scRNAseq gene expression profile of zebrafish jaw joint cells after complete resection of the synovial jaw joint

Adult mammalian synovial joints have limited regenerative capacity, where injuries heal with mechanically inferior fibrotic joint tissues. Here we developed a unilateral whole-joint resection model in adult zebrafish to advance our understanding of how to stimulate regrowth of native synovial joint tissues. Using single-cell RNA sequencing, we profile RNA expression from live-sorted jaw joint cells throughout the time course of joint regeneration (1 to 70 days-post-joint-resection (dpjr)). Our findings reveal latent molecular and cellular programs within the adult skeleton that are deployed to regenerate a complex joint with lubricated articular cartilage. Overall design: scRNAseq was performed on live-sorted cells from uninjured jaw joints and regenerated jaw joint tissues at 6 timepoints post-joint-resection (1, 3, 7, 14, 28, and 70 dpjr) to capture the major stages of healing post-resection.