A single-cell, time-resolved profiling of Xenopus mucociliary epithelium reveals nonhierarchical model of development

• DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.add5745
• Publication Date: 2023-04-07T17:58:26Z
• Authors: Julie Lee; Andreas Fønss Møller; Shinhyeok Chae; Alexandra Bussek; Tae Joo Park; Youni Kim; Hyun-Shik Lee; Tune H. Pers; Taejoon Kwon; Jakub Sedzinski; Kedar Nath Natarajan
• Keywords: Cell fate determination; Cell type; Single-Cell Analysis; Multicellular organism

The specialized cell types of the mucociliary epithelium (MCE) lining respiratory tract enable continuous airway clearing, with its defects leading to chronic diseases. molecular mechanisms driving fate acquisition and temporal specialization during epithelial development remain largely unknown. Here, we profile developing Xenopus MCE from pluripotent mature stages by single-cell transcriptomics, identifying multipotent early progenitors that execute multilineage cues before specializing into late-stage ionocytes goblet basal cells. Combining in silico lineage inference, situ hybridization, multiplexed RNA imaging, capture initial bifurcation multiciliated chart type emergence progression types. Comparative analysis nine atlases reveals an evolutionary conserved transcriptional module ciliated cells, whereas secretory distinct function-specific programs across vertebrates. We uncover a nonhierarchical model alongside data resource for understanding biology.