Single-cell RNA-seq reveals dynamic paracrine control of cellular variation.

ABSTRACT: High-throughput single-cell transcriptomics offers an unbiased approach for understanding the extent, basis and function of gene expression variation between seemingly identical cells. Here we sequence single-cell RNA-seq libraries prepared from over 1,700 primary mouse bone-marrow-derived dendritic cells spanning several experimental conditions. We find substantial variation between identically stimulated dendritic cells, in both the fraction of cells detectably expressing a given messenger RNA and the transcript's level within expressing cells. Distinct gene modules are characterized by different temporal heterogeneity profiles. In particular, a 'core' module of antiviral genes is expressed very early by a few 'precocious' cells in response to uniform stimulation with a pathogenic compon

SUBMITTER: Shalek AK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4193940 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature