Single-Cell RNA-Sequencing of Zebrafish Olfactory Epithelium Identifies Odor-Responsive Candidate Olfactory Receptors

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Genomics
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) provides high-resolution gene expression data for individual cells.
• Zebrafish olfactory sensory neurons are critical for detecting odorants and pheromones, influencing survival behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To apply scRNA-seq to zebrafish olfactory sensory neurons for cell type classification and olfactory receptor identification.
• To optimize single-cell dissociation for olfactory tissues to minimize artifacts.

Main Methods:

• Optimized single-cell dissociation of zebrafish olfactory rosettes using cold-active protease.
• Performed scRNA-seq to analyze gene expression profiles of individual olfactory sensory neurons.
• Classified cell types based on marker gene expression and validated olfactory receptor family distributions.

Main Results:

• Identified distinct clusters of zebrafish olfactory sensory neurons based on gene expression patterns.
• Confirmed non-overlapping expression of different olfactory receptor families across neuron clusters.
• Estimated candidate olfactory receptors responsive to specific odor stimuli by analyzing immediate early gene expression.

Conclusions:

• scRNA-seq is effective for classifying functional cell types within the zebrafish olfactory system.
• This approach enables the identification of olfactory receptor genes associated with specific odorants and pheromones.