Sc-RNA seq for intrinsic mechanisms of distinct axonal growth capacity in different peripheral sensory neuron subtypes

Dorsal root ganglion neurons are the primary neurons of the sensory afferent pathway and are a heterogeneous population. Dorsal root ganglion neurons exhibit a wide range of terminal morphologies, complex central projection patterns, and different physiological properties, which allow them to adapt to various sensory stimulation modalities and transmit the corresponding sensory information to the central nervous system. Here, we used single-cell sequencing technology to explore the mechanisms behind the differences in axonal lengths in DRG neurons cultured in vitro. The single-cell sequencing data grouped by axon length were compared and analyzed to find core genes that may be closely related to axon length in a list of differentially expressed genes that significantly change with axon length; as well as to explore whether these genes also play an important role in the process of axon regeneration after peripheral nerve injury.背根神经节（Dorsal root ganglion, DRG）神经元是感觉传入通路的主要神经元，属于异质性细胞群。该类神经元拥有多样的末梢形态、复杂的中枢投射模式与各异的生理特性，可适配多种感觉刺激形式，并将对应感觉信息传递至中枢神经系统。本研究采用单细胞测序（single-cell sequencing）技术，探究体外培养的DRG神经元轴突长度差异背后的分子机制。通过对按轴突长度分组的单细胞测序数据进行比较分析，在随轴突长度显著变化的差异表达基因（differentially expressed genes）集中，筛选出可能与轴突长度密切相关的核心基因；同时探究这些基因在周围神经损伤后的轴突再生过程中是否发挥重要作用。