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HOX gene expression in the developing human spine
John E G Lawrence1,2, Kenny Roberts1, Elizabeth Tuck1
1Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SA, UK.
Nature Communications
|November 20, 2024
Summary
Human HOX gene expression in the developing spine reveals neural-crest cells retain origin codes while adopting destination codes. This developmental atlas provides new insights into HOX gene regulation in the fetal spine.
Area of Science:
- Developmental biology
- Genetics
- Neuroscience
Background:
- HOX genes regulate positional coding along the anterior-posterior axis.
- The specific roles of HOX genes in human cell types during development are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To create a developmental atlas of the human fetal spine using advanced transcriptomic techniques.
- To analyze HOX gene expression across different cell types during spinal cord development.
Main Methods:
- Single-cell and spatial transcriptomics
- In-situ sequencing
- Developmental atlas creation of the human fetal spine
Main Results:
- Neural-crest derivatives maintain their origin HOX gene code while acquiring their destination code.
- Distinct HOX gene expression patterns observed in ventral and dorsal spinal cord domains.
- Insights into motor pool organization and HOXB gene collinearity loss.
Conclusions:
- HOX gene expression in the developing spine is complex, with neural-crest cells carrying a 'source code'.
- Findings offer new perspectives on HOX gene regulation and cell fate determination during human development.
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