Tabula Sapiens reveals the non-coding RNA landscape across 22 human organs and tissues

Area of Science:

• Genomics
• Molecular Biology
• Cell Biology

Background:

• Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are crucial for cellular processes, but their expression is underexplored in single-cell studies.
• Current single-cell transcriptomics often targets polyadenylated RNA, overlooking non-coding and non-polyadenylated transcripts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comprehensively profile the non-coding transcriptome across diverse human tissues at single-cell resolution.
• To investigate cell type specificity, subcellular localization, and dynamic expression patterns of ncRNAs.

Main Methods:

• Single-cell and single-nucleus total RNA sequencing of 22 human organs and tissues.
• Simultaneous profiling of polyadenylated and non-polyadenylated RNA transcripts.
• Comparative analysis of protein-coding and non-coding gene expression patterns.

Main Results:

• A higher proportion of non-coding genes exhibit cell type-specific expression compared to protein-coding genes.
• Identified cell type-dependent nuclear and cytoplasmic enrichment of specific non-coding RNAs.
• Revealed cell type-specific tRNA repertoires and dynamic ncRNA expression during the cell cycle and senescence.

Conclusions:

• This study provides a valuable resource for exploring the non-coding RNA landscape in human cells and tissues.
• The findings underscore the significant and diverse roles of ncRNAs in cellular function and regulation.
• The data enables joint analysis of coding and non-coding transcriptomes at single-cell and subcellular levels.