Researchers create first whole-body single-cell atlas of an adult vertebrate
Viewed from above, Danionella cerebrum offers a rare sight in a vertebrate: its brain, visible through the top of its head. Since the species was adopted for neuroscience research in 2018 and formally described in 2021, the tiny, transparent fish has drawn rapidly growing interest for its unique biology.
Researchers have developed the first comprehensive map of cell types and gene activity across an adult vertebrate, a tiny transparent fish called Danionella cerebrum. This whole-body single-cell atlas could shed light on how cells in different tissues communicate and influence each other. The study, published in Science, profiled over 600,000 cells from various tissues, including the brain, spinal cord, eyes, internal organs, fins, and trunk.
Danionella's small size and transparent body make it an ideal candidate for whole-animal single-cell profiling, which has been difficult to achieve in larger animals. The researchers used single-cell RNA sequencing and spatial methods to map cell types and gene activity back to their locations in tissue. The atlas reveals patterns in the nervous system, where neurons with similar gene activity patterns are grouped, regardless of the neurotransmitters they use.
It also shows that adult cells retain a molecular memory of their developmental origin, which may help maintain or rebuild proper structures. The atlas can serve as a baseline for studying injury, aging, drugs, or other changes affecting cells throughout the whole animal.
Written by urgent.news from Phys.org's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
