Primate gastrulation and early organogenesis at single-cell resolution

Area of Science:

• Developmental Biology
• Genomics
• Primate Research

Background:

• Limited access to human embryonic tissues hinders understanding of early development.
• Nonhuman primates are valuable models, but in vivo datasets are scarce during critical early stages.

Purpose of the Study:

• To create a comprehensive single-cell transcriptome atlas of early cynomolgus monkey embryos.
• To elucidate conserved and divergent features of primate gastrulation and early organogenesis.

Main Methods:

• Collected and performed single-cell RNA sequencing on six Carnegie stage 8-11 cynomolgus monkey embryos.
• Analyzed transcriptomic data from 56,636 single cells.
• Conducted comparative analyses with mouse embryos and human embryoids.

Main Results:

• Identified transcriptomic features of major perigastrulation cell types in primates.
• Shed light on key morphogenetic events like primitive streak development, somitogenesis, and neural tube patterning.
• Uncovered species-specific differences in developmental signaling pathways, such as Hippo signaling.

Conclusions:

• This atlas fills a critical knowledge gap in nonhuman primate developmental biology.
• Provides insights into conserved and divergent mechanisms of early organogenesis across species.
• Offers a valuable resource for studying human embryogenesis and associated developmental disorders.