A single-cell analysis of the molecular lineage of chordate embryogenesis

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Tengjiao Zhang, Tongji University; Yichi Xu, Sloan Kettering Institute; Kaoru Imai, Osaka University; Teng Fei, Emory University; Guilin Wang, Ocean University of China; Bo Dong, Ocean University of China; Tianwei Yu, Emory University; Yutaka Satou, Kyoto University; Weiyang Shi, Ocean University of China; Zhirong Bao, Sloan Kettering Institute
• Language: English
• Date: 2020-11-01
• Publisher: AMER ASSOC ADVANCEMENT SCIENCE
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2020 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works
• License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abc4773
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: SCIENCE ADVANCES
• Volume: 6
• Issue: 45
• Grant/Funding Information: Z.B. is partially supported by an NIH grant (R01GM097576) and an NIH center grant to MSKCC (P30CA008748). W.S. is supported by the Funding Project of National Key Research and Development Program of China (2018YFD0900604), Natural Science Foundation of China (41676119 and 41476120), and a start-up fund from Ocean University of China. T.Y. is partially supported by NIH grant R01GM124061 and a grant from the University Development Fund of CUHK-Shenzhen (UDF01001585). K.I. is supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science grant 18H02376. Y.S. is supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science grant 17KT0020. B.D. is supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities from the Ocean University of China (201822016).
• Keywords: BRACHYURY; TRANSCRIPTION FACTORS; CIONA-INTESTINALIS EMBRYOS; Science & Technology; Science & Technology - Other Topics; DIFFERENTIATION; NOTOCHORD INDUCTION; DOWNSTREAM; Multidisciplinary Sciences; GENE-EXPRESSION; BETA-CATENIN; EMERGING MODEL; MITOCHONDRIAL DISTRIBUTION
• Research Categories: Biology, Cell; Biology, Genetics

Abstract

Progressive unfolding of gene expression cascades underlies diverse embryonic lineage development. Here, we report a single-cell RNA sequencing analysis of the complete and invariant embryonic cell lineage of the tunicate Ciona savignyi from fertilization to the onset of gastrulation. We reconstructed a developmental landscape of 47 cell types over eight cell cycles in the wild-type embryo and identified eight fate transformations upon fibroblast growth factor (FGF) inhibition. For most FGF-dependent asymmetric cell divisions, the bipotent mother cell displays the gene signature of the default daughter fate. In convergent differentiation of the two notochord lineages, we identified additional gene pathways parallel to the master regulator T/Brachyury. Last, we showed that the defined Ciona cell types can be matched to E6.5-E8.5 stage mouse cell types and display conserved expression of limited number of transcription factors. This study provides a high-resolution single-cell dataset to understand chordate early embryogenesis and cell lineage differentiation.