Single-cell transcriptomics technology and its application in limb regeneration research

Abstract

Salamanders have a strong ability to regenerate limbs, while this potential is progressively declined in frogs during development. With evolution, adults of humans and other mammals completely lose the ability to regenerate limbs. With the advantages of single-cell transcriptomics in analyzing cellular transcription, a number of key genes, cell populations and signaling pathways regulating limb regeneration have been identified using salamanders and frogs as research models in recent years. This suggest that there are potential evolutionary conserved regulatory mechanisms for limb regeneration. With the help of single-cell transcriptomics, cross-species studies have allowed the important roles of immune cells, fibroblasts and energy metabolism on regeneration to be further explored. Together with advances in confirming the regeneration origination and cell heterogeneity, the current studies using single-cell techniques have provided the theoretical basis for understanding regenerationrelated mechanisms. The development and application of single-cell multi-omics technologies could hopefully figure out the way for further research to effectively enhance the regenerative capacity of mammals.

Keywords

• single-cell transcriptomics
• limb regeneration
• limb bud
• blastema