Single-cell transcriptomics identifies conserved regulators of neuroglandular lineages

Area of Science:

• Evolutionary developmental biology
• Neuroscience
• Cell biology

Background:

• Nervous system evolution remains incompletely understood.
• The relationship between neurons and other secretory cells is unclear.
• Cnidarians represent an early-diverging lineage with a simple nervous system.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the evolutionary origins of neurons and secretory cells.
• To identify molecular regulators of neuroglandular cell development in cnidarians.
• To compare neurogenesis across different life stages in Nematostella vectensis.

Main Methods:

• Developmental single-cell RNA sequencing in Nematostella vectensis.
• Transgenic validation of gene function.
• Knockdown experiments using SoxC.

Main Results:

• Neurons, stinging cells, and gland cells originate from a common multipotent progenitor.
• The transcription factor SoxC is a crucial regulator for neuroglandular lineages.
• SoxC knockdown ablates both neuronal and secretory cell types.
• Neuroglandular cell differentiation persists throughout all life stages in sea anemones, mirroring embryonic trajectories.

Conclusions:

• Cnidarians provide a model for understanding the early evolution of neurosecretory cell lineages.
• SoxC is a conserved regulator of neuroglandular development.
• Lifelong neuroglandular cell homeostasis is maintained through conserved molecular pathways in sea anemones.