Neuronal identities derived by misexpression of the POU IV sensory determinant in a protovertebrate.

Publication Year
2022

Type

Journal Article
Abstract

The protovertebrate type A (sometimes called ) contains a series of sensory cell types distributed across the head-tail axis of swimming tadpoles. They arise from lateral regions of the neural plate that exhibit properties of vertebrate placodes and neural crest. The sensory determinant is known to work in concert with regional determinants, such as and , to produce palp sensory cells (PSCs) and bipolar tail neurons (BTNs), in head and tail regions, respectively. A combination of single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) assays, computational analysis, and experimental manipulations suggests that misexpression of results in variable transformations of epidermal cells into hybrid sensory cell types, including those exhibiting properties of both PSCs and BTNs. Hybrid properties are due to coexpression of and that is triggered by an unexpected feedback loop. Hybrid cells were also found to express a synthetic gene battery that is not coexpressed in any known cell type. We discuss these results with respect to the opportunities and challenges of reprogramming cell types through the targeted misexpression of cellular determinants.

Journal
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
Volume
119
Issue
4
Date Published
2022 Jan 25
ISSN Number
1091-6490
Alternate Journal
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
PMCID
PMC8794889
PMID
35042818