Defining Epidermal Basal Cell States during Skin Homeostasis and Wound Healing Using Single-Cell Transcriptomics

• DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.02.091
• Publication Date: 2020-03-17T14:41:13Z
• Authors: Daniel Haensel; Suoqin Jin; Peng Sun; Rachel Cinco; Morgan Dragan; Quy Nguyen; Zixuan Cang; Yanwen Gong; Remy Vu; Adam L. MacLean; Kai Kessenbrock; Enrico Gratton; Qing Nie; Xing Dai
• Keywords: Homeostasis; Basal (medicine); Epidermis (zoology)

Our knowledge of transcriptional heterogeneities in epithelial stem and progenitor cell compartments is limited. Epidermal basal cells sustain cutaneous tissue maintenance drive wound healing. Previous studies have probed heterogeneity potential, but a comprehensive dissection dynamics during differentiation lacking. Using single-cell RNA sequencing coupled with RNAScope fluorescence lifetime imaging, we identify three non-proliferative one proliferative state homeostatic skin that differ metabolic preference become spatially partitioned re-epithelialization. Pseudotemporal trajectory velocity analyses predict quasi-linear hierarchy where progress from Col17a1Hi/Trp63Hi to early-response state, proliferate at the juncture these two states, or growth arrested before differentiating into spinous cells. Wound healing induces plasticity manifested by dynamic basal-spinous interconversions multiple states. study provides systematic view epidermal cellular dynamics, supporting revised "hierarchical-lineage" model homeostasis.