Chromatin and gene-regulatory dynamics of mouse nephron progenitors at single-cell resolution [scATAC-Seq]

ABSTRACT: Background: Unraveling the dynamic accessibility of regulatory chromatin at single-cell resolution is key to understanding stem/progenitor cell fate choices in health and disease. Nephron progenitor cells (NPCs) are a multipotent population giving rise to all cell types of the nephron, from the glomerular epithelium to the distal tubule. At any given time, the NPC’s choice to self-renew or differentiate and gain a new identity is determined not only by its transcription factor repertoire but also by the genome accessibility of the cognate cis-regulatory elements. Methods: We performed singleome and multiome analysis of chromatin accessibility and gene expression in thousands of embryonic and neonatal NPCs toward defining the regulatory landscape driving fate choices during nephrogenesis. Results: We show that chromatin accessibility recovers the diverse states of NPCs and precursor states of proximal and distal nephron epithelial cells. We define the key cell type-specific transcriptional regulators across pseudotime and NPC age. We find that chromatin accessibility in the podocyte lineage is established early in the trajectory and identify a subset of Forkhead factors exhibiting high chromatin activity in podocyte precursors. We also determined that strong linkages between cis-regulatory elements and expression levels distinguish fate-determining TFs. Conclusions: Single-cell mapping of accessible and active chromatin defines the regulatory landscape of nephrogenesis and provides a foundation for future studies in disease states characterized by abnormal nephrogenesis.

ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus

PROVIDER: GSE180898 | GEO | 2022/04/01

REPOSITORIES: GEO