The Cell States of Sea Urchin During Metamorphosis Revealed by Single-Cell RNA Sequencing.

ABSTRACT: Metamorphosis is a key process in the life history of sea urchin Heliocidaris crassispina. However, the understanding of its molecular mechanisms is still lacking, especially the basic cell biology pre-metamorphosis and post-metamorphosis. Therefore, we employed single-cell RNA sequencing to delineate the cellular states of larvae and juveniles of H. crassispina. Our investigation revealed that the cell composition in sea urchins comprises six primary populations, encompassing nerve cells, skeletogenic cells, immune cells, digestive cells, germ cells, and muscle cells. Subsequently, we identified subpopulations within these cells. Our findings indicated that the larval peripheral nerves were discarded during metamorphosis. A decrease in the number of spicules was observed dur

SUBMITTER: Ge H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11817407 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature