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RNA sequencing of laser-capture microdissected compartments of the maize kernel identifies regulatory modules associated with endosperm cell differentiation

ABSTRACT: Endosperm is an absorptive structure that supports embryo development or seedling germination in angiosperms. The endosperm of cereals is a main source of food, feed, and industrial raw materials worldwide. However, the gene regulatory networks that control endosperm cell differentiation remain largely unclear. As a first step toward characterizing these networks, we profiled the mRNAs in five major cell types of the differentiating endosperm and in the embryo and four maternal compartments of the kernel. Comparisons of these mRNA populations revealed the diverged gene expression programs between filial and maternal compartments, and an unexpected close correlation between embryo and the aleurone layer of endosperm. Gene co-expression network analysis identified co-expression modules associated with single or multiple kernel compartments including modules for the endosperm cell types, some of which showed enrichment of previously identified temporally activated and/or imprinted genes. Detailed analyses of a co-expression module highly correlated with the basal endosperm transfer layer (BETL) identified a regulatory module activated by MRP-1, a regulator of BETL differentiation and function. These results provide a high-resolution atlas of gene activity in the compartments of the maize kernel and help to uncover the regulatory modules associated with the differentiation of the major endosperm cell types.

ORGANISM(S): Zea mays

PROVIDER: GSE62778 | GEO | 2015/02/13

SECONDARY ACCESSION(S): PRJNA265095

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:During development, the human brain orchestrates the generation of hundreds of diverse cell types, and recent transcriptomic atlases of the developing human cortex provide new opportunities to identify novel regulators of cell fate specification. We have conducted an integrated meta-analysis of seven recently published single-cell transcriptomic profiles of the developing human cortex, generating a meta-atlas of 225 meta-modules. By tracking the activity of these meta-modules throughout development and comparing this to datasets from the adult human as well as the developing and adult mouse, we identified modules with potential roles in the transition from neurogenesis to gliogenesis and neuronal subtype maturation. The cell type and developmental state at which these modules exist was validated in primary samples from the developing human brain. Of particular interest, we identified and validated a module associated with both developing human deep layer neurons and human adult deep layer neuronal subtypes expressing the terminal differentiation marker FEZF2. Though FEZF2 is neither a member of nor co-expressed with our deep layer-associated gene module, almost half of module genes are putative FEZF2 targets, including TSHZ3, a transcription factor associated with neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism. Knockdown experiments in human cortical organoid models confirm that both FEZF2 and TSHZ3 are necessary for deep layer neuron specification. Importantly, we observe that subtle manipulations of these transcription factors result in slight changes in module activity, but together yield strong differences in cell fate. Our analyses therefore reveal a gene network that required to generate deep layer neuronal subtypes, demonstrating the ability of our meta-atlas to engender further mechanistic analyses of cortical fate specification. We anticipate this resource being useful for the study of co-expression programs across diverse biological questions related to the developing neocortex.

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RNA sequencing of laser-capture microdissected compartments of the maize kernel identifies regulatory modules associated with endosperm cell differentiation

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