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Single Cell Analysis Reveals Unexpected Transcriptional Heterogeneity of Neural Progenitors in the Developing Human Cortex

ABSTRACT: The human cerebral cortex depends for its normal development and size on a precisely controlled balance between self-renewal and differentiation of diverse neural progenitor cells. Specialized progenitors that are common in humans, but virtually absent in rodents, called ‘outer radial glia’ (ORG), have been suggested to be crucial to the evolutionary expansion of the human cortex. We combined cell type-specific sorting with transcriptome-wide RNA-sequencing to identify genes enriched in human ORG, including targets of the transcription factor Neurogenin, and previously uncharacterized, evolutionarily dynamic, long noncoding RNAs. Single-cell transcriptional profiling of human, ferret, and mouse progenitors showed that more human RGC co-express proneural Neurogenin targets than in ferret or mouse, suggesting greater self-renewal of neuronal lineage-committed progenitors in humans. Finally, we show that activating the Neurogenin pathway in ferret RGC promotes delamination and outward migration. Thus, we find that the abundance of human ORG is paralleled by increased transcriptional heterogeneity of cortical progenitors.

ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens

PROVIDER: GSE66217 | GEO | 2015/02/24

SECONDARY ACCESSION(S): PRJNA276128

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:We sought to characterize cellular heterogeneity in the human cerebral cortex at a molecular level during cortical neurogenesis. We captured single cells and generated sequencing libraries using the C1TM Single-Cell Auto Prep System (Fluidigm), the SMARTer Ultra Low RNA Kit (Clontech), and the Nextera XT DNA Sample Preparation Kit (Illumina). We performed unbiased clustering of the single cells and further examined transcriptional variation among cell groups interpreted as radial glia. Within this population, the major sources of variation related to cell cycle progression and the stem cell niche from which radial glia were captured. We found that outer subventricular zone radial glia (oRG cells) preferentially express genes related to extracellular matrix formation, migration, and stemness, including TNC, PTPRZ1, FAM107A, HOPX, and LIFR and related this transcriptional state to the position, morphology, and cell behaviors previously used to classify the cell type. Our results suggest that oRG cells maintain the subventricular niche through local production of growth factors, potentiation of growth factor signals by extracellular matrix proteins, and activation of self-renewal pathways, thereby contributing to the developmental and evolutionary expansion of the human neocortex. For study version 2, we have updated this data set to include additional primary cells that we infer to represent microglia, endothelial cells, and immature astrocytes, as well as additional cells from the developing neural retina, and from iPS-cell derived cerebral organoids. The genes distinguishing these cell populations may reveal biological processes supporting the diverse functions of these cell types as well as vulnerabilities of specific cell types in human genetic diseases and in viral infections. For study version 3, we have updated the data set to include additional primary cells, including those published in Nowakowski, et al., Science 2017: "Spatiotemporal Gene Expression Trajectories Reveal Developmental Hierarchies of the Human Cortex" (in press)

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Single Cell Analysis Reveals Unexpected Transcriptional Heterogeneity of Neural Progenitors in the Developing Human Cortex

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