Glial progenitor heterogeneity and key regulators revealed by single-cell RNA sequencing provide insight to regeneration in spinal cord injury

This study uses single-cell RNA sequencing to analyze GFAP-expressing cells in spinal cord injury models. It identifies and compares subpopulations in acute-stage data. The research verifies the molecular signature, location, and morphology of potential resident neural progenitors or neural stem cells in the adult spinal cord before and after injury. This study expands the knowledge of the heterogeneity and cell state transition of glial progenitors in adult spinal cord before and after injury.

• 1
  The study identifies distinct subpopulations of GFAP-expressing cells with unique functional enrichment and identities defined by subpopulation-specific transcription factors and regulons.
• 2
  Intermediate cell populations in adult spinal cord expressing both astrocyte and oligodendrocyte precursor cell markers are uncovered, some subtypes being enriched in neuronal, proliferative, inflammation, oligodendrocyte, or myeloid cell markers.
• 3
  Resident astrocyte-ependymal cells are found outside the central canal in naive animals, preferentially in white matter, and their numbers increase following sham surgery and further after acute injury. An astrocyte-ependymal-Nestin (Nes)high population is uncovered.