Single-cell transcriptomics identifies neural fate disruption and glial reprogramming caused by RARS2 deficiency

Pontocerebellar hypoplasia type 6 (PCH6) is caused by biallelic pathogenic variants in RARS2, encoding mitochondrial arginyl-tRNA synthetase. Although mitochondrial dysfunction is a recognised feature, how RARS2 deficiency disrupts neural lineage development remains unclear.

We generated rars2-deficient zebrafish using the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (CRISPR/Cas9) system and performed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) at 48 hours postfertilisation, complemented by immunofluorescence, in situ hybridisation, behavioural assays and ultrastructural analyses. Neural lineage composition, developmental trajectories, intercellular communication and transcriptional programmes were systematically examined.

rars2 ^-/- zebrafish displayed impaired survival, locomotor deficits, early mitochondrial ultrastructural damage and marked disruption of neurogenesis. scRNA-seq revealed reduced neuronal populations and expansion of neural progenitor and glial-like cells. Key neurogenic regulators (neurod4, her6 and pou3f1) were downregulated, whereas glial and stress-associated markers (hmgb1a, fabp7a and foxp1b) were upregulated. Developmental pathways including Notch and non-canonical Wnt were attenuated while extracellular matrix (ECM), adhesion and inflammatory programmes were activated. Additional trajectory-based analyses supported dysregulated lineage progression characterised by glial programme activation and impaired maintenance of neurogenic differentiation.

RARS2 deficiency disrupts mitochondrial integrity and reprograms neural lineage development through coordinated suppression of neurogenic transcriptional networks and activation of glial/ECM programmes. These findings provide mechanistic insight into loss-of-function RARS2 deficiency and highlight candidate molecular pathways for future therapeutic investigation.