Single-cell transcriptomic landscapes of the otic neuronal lineage at multiple early embryonic ages

Yuwei Sun; Luyue Wang; Tong Zhu; Bailin Wu; Guangqin Wang; Zhengnan Luo; Chao Li; Wu Wei; Zhiyong Liu

doi:10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110542

Single-cell transcriptomic landscapes of the otic neuronal lineage at multiple early embryonic ages

Cell Rep. 2022 Mar 22;38(12):110542. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110542.

Authors

Yuwei Sun¹, Luyue Wang², Tong Zhu³, Bailin Wu³, Guangqin Wang¹, Zhengnan Luo¹, Chao Li⁴, Wu Wei⁵, Zhiyong Liu⁶

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
² University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Bio-Med Big Data Center, CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.
³ Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.
⁴ Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China. Electronic address: lichao0015@ion.ac.cn.
⁵ University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Bio-Med Big Data Center, CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China. Electronic address: wuwei@picb.ac.cn.
⁶ Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence Technology, Shanghai 201210, China. Electronic address: zhiyongliu@ion.ac.cn.

PMID: 35320729
DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110542

Abstract

Inner ear vestibular and spiral ganglion neurons (VGNs and SGNs) are known to play pivotal roles in balance control and sound detection. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying otic neurogenesis at early embryonic ages have remained unclear. Here, we use single-cell RNA sequencing to reveal the transcriptomes of mouse otic tissues at three embryonic ages, embryonic day 9.5 (E9.5), E11.5, and E13.5, covering proliferating and undifferentiated otic neuroblasts and differentiating VGNs and SGNs. We validate the high quality of our studies by using multiple assays, including genetic fate mapping analysis, and we uncover several genes upregulated in neuroblasts or differentiating VGNs and SGNs, such as Shox2, Myt1, Casz1, and Sall3. Notably, our findings suggest a general cascaded differentiation trajectory during early otic neurogenesis. The comprehensive understanding of early otic neurogenesis provided by our study holds critical implications for both basic and translational research.

Keywords: Casz1; Myt1; Sall3; Shox2; Tlx3; inner ear; otocyst; single-cell RNA-seq; spiral ganglion neuron; vestibular ganglion neuron.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Ear, Inner*
Mice
Neural Stem Cells*
Neurogenesis / genetics
Neurons
Transcriptome / genetics