A single-cell trajectory atlas of striatal development

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Biology
• Genomics

Background:

• The striatum is crucial for coordinating complex behaviors through integrated neuromodulatory inputs.
• Distinct striatal cell types exhibit coordinated responses essential for function.
• Previous single-cell RNA-sequencing studies captured striatal composition at specific developmental stages.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze single-cell molecular changes during striatal development from embryonic to postnatal stages.
• To investigate developmental trajectory patterns in striatal cell types.
• To identify transcription factor regulatory networks governing striatal development.

Main Methods:

• Integrated analysis of published mouse striatal single-cell RNA-sequencing datasets.
• Examination of transcriptional dynamics across embryonic and postnatal timepoints.
• Computational analysis of transcription factor regulatory networks.

Main Results:

• Dopamine receptor-1 (D1) spiny projection neurons exhibit extended transcriptional dynamics and complexity during postnatal development compared to dopamine receptor-2 (D2) neurons.
• The transcription factor FOXP1 was identified to indirectly influence oligodendrocyte development.
• A comprehensive dataset of striatal development is available via an interactive website.

Conclusions:

• Striatal cell types display divergent developmental trajectories at the molecular level.
• Understanding these developmental differences is key to comprehending striatal function in behavior.
• FOXP1 plays a regulatory role in oligodendrocyte development within the developing striatum.