scholarly journals Defining developmental diversification of diencephalon neurons through single-cell gene expression profiling

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qiuxia Guo ◽  
James Y. H. Li
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Single Cell ◽  
Regulatory Networks ◽  
Neuronal Cell ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Developmental Trajectory ◽  
Form Complex ◽  
Molecular Features ◽  
Close Relationship ◽  
Cell Groups

ABSTRACTThe embryonic diencephalon gives rise to diverse neuronal cell types, which form complex integration centers and intricate relay stations of the vertebrate forebrain. Prior anecdotal gene expression studies suggest several developmental compartments within the developing diencephalon. In the current study, we utilized single-cell RNA sequencing to profile transcriptomes of dissociated cells from the diencephalon of E12.5 mouse embryos. Through analysis of unbiased transcriptional data, we identified the divergence of different progenitors, intermediate progenitors, and emerging neuronal cell types. After mapping the identified cell groups to their spatial origins, we were able to characterize the molecular features across different cell types and cell states, arising from various diencephalic compartments. Furthermore, we reconstructed the developmental trajectory of different cell lineages within the diencephalon. This allowed the identification of the genetic cascades and gene regulatory networks underlying the progression of the cell cycle, neurogenesis, and cellular diversification. The analysis provides new insights into the molecular mechanism underlying the specification and amplification of thalamic progenitor cells. In addition, the single-cell-resolved trajectories not only confirm a close relationship between the rostral thalamus and prethalamus, but also uncover an unexpected close relationship between the caudal thalamus, epithalamus and rostral pretectum. Our data provide a useful resource for the systematic study of cell heterogeneity and differentiation kinetics within the developing diencephalon.

scholarly journals Single cell RNA sequencing of the Strongylocentrotus purpuratus larva reveals the blueprint of major cell types and nervous system of a non-chordate deuterostome

eLife ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Periklis Paganos ◽  
Danila Voronov ◽  
Jacob M Musser ◽  
Detlev Arendt ◽  
Maria Ina Arnone
Keyword(s):  
Single Cell ◽  
Rna Sequencing ◽  
Sea Urchin ◽  
Regulatory Networks ◽  
Sea Urchins ◽  
Neuronal Cell ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Molecular Fingerprint ◽  
Larval Body ◽  
Single Cell Rna Sequencing

Identifying the molecular fingerprint of organismal cell types is key for understanding their function and evolution. Here, we use single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to survey the cell types of the sea urchin early pluteus larva, representing an important developmental transition from non-feeding to feeding larva. We identify 21 distinct cell clusters, representing cells of the digestive, skeletal, immune, and nervous systems. Further subclustering of these reveal a highly detailed portrait of cell diversity across the larva, including the identification of neuronal cell types. We then validate important gene regulatory networks driving sea urchin development and reveal new domains of activity within the larval body. Focusing on neurons that co-express Pdx-1 and Brn1/2/4, we identify an unprecedented number of genes shared by this population of neurons in sea urchin and vertebrate endocrine pancreatic cells. Using differential expression results from Pdx-1 knockdown experiments, we show that Pdx1 is necessary for the acquisition of the neuronal identity of these cells. We hypothesize that a network similar to the one orchestrated by Pdx1 in the sea urchin neurons was active in an ancestral cell type and then inherited by neuronal and pancreatic developmental lineages in sea urchins and vertebrates.

scholarly journals In situelectro-sequencing in three-dimensional tissues

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qiang Li ◽  
Zuwan Lin ◽  
Ren Liu ◽  
Xin Tang ◽  
Jiahao Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Single Cell ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Developmental Trajectory ◽  
Single Cell Level ◽  
Cell Level ◽  
Cell Gene Expression ◽  
Cell Gene

AbstractPairwise mapping of single-cell gene expression and electrophysiology in intact three-dimensional (3D) tissues is crucial for studying electrogenic organs (e.g., brain and heart)1–5. Here, we introducein situelectro-sequencing (electro-seq), combining soft bioelectronics within situRNA sequencing to stably map millisecond-timescale cellular electrophysiology and simultaneously profile a large number of genes at single-cell level across 3D tissues. We appliedin situelectro-seq to 3D human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocyte (hiPSC-CM) patches, precisely registering the CM gene expression with electrophysiology at single-cell level, enabling multimodalin situanalysis. Such multimodal data integration substantially improved the dissection of cell types and the reconstruction of developmental trajectory from spatially heterogeneous tissues. Using machine learning (ML)-based cross-modal analysis,in situelectro-seq identified the gene-to-electrophysiology relationship over the time course of cardiac maturation. Further leveraging such a relationship to train a coupled autoencoder, we demonstrated the prediction of single-cell gene expression profile evolution using long-term electrical measurement from the same cardiac patch or 3D millimeter-scale cardiac organoids. As exemplified by cardiac tissue maturation,in situelectro-seq will be broadly applicable to create spatiotemporal multimodal maps and predictive models in electrogenic organs, allowing discovery of cell types and gene programs responsible for electrophysiological function and dysfunction.

scholarly journals Functional Inference of Gene Regulation using Single-Cell Multi-Omics

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vinay K Kartha ◽  
Fabiana M Duarte ◽  
Yan Hu ◽  
Sai Ma ◽  
Jennifer G Chew ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Single Cell ◽  
Regulatory Networks ◽  
Immunological Response ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Regulatory Elements ◽  
Chromatin Accessibility ◽  
Human Blood Cells ◽  
Functional Inference ◽  
Omic Data

Cells require coordinated control over gene expression when responding to environmental stimuli. Here, we apply scATAC-seq and scRNA-seq in resting and stimulated human blood cells. Collectively, we generate ~91,000 single-cell profiles, allowing us to probe the cis -regulatory landscape of immunological response across cell types, stimuli and time. Advancing tools to integrate multi-omic data, we develop FigR - a framework to computationally pair scATAC-seq with scRNA-seq cells, connect distal cis -regulatory elements to genes, and infer gene regulatory networks (GRNs) to identify candidate TF regulators. Utilizing these paired multi-omic data, we define Domains of Regulatory Chromatin (DORCs) of immune stimulation and find that cells alter chromatin accessibility prior to production of gene expression at time scales of minutes. Further, the construction of the stimulation GRN elucidates TF activity at disease-associated DORCs. Overall, FigR enables the elucidation of regulatory interactions across single-cell data, providing new opportunities to understand the function of cells within tissues.

scholarly journals Investigating transcriptome-wide sex dimorphism by multi-level analysis of single-cell RNA sequencing data in ten mouse cell types

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tianyuan Lu ◽  
Jessica C. Mar
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Single Cell ◽  
Regulatory Networks ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Marker Genes ◽  
Biological Functions ◽  
Sex Dimorphism ◽  
Cell Type ◽  
Transcriptional Regulatory ◽  
Single Cell Rna Sequencing

Abstract Background It is a long established fact that sex is an important factor that influences the transcriptional regulatory processes of an organism. However, understanding sex-based differences in gene expression has been limited because existing studies typically sequence and analyze bulk tissue from female or male individuals. Such analyses average cell-specific gene expression levels where cell-to-cell variation can easily be concealed. We therefore sought to utilize data generated by the rapidly developing single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) technology to explore sex dimorphism and its functional consequences at the single cell level. Methods Our study included scRNA-seq data of ten well-defined cell types from the brain and heart of female and male young adult mice in the publicly available tissue atlas dataset, Tabula Muris. We combined standard differential expression analysis with the identification of differential distributions in single cell transcriptomes to test for sex-based gene expression differences in each cell type. The marker genes that had sex-specific inter-cellular changes in gene expression formed the basis for further characterization of the cellular functions that were differentially regulated between the female and male cells. We also inferred activities of transcription factor-driven gene regulatory networks by leveraging knowledge of multidimensional protein-to-genome and protein-to-protein interactions and analyzed pathways that were potential modulators of sex differentiation and dimorphism. Results For each cell type in this study, we identified marker genes with significantly different mean expression levels or inter-cellular distribution characteristics between female and male cells. These marker genes were enriched in pathways that were closely related to the biological functions of each cell type. We also identified sub-cell types that possibly carry out distinct biological functions that displayed discrepancies between female and male cells. Additionally, we found that while genes under differential transcriptional regulation exhibited strong cell type specificity, six core transcription factor families responsible for most sex-dimorphic transcriptional regulation activities were conserved across the cell types, including ASCL2, EGR, GABPA, KLF/SP, RXRα, and ZF. Conclusions We explored novel gene expression-based biomarkers, functional cell group compositions, and transcriptional regulatory networks associated with sex dimorphism with a novel computational pipeline. Our findings indicated that sex dimorphism might be widespread across the transcriptomes of cell types, cell type-specific, and impactful for regulating cellular activities.

scholarly journals Single cell RNA sequencing of theStrongylocentrotus purpuratuslarva reveals the blueprint of major cell types and nervous system of a non-chordate deuterostome

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Periklis Paganos ◽  
Danila Voronov ◽  
Jacob Musser ◽  
Detlev Arendt ◽  
Maria I. Arnone
Keyword(s):  
Single Cell ◽  
Rna Sequencing ◽  
Sea Urchin ◽  
Regulatory Networks ◽  
Neuronal Cell ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Molecular Fingerprint ◽  
Distinct Cell ◽  
Single Cell Rna Sequencing ◽  
Cell Diversity

AbstractIdentifying the molecular fingerprint of organismal cell types is key for understanding their function and evolution. Here, we use single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to survey the cell types of the sea urchin early pluteus larva, representing an important developmental transition from non-feeding to feeding larva. We identified 21 distinct cell clusters, representing cells of the digestive, skeletal, immune, and nervous systems. Further subclustering of these revealed a highly detailed portrait of cell diversity across the larva, including the identification of 12 distinct neuronal cell types. Moreover, we corroborated co-expression of key regulatory genes previously shown to drive sea urchin gene regulatory networks, and revealed additional domains in which these regulatory networks are likely to function within the larva. Lastly, we recovered a neuronal cell type co-expressingPdx-1andBrn1/2/4, which had previously been shown to share similar gene expression with vertebrate pancreas. Our results extend this finding, revealing twenty transcription factors shared by this population of neurons in sea urchin and vertebrate pancreatic cells. Using differential expression results from Pdx-1 knockdown experiments, we generate a draft of the Pdx-1 regulatory network in these cells, and hypothesize this network was present in an ancestral deuterostome neuron before being co-opted into the pancreas developmental lineage in vertebrates.

scholarly journals Single-cell transcriptomic landscape of human blood cells

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaowei Xie ◽  
Mengyao Liu ◽  
Yawen Zhang ◽  
Bingrui Wang ◽  
Caiying Zhu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Single Cell ◽  
Human Blood ◽  
Blood Cells ◽  
Regulatory Networks ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Lymphoid Cells ◽  
Immune Functions ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem ◽  
Molecular Features ◽  
Human Blood Cells

Abstract High throughput single-cell RNA-seq has been successfully implemented to dissect the cellular and molecular features underlying hematopoiesis. However, an elaborate and comprehensive transcriptome reference of the whole blood system is lacking. Here, we profiled the transcriptomes of 7551 human blood cells representing 32 immunophenotypic cell types, including hematopoietic stem cells, progenitors and mature blood cells derived from 21 healthy donors. With high sequencing depth and coverage, we constructed a single-cell transcriptional atlas of blood cells (ABC) on the basis of both protein-coding genes and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), and showed a high consistence between them. Notably, putative lncRNAs and transcription factors regulating hematopoietic cell differentiation were identified. While common transcription factor regulatory networks were activated in neutrophils and monocytes, lymphoid cells dramatically changed their regulatory networks during differentiation. Furthermore, we showed a subset of nucleated erythrocytes actively expressing immune signals, suggesting the existence of erythroid precursors with immune functions. Finally, a web portal offering transcriptome browsing and blood cell type prediction has been established. Thus, our work provides a transcriptional map of human blood cells at single-cell resolution, thereby offering a comprehensive reference for the exploration of physiological and pathological hematopoiesis.

scholarly journals Comprehensive analysis of retinal development at single cell resolution identifies NFI factors as essential for mitotic exit and specification of late-born cells

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian S. Clark ◽  
Genevieve L. Stein-O’Brien ◽  
Fion Shiau ◽  
Gabrielle H. Cannon ◽  
Emily Davis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Single Cell ◽  
Cell Fate ◽  
Regulatory Networks ◽  
Developmental Stages ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Developmental Competence ◽  
Cellular Heterogeneity ◽  
Retinal Cell ◽  
Control Of Gene Expression

SUMMARYPrecise temporal control of gene expression in neuronal progenitors is necessary for correct regulation of neurogenesis and cell fate specification. However, the extensive cellular heterogeneity of the developing CNS has posed a major obstacle to identifying the gene regulatory networks that control these processes. To address this, we used single cell RNA-sequencing to profile ten developmental stages encompassing the full course of retinal neurogenesis. This allowed us to comprehensively characterize changes in gene expression that occur during initiation of neurogenesis, changes in developmental competence, and specification and differentiation of each of the major retinal cell types. These data identify transitions in gene expression between early and late-stage retinal progenitors, as well as a classification of neurogenic progenitors. We identify here the NFI family of transcription factors (Nfia, Nfib, and Nfix) as genes with enriched expression within late RPCs, and show they are regulators of bipolar interneuron and Müller glia specification and the control of proliferative quiescence.

scholarly journals Single cell transcriptomics of the developing zebrafish lens and identification of putative controllers of lens development

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dylan Farnsworth ◽  
Mason Posner ◽  
Adam Miller
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Single Cell ◽  
Regulatory Networks ◽  
Rna Binding ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Model System ◽  
Lens Development ◽  
Functional Studies ◽  
Open Questions

AbstractThe vertebrate lens is a valuable model system for investigating the gene expression changes that coordinate tissue differentiation due to its inclusion of two spatially separated cell types, the outer epithelial cells and the deeper denucleated fiber cells that they support. Zebrafish are a useful model system for studying lens development given the organ’s rapid development in the first several days of life in an accessible, transparent embryo. While we have strong foundational knowledge of the diverse lens crystallin proteins and the basic gene regulatory networks controlling lens development, no study has detailed gene expression in a vertebrate lens at single cell resolution. Here we report an atlas of lens gene expression in zebrafish embryos at single cell resolution through five days of development, identifying a number of novel regulators of lens development as potential targets for future functional studies. Our temporospatial expression data address open questions about the function of α-crystallins during lens development and provides the first detailed view of β- and γ-crystallin expression in and outside the lens. We describe subfunctionalization in transcription factor genes that occur as paralog pairs in the zebrafish. Finally, we examine the expression dynamics of cytoskeletal, RNA-binding, and transcription factors genes, identifying a number of novel patterns. Overall these data provide a foundation for identifying and characterizing lens developmental regulatory mechanisms and revealing targets for future functional studies with potential therapeutic impact.

scholarly journals A single-cell catalogue of regulatory states in the ageing Drosophila brain

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristofer Davie ◽  
Jasper Janssens ◽  
Duygu Koldere ◽  
Uli Pech ◽  
Sara Aibar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Single Cell ◽  
Regulatory Networks ◽  
Neuronal Cell ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Disease Mutations ◽  
Drosophila Brain ◽  
Gene Regulatory ◽  
Cell Transcriptome ◽  
Single Cell Transcriptome ◽  
The Brain

SummaryThe diversity of cell types and regulatory states in the brain, and how these change during ageing, remains largely unknown. Here, we present a single-cell transcriptome catalogue of the entire adult Drosophila melanogaster brain sampled across its lifespan. Both neurons and glia age through a process of “regulatory erosion”, characterized by a strong decline of RNA content, and accompanied by increasing transcriptional and chromatin noise. We identify more than 50 cell types by specific transcription factors and their downstream gene regulatory networks. In addition to neurotransmitter types and neuroblast lineages, we find a novel neuronal cell state driven by datilografo and prospero. This state relates to neuronal birth order, the metabolic profile, and the activity of a neuron. Our single-cell brain catalogue reveals extensive regulatory heterogeneity linked to ageing and brain function and will serve as a reference for future studies of genetic variation and disease mutations.

scholarly journals Single-Cell Sequencing Applications in the Inner Ear

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mingxuan Wu ◽  
Mingyu Xia ◽  
Wenyan Li ◽  
Huawei Li
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Single Cell ◽  
Inner Ear ◽  
Signaling Pathways ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Specific Cell ◽  
Tissue Heterogeneity ◽  
Single Cell Sequencing ◽  
Cell Groups ◽  
Different Cell Types

Genomics studies face specific challenges in the inner ear due to the multiple types and limited amounts of inner ear cells that are arranged in a very delicate structure. However, advances in single-cell sequencing (SCS) technology have made it possible to analyze gene expression variations across different cell types as well as within specific cell groups that were previously considered to be homogeneous. In this review, we summarize recent advances in inner ear research brought about by the use of SCS that have delineated tissue heterogeneity, identified unknown cell subtypes, discovered novel cell markers, and revealed dynamic signaling pathways during development. SCS opens up new avenues for inner ear research, and the potential of the technology is only beginning to be explored.

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