Mouse lemur cell atlas informs primate genes, physiology and disease

Area of Science:

• Genomics
• Primate Biology
• Comparative Medicine

Background:

• Mouse lemurs are emerging primate models with largely unexplored genetics and molecular biology.
• A previous study generated a single-cell RNA sequencing atlas of mouse lemur organs, identifying over 750 cell types.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize mouse lemur genes, physiology, disease, and mutations using the single-cell RNA sequencing atlas.
• To identify primate-specific and lemur-specific biological features and disease models.
• To establish a framework for reverse genetic analysis in mouse lemurs.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of a large-scale single-cell RNA sequencing dataset from 27 mouse lemur organs.
• Identification and characterization of novel genes, splice junctions, and cell types.
• Comparative analysis of gene expression in health and disease, and comparison with mouse and human genes.

Main Results:

• Discovery of thousands of new lemur genes and hundreds of thousands of novel splice junctions, including primate-specific ones absent in mice.
• Detailed characterization of the lemur immune system and identification of primate-specific physiology and disease models, such as metastatic endometrial cancer.
• Identification of over 400 primate genes missing in mice, with expression patterns similar to humans and implications for human disease.

Conclusions:

• The study provides a foundational resource for molecular and genetic studies in mouse lemurs.
• Mouse lemurs represent a valuable model for studying primate evolution, cell types, and human-relevant diseases.
• The identified genes, isoforms, and disease models offer critical avenues for future research.