Single-Nucleus RNA Sequencing Reveals Mid-Gestational Neurodevelopment Features in the Superior Temporal Plane from Fetuses with Nonsyndromic Cleft Lip and Palate.

ABSTRACT: Nonsyndromic cleft lip and palate (NSCLP) is a common craniofacial malformation increasingly recognized to involve neurodevelopmental abnormalities, though the molecular basis remains unclear. Here, single-nucleus RNA sequencing of the superior temporal plane from mid-gestation NSCLP fetuses is performed, and profound alterations in cell-type composition, intercellular communication, and transcriptional programs are uncovered. Integrative analyses with weighted gene co-expression network analysis and single-cell regulatory network interference and clustering based on single-nucleus transcriptomes identify myocyte enhancer factor 2C (MEF2C) as a shared transcriptional regulator consistently downregulated in excitatory and inhibitory neurons across mid-term gestation, which is validated in N

SUBMITTER: Xiong LL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12767050 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature