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Jain S, Eadon MT. Spatial transcriptomics in health and disease. Nat Rev Nephrol 2024:10.1038/s41581-024-00841-1. [PMID: 38719971 DOI: 10.1038/s41581-024-00841-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
The ability to localize hundreds of macromolecules to discrete locations, structures and cell types in a tissue is a powerful approach to understand the cellular and spatial organization of an organ. Spatially resolved transcriptomic technologies enable mapping of transcripts at single-cell or near single-cell resolution in a multiplex manner. The rapid development of spatial transcriptomic technologies has accelerated the pace of discovery in several fields, including nephrology. Its application to preclinical models and human samples has provided spatial information about new cell types discovered by single-cell sequencing and new insights into the cell-cell interactions within neighbourhoods, and has improved our understanding of the changes that occur in response to injury. Integration of spatial transcriptomic technologies with other omics methods, such as proteomics and spatial epigenetics, will further facilitate the generation of comprehensive molecular atlases, and provide insights into the dynamic relationships of molecular components in homeostasis and disease. This Review provides an overview of current and emerging spatial transcriptomic methods, their applications and remaining challenges for the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanjay Jain
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
| | - Michael T Eadon
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
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2
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Zhang R, Jadhav DA, Kim N, Kramer B, Gonzalez-Vicente A. Profiling Cell Heterogeneity and Fructose Transporter Expression in the Rat Nephron by Integrating Single-Cell and Microdissected Tubule Segment Transcriptomes. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:3071. [PMID: 38474316 PMCID: PMC10931557 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25053071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) is a crucial tool in kidney research. These technologies cluster cells based on transcriptome similarity, irrespective of the anatomical location and order within the nephron. Thus, a transcriptome cluster may obscure the heterogeneity of the cell population within a nephron segment. Elevated dietary fructose leads to salt-sensitive hypertension, in part, through fructose reabsorption in the proximal tubule (PT). However, the organization of the four known fructose transporters in apical PTs (SGLT4, SGLT5, GLUT5, and NaGLT1) remains poorly understood. We hypothesized that cells within each subsegment of the proximal tubule exhibit complex, heterogeneous fructose transporter expression patterns. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed rat kidney transcriptomes and proteomes from publicly available scRNAseq and tubule microdissection databases. We found that microdissected PT-S1 segments consist of 81% ± 12% cells with scRNAseq-derived transcriptional characteristics of S1, whereas PT-S2 express a mixture of 18% ± 9% S1, 58% ± 8% S2, and 19% ± 5% S3 transcripts, and PT-S3 consists of 75% ± 9% S3 transcripts. The expression of all four fructose transporters was detectable in all three PT segments, but key fructose transporters SGLT5 and GLUT5 progressively increased from S1 to S3, and both were significantly upregulated in S3 vs. S1/S2 (Slc5a10: 1.9 log2FC, p < 1 × 10-299; Scl2a5: 1.4 log2FC, p < 4 × 10-105). A similar distribution was found in human kidneys. These data suggest that S3 is the primary site of fructose reabsorption in both humans and rats. Finally, because of the multiple scRNAseq transcriptional phenotypes found in each segment, our findings also imply that anatomical labels applied to scRNAseq clusters may be misleading.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronghao Zhang
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology & Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Darshan Aatmaram Jadhav
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Najeong Kim
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Benjamin Kramer
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Agustin Gonzalez-Vicente
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
- Department of Kidney Medicine, Glickman Urological & Kidney Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
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3
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Kaur H, Jha P, Ochatt SJ, Kumar V. Single-cell transcriptomics is revolutionizing the improvement of plant biotechnology research: recent advances and future opportunities. Crit Rev Biotechnol 2024; 44:202-217. [PMID: 36775666 DOI: 10.1080/07388551.2023.2165900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2022] [Revised: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/14/2023]
Abstract
Single-cell approaches are a promising way to obtain high-resolution transcriptomics data and have the potential to revolutionize the study of plant growth and development. Recent years have seen the advent of unprecedented technological advances in the field of plant biology to study the transcriptional information of individual cells by single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). This review focuses on the modern advancements of single-cell transcriptomics in plants over the past few years. In addition, it also offers a new insight of how these emerging methods will expedite advance research in plant biotechnology in the near future. Lastly, the various technological hurdles and inherent limitations of single-cell technology that need to be conquered to develop such outstanding possible knowledge gain is critically analyzed and discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harmeet Kaur
- Division of Research and Development, Plant Biotechnology Lab, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab, India
- Department of Biotechnology, Lovely Faculty of Technology and Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab, India
| | - Priyanka Jha
- Department of Biotechnology, Lovely Faculty of Technology and Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab, India
- Department of Research Facilitation, Division of Research and Development, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab, India
| | - Sergio J Ochatt
- Agroécologie, InstitutAgro Dijon, INRAE, Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
| | - Vijay Kumar
- Division of Research and Development, Plant Biotechnology Lab, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab, India
- Department of Biotechnology, Lovely Faculty of Technology and Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab, India
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Ali M, Yang T, He H, Zhang Y. Plant biotechnology research with single-cell transcriptome: recent advancements and prospects. PLANT CELL REPORTS 2024; 43:75. [PMID: 38381195 DOI: 10.1007/s00299-024-03168-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
KEY MESSAGE Single-cell transcriptomic techniques have emerged as powerful tools in plant biology, offering high-resolution insights into gene expression at the individual cell level. This review highlights the rapid expansion of single-cell technologies in plants, their potential in understanding plant development, and their role in advancing plant biotechnology research. Single-cell techniques have emerged as powerful tools to enhance our understanding of biological systems, providing high-resolution transcriptomic analysis at the single-cell level. In plant biology, the adoption of single-cell transcriptomics has seen rapid expansion of available technologies and applications. This review article focuses on the latest advancements in the field of single-cell transcriptomic in plants and discusses the potential role of these approaches in plant development and expediting plant biotechnology research in the near future. Furthermore, inherent challenges and limitations of single-cell technology are critically examined to overcome them and enhance our knowledge and understanding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Ali
- School of Agriculture, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, China
- Peking University-Institute of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Weifang, China
| | - Tianxia Yang
- School of Agriculture, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, China
- State Key Laboratory of Maize Bio-breeding, National Maize Improvement Center, Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding (MOE), China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Hai He
- School of Agriculture, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- School of Agriculture, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, China.
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Wang T, Shen W, Li L, Wang H, Zhang M, Chen X. Comparison of preparation methods of rat kidney single-cell suspensions. Sci Rep 2024; 14:2785. [PMID: 38307992 PMCID: PMC10837120 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-53270-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Preparation of kidney tissue single-cell suspensions is the basis of single-cell sequencing, flow cytometry and primary cell culture, but it is difficult to prepare high quality whole kidney single-cell suspensions because of the complex structure of the kidney. We explored a technique called stepwise enzymatic digestion (StE) method for preparing a single-cell suspension of rat whole kidney tissue which contained three main steps. The first step is to cut the kidney into a homogenate. The second step is the digestion of renal tubules using Multi Tissue Dissociation Kit 2 and the last step is the digestion of glomeruli using type IV collagenase. We also compared it with two previous techniques, mechanical grinding method and simple enzymatic digestion method. The StE method had the advantages of high intrinsic glomerular cells and immune cells harvest rate, high singlets rate and high cell viability compared with the other two techniques. In conclusion, the StE method is feasible, highly efficient, and worthy of further research and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiantian Wang
- Department of Nephrology, First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, National Key Laboratory of Kidney Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Kidney Diseases, Military Logistics Research Key Laboratory of Field Disease Treatment, Beijing Key Laboratory of Kidney Disease Research, Beijing, 100853, China
| | - Wanjun Shen
- Department of Nephrology, First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, National Key Laboratory of Kidney Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Kidney Diseases, Military Logistics Research Key Laboratory of Field Disease Treatment, Beijing Key Laboratory of Kidney Disease Research, Beijing, 100853, China
| | - Lin Li
- Department of Nephrology, First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, National Key Laboratory of Kidney Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Kidney Diseases, Military Logistics Research Key Laboratory of Field Disease Treatment, Beijing Key Laboratory of Kidney Disease Research, Beijing, 100853, China
| | - Haoran Wang
- Department of Nephrology, First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, National Key Laboratory of Kidney Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Kidney Diseases, Military Logistics Research Key Laboratory of Field Disease Treatment, Beijing Key Laboratory of Kidney Disease Research, Beijing, 100853, China
| | - Min Zhang
- Department of Nephrology, First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, National Key Laboratory of Kidney Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Kidney Diseases, Military Logistics Research Key Laboratory of Field Disease Treatment, Beijing Key Laboratory of Kidney Disease Research, Beijing, 100853, China.
| | - Xiangmei Chen
- Department of Nephrology, First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, National Key Laboratory of Kidney Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Kidney Diseases, Military Logistics Research Key Laboratory of Field Disease Treatment, Beijing Key Laboratory of Kidney Disease Research, Beijing, 100853, China.
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Smith KD, Prince DK, MacDonald JW, Bammler TK, Akilesh S. Challenges and Opportunities for the Clinical Translation of Spatial Transcriptomics Technologies. GLOMERULAR DISEASES 2024; 4:49-63. [PMID: 38600956 PMCID: PMC11006413 DOI: 10.1159/000538344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
Background The first spatially resolved transcriptomics platforms, GeoMx (Nanostring) and Visium (10x Genomics) were launched in 2019 and were recognized as the method of the year by Nature Methods in 2020. The subsequent refinement and expansion of these and other technologies to increase -plex, work with formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue, and analyze protein in addition to gene expression have only added to their significance and impact on the biomedical sciences. In this perspective, we focus on two platforms for spatial transcriptomics, GeoMx and Visium, and how these platforms have been used to provide novel insight into kidney disease. The choice of platform will depend largely on experimental questions and design. The application of these technologies to clinically sourced biopsies presents the opportunity to identify specific tissue biomarkers that help define disease etiology and more precisely target therapeutic interventions in the future. Summary In this review, we provide a description of the existing and emerging technologies that can be used to capture spatially resolved gene and protein expression data from tissue. These technologies have provided new insight into the spatial heterogeneity of diseases, how reactions to disease are distributed within a tissue, which cells are affected, and molecular pathways that predict disease and response to therapy. Key Message The upcoming years will see intense use of spatial transcriptomics technologies to better define the pathophysiology of kidney diseases and develop novel diagnostic tests to guide personalized treatments for patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly D. Smith
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - James W. MacDonald
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Theo K. Bammler
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Shreeram Akilesh
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Kidney Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
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Hou Y, Yao H, Lin JM. Recent advancements in single-cell metabolic analysis for pharmacological research. J Pharm Anal 2023; 13:1102-1116. [PMID: 38024859 PMCID: PMC10658044 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpha.2023.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 08/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Cellular heterogeneity is crucial for understanding tissue biology and disease pathophysiology. Pharmacological research is being advanced by single-cell metabolic analysis, which offers a technique to identify variations in RNA, proteins, metabolites, and drug molecules in cells. In this review, the recent advancement of single-cell metabolic analysis techniques and their applications in drug metabolism and drug response are summarized. High-precision and controlled single-cell isolation and manipulation are provided by microfluidics-based methods, such as droplet microfluidics, microchamber, open microfluidic probe, and digital microfluidics. They are used in tandem with variety of detection techniques, including optical imaging, Raman spectroscopy, electrochemical detection, RNA sequencing, and mass spectrometry, to evaluate single-cell metabolic changes in response to drug administration. The advantages and disadvantages of different techniques are discussed along with the challenges and future directions for single-cell analysis. These techniques are employed in pharmaceutical analysis for studying drug response and resistance pathway, therapeutic targets discovery, and in vitro disease model evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Hou
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Microanalytical Methods and Instrumentation, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Hongren Yao
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Microanalytical Methods and Instrumentation, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Jin-Ming Lin
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Microanalytical Methods and Instrumentation, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
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Thimm C, Erichsen L, Wruck W, Adjaye J. Unveiling Angiotensin II and Losartan-Induced Gene Regulatory Networks Using Human Urine-Derived Podocytes. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:10551. [PMID: 37445727 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241310551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Podocytes are highly specialized cells that play a pivotal role in the blood filtration process in the glomeruli of the kidney, and their dysfunction leads to renal diseases. For this reason, the study and application of this cell type is of great importance in the field of regenerative medicine. Hypertension is mainly regulated by the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS), with its main mediator being angiotensin II (ANG II). Elevated ANG II levels lead to a pro-fibrotic, inflammatory, and hypertrophic milieu that induces apoptosis in podocytes. The activation of RAAS is critical for the pathogenesis of podocyte injury; as such, to prevent podocyte damage, patients with hypertension are administered drugs that modulate RAAS signaling. A prime example is the orally active, non-peptide, selective angiotensin-II-type I receptor (AGTR1) blocker losartan. Here, we demonstrate that SIX2-positive urine-derived renal progenitor cells (UdRPCs) and their immortalized counterpart (UM51-hTERT) can be directly differentiated into mature podocytes. These podocytes show activation of RAAS after stimulation with ANG II, resulting in ANG II-dependent upregulation of the expression of the angiotensin-II-type I receptor, AGTR1, and the downregulated expression of the angiotensin-II-type II receptor 2 (AGTR2). The stimulation of podocytes with losartan counteracts ANG II-dependent changes, resulting in a dependent favoring of the specific receptor from AGTR1 to AGTR2. Transcriptome analysis revealed 94 losartan-induced genes associated with diverse biological processes and pathways such as vascular smooth muscle contraction, the oxytocin signaling pathway, renin secretion, and ECM-receptor interaction. Co-stimulation with losartan and ANG II induced the exclusive expression of 106 genes associated with DNA methylation or demethylation, cell differentiation, the developmental process, response to muscle stretch, and calcium ion transmembrane transport. These findings highlight the usefulness of UdRPC-derived podocytes in studying the RAAS pathway and nephrotoxicity in various kidney diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chantelle Thimm
- Institute for Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Lars Erichsen
- Institute for Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Wasco Wruck
- Institute for Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - James Adjaye
- Institute for Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
- EGA Institute for Women's Health, Zayed Centre for Research into Rare Diseases in Children (ZCR), University College London (UCL), 20 Guilford Street, London WC1N 1DZ, UK
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He C, Zhou P, Nie Q. exFINDER: identify external communication signals using single-cell transcriptomics data. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:e58. [PMID: 37026478 PMCID: PMC10250247 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Cells make decisions through their communication with other cells and receiving signals from their environment. Using single-cell transcriptomics, computational tools have been developed to infer cell-cell communication through ligands and receptors. However, the existing methods only deal with signals sent by the measured cells in the data, the received signals from the external system are missing in the inference. Here, we present exFINDER, a method that identifies such external signals received by the cells in the single-cell transcriptomics datasets by utilizing the prior knowledge of signaling pathways. In particular, exFINDER can uncover external signals that activate the given target genes, infer the external signal-target signaling network (exSigNet), and perform quantitative analysis on exSigNets. The applications of exFINDER to scRNA-seq datasets from different species demonstrate the accuracy and robustness of identifying external signals, revealing critical transition-related signaling activities, inferring critical external signals and targets, clustering signal-target paths, and evaluating relevant biological events. Overall, exFINDER can be applied to scRNA-seq data to reveal the external signal-associated activities and maybe novel cells that send such signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changhan He
- Department of Mathematics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Peijie Zhou
- Department of Mathematics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Qing Nie
- Department of Mathematics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
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He C, Zhou P, Nie Q. exFINDER: identify external communication signals using single-cell transcriptomics data. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.24.533888. [PMID: 37034624 PMCID: PMC10081188 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.24.533888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/15/2023]
Abstract
Cells make decisions through their communication with other cells and receiving signals from their environment. Using single-cell transcriptomics, computational tools have been developed to infer cell-cell communication through ligands and receptors. However, the existing methods only deal with signals sent by the measured cells in the data, the received signals from the external system are missing in the inference. Here, we present exFINDER, a method that identifies such external signals received by the cells in the single-cell transcriptomics datasets by utilizing the prior knowledge of signaling pathways. In particular, exFINDER can uncover external signals that activate the given target genes, infer the external signal-target signaling network (exSigNet), and perform quantitative analysis on exSigNets. The applications of exFINDER to scRNA-seq datasets from different species demonstrate the accuracy and robustness of identifying external signals, revealing critical transition-related signaling activities, inferring critical external signals and targets, clustering signal-target paths, and evaluating relevant biological events. Overall, exFINDER can be applied to scRNA-seq data to reveal the external signal-associated activities and maybe novel cells that send such signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changhan He
- Department of Mathematics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Peijie Zhou
- Department of Mathematics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Qing Nie
- Department of Mathematics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
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Semibulk RNA-seq analysis as a convenient method for measuring gene expression statuses in a local cellular environment. Sci Rep 2022; 12:15309. [PMID: 36097044 PMCID: PMC9468030 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-19391-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
When biologically interpretation of the data obtained from the single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis is attempted, additional information on the location of the single cells, behavior of the surrounding cells, and the microenvironment they generate, would be very important. We developed an inexpensive, high throughput application while preserving spatial organization, named “semibulk RNA-seq” (sbRNA-seq). We utilized a microfluidic device specifically designed for the experiments to encapsulate both a barcoded bead and a cell aggregate (a semibulk) into a single droplet. Using sbRNA-seq, we firstly analyzed mouse kidney specimens. In the mouse model, we could associate the pathological information with the gene expression information. We validated the results using spatial transcriptome analysis and found them highly consistent. When we applied the sbRNA-seq analysis to the human breast cancer specimens, we identified spatial interactions between a particular population of immune cells and that of cancer-associated fibroblast cells, which were not precisely represented solely by the single-cell analysis. Semibulk analysis may provide a convenient and versatile method, compared to a standard spatial transcriptome sequencing platform, to associate spatial information with transcriptome information.
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