui Luk ◽  
Yan Qian ◽  
...  

SummaryThe transition of gonocytes to spermatogonia and subsequent differentiation provide the foundation of spermatogenesis. However, systematic understanding on the cellular and molecular basis of this process is still limited, mainly impeded by the asynchrony in development and the lack of stage-specific markers. Using single-cell RNA sequencing on Oct4-GFP+/KIT- cells isolated from PND5.5 mice, we dissected the cellular heterogeneity and established molecular regulations. We demonstrated that gonocyte-spermatogonial transition was characterized by gene expression change related to apoptosis, cell cycle progression, and regulation of migration processes. Pseudotime analysis reconstructed developmental dynamics of the spermatogonial populations and unraveled sequential cellular and molecular transitions. We also identified CD87 as a neonatal stem cell marker which are potentially involved in the intial establishment of SSC pool. Lastly, we uncovered an unexpected subpopulation of spermatogonia primed to differentiation within the undifferentiated compartment, which is characterized by the lack of self-renewal genes and enhanced Oct4 expression and retinoic acid signaling response. Our study thus provides a novel understanding of cellular and molecular changes during spermatogonial establishment.


Cancers ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 1627 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anita Thyagarajan ◽  
Mamdouh Salman A. Alshehri ◽  
Kelly L.R. Miller ◽  
Catherine M. Sherwin ◽  
Jeffrey B. Travers ◽  
...  

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains a devastating human malignancy with poor prognosis and low survival rates. Several cellular mechanisms have been linked with pancreatic carcinogenesis and also implicated in inducing tumor resistance to known therapeutic regimens. Of various factors, immune evasion mechanisms play critical roles in tumor progression and impeding the efficacy of cancer therapies including PDAC. Among immunosuppressive cell types, myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) have been extensively studied and demonstrated to not only support PDAC development but also hamper the anti-tumor immune responses elicited by therapeutic agents. Notably, recent efforts have been directed in devising novel approaches to target MDSCs to limit their effects. Multiple strategies including immune-based approaches have been explored either alone or in combination with therapeutic agents to target MDSCs in preclinical and clinical settings of PDAC. The current review highlights the roles and mechanisms of MDSCs as well as the implications of this immunomodulatory cell type as a potential target to improve the efficacy of therapeutic regimens for PDAC.


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bas Molenaar ◽  
Louk T. Timmer ◽  
Marjolein Droog ◽  
Ilaria Perini ◽  
Danielle Versteeg ◽  
...  

AbstractThe efficiency of the repair process following ischemic cardiac injury is a crucial determinant for the progression into heart failure and is controlled by both intra- and intercellular signaling within the heart. An enhanced understanding of this complex interplay will enable better exploitation of these mechanisms for therapeutic use. We used single-cell transcriptomics to collect gene expression data of all main cardiac cell types at different time-points after ischemic injury. These data unveiled cellular and transcriptional heterogeneity and changes in cellular function during cardiac remodeling. Furthermore, we established potential intercellular communication networks after ischemic injury. Follow up experiments confirmed that cardiomyocytes express and secrete elevated levels of beta-2 microglobulin in response to ischemic damage, which can activate fibroblasts in a paracrine manner. Collectively, our data indicate phase-specific changes in cellular heterogeneity during different stages of cardiac remodeling and allow for the identification of therapeutic targets relevant for cardiac repair.


2004 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. 5172-5186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moe R. Mahjoub ◽  
M. Qasim Rasi ◽  
Lynne M. Quarmby

Polycystic kidney disease and related syndromes involve dysregulation of cell proliferation in conjunction with ciliary defects. The relationship between cilia and cell cycle is enigmatic, but it may involve regulation by the NIMA-family of kinases (Neks). We previously showed that the Nek Fa2p is important for ciliary function and cell cycle in Chlamydomonas. We now show that Fa2p localizes to an important regulatory site at the proximal end of cilia in both Chlamydomonas and a mouse kidney cell line. Fa2p also is associated with the proximal end of centrioles. Its localization is dynamic during the cell cycle, following a similar pattern in both cell types. The cell cycle function of Fa2p is kinase independent, whereas its ciliary function is kinase dependent. Mice with mutations in Nek1 or Nek8 have cystic kidneys; therefore, our discovery that a member of this phylogenetic group of Nek proteins is localized to the same sites in Chlamydomonas and kidney epithelial cells suggests that Neks play conserved roles in the coordination of cilia and cell cycle progression.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Kakava-Georgiadou ◽  
J.F. Severens ◽  
A.M. Jørgensen ◽  
K.M. Garner ◽  
M.C.M Luijendijk ◽  
...  

AbstractHypothalamic nuclei which regulate homeostatic functions express leptin receptor (LepR), the primary target of the satiety hormone leptin. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) has facilitated the discovery of a variety of hypothalamic cell types. However, low abundance of LepR transcripts prevented further characterization of LepR cells. Therefore, we perform scRNA-seq on isolated LepR cells and identify eight neuronal clusters, including three uncharacterized Trh-expressing populations as well as 17 non-neuronal populations including tanycytes, oligodendrocytes and endothelial cells. Food restriction had a major impact on Agrp neurons and changed the expression of obesity-associated genes. Multiple cell clusters were enriched for GWAS signals of obesity. We further explored changes in the gene regulatory landscape of LepR cell types. We thus reveal the molecular signature of distinct populations with diverse neurochemical profiles, which will aid efforts to illuminate the multi-functional nature of leptin’s action in the hypothalamus.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Etienne Becht ◽  
Daniel Tolstrup ◽  
Charles-Antoine Dutertre ◽  
Florent Ginhoux ◽  
Evan W. Newell ◽  
...  

AbstractModern immunologic research increasingly requires high-dimensional analyses in order to understand the complex milieu of cell-types that comprise the tissue microenvironments of disease. To achieve this, we developed Infinity Flow combining hundreds of overlapping flow cytometry panels using machine learning to enable the simultaneous analysis of the co-expression patterns of 100s of surface-expressed proteins across millions of individual cells. In this study, we demonstrate that this approach allows the comprehensive analysis of the cellular constituency of the steady-state murine lung and to identify novel cellular heterogeneity in the lungs of melanoma metastasis bearing mice. We show that by using supervised machine learning, Infinity Flow enhances the accuracy and depth of clustering or dimensionality reduction algorithms. Infinity Flow is a highly scalable, low-cost and accessible solution to single cell proteomics in complex tissues.


2021 ◽  
Vol 53 (9) ◽  
pp. 1379-1389
Author(s):  
Hao Kan ◽  
Ka Zhang ◽  
Aiqin Mao ◽  
Li Geng ◽  
Mengru Gao ◽  
...  

AbstractThe aorta contains numerous cell types that contribute to vascular inflammation and thus the progression of aortic diseases. However, the heterogeneity and cellular composition of the ascending aorta in the setting of a high-fat diet (HFD) have not been fully assessed. We performed single-cell RNA sequencing on ascending aortas from mice fed a normal diet and mice fed a HFD. Unsupervised cluster analysis of the transcriptional profiles from 24,001 aortic cells identified 27 clusters representing 10 cell types: endothelial cells (ECs), fibroblasts, vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs), immune cells (B cells, T cells, macrophages, and dendritic cells), mesothelial cells, pericytes, and neural cells. After HFD intake, subpopulations of endothelial cells with lipid transport and angiogenesis capacity and extensive expression of contractile genes were defined. In the HFD group, three major SMC subpopulations showed increased expression of extracellular matrix-degradation genes, and a synthetic SMC subcluster was proportionally increased. This increase was accompanied by upregulation of proinflammatory genes. Under HFD conditions, aortic-resident macrophage numbers were increased, and blood-derived macrophages showed the strongest expression of proinflammatory cytokines. Our study elucidates the nature and range of the cellular composition of the ascending aorta and increases understanding of the development and progression of aortic inflammatory disease.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gemma L. Johnson ◽  
Erick J. Masias ◽  
Jessica A. Lehoczky

ABSTRACTInnate regeneration following digit tip amputation is one of the few examples of epimorphic regeneration in mammals. Digit tip regeneration is mediated by the blastema, the same structure invoked during limb regeneration in some lower vertebrates. By genetic lineage analyses in mice, the digit tip blastema has been defined as a population of heterogeneous, lineage restricted progenitor cells. These previous studies, however, do not comprehensively evaluate blastema heterogeneity or address lineage restriction of closely related cell types. In this report we present single cell RNA sequencing of over 38,000 cells from mouse digit tip blastemas and unamputated control digit tips and generate an atlas of the cell types participating in digit tip regeneration. We define the differentiation trajectories of vascular, monocytic, and fibroblastic lineages over regeneration, and while our data confirm broad lineage restriction of progenitors, our analysis reveals an early blastema fibroblast population expressing a novel regeneration-specific gene, Mest.


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