Comparative Transcriptomic Analysis of the Hematopoietic System between Human and Mouse by Single Cell RNA Sequencing

Area of Science:

• Hematopoiesis research
• Comparative transcriptomics
• Stem cell biology

Background:

• Mouse models are crucial for studying hematopoiesis.
• Previous single-cell comparisons between human and mouse hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) lacked depth.

Purpose of the Study:

• To construct a high-resolution transcriptomic atlas of human and mouse HSPCs.
• To compare cell type conservation, differentiation trajectories, and gene regulatory networks between species.

Main Methods:

• Single-cell RNA sequencing of 32,805 human and mouse HSPCs.
• Bioinformatic analysis using Seurat 2 for cell alignment and clustering.
• Trajectory inference with Monocle and gene network analysis with SCENIC.

Main Results:

• Identified 17 distinct HSPC subpopulations conserved across species.
• Demonstrated conserved gene expression patterns and functional themes in corresponding cell types.
• Visualized conserved differentiation pathways from stem cells to Erythroid/megakaryocytic, Myeloid, and Lymphoid lineages.
• Found conserved transcriptional factors and regulatory motifs in gene networks.

Conclusions:

• Confirmed significant evolutionary conservation in hematopoietic systems between humans and mice.
• Highlighted conserved cell types, gene expression profiles, and regulatory elements in HSPCs.
• Validated the utility of mouse models for understanding human hematopoiesis at a single-cell level.