Single-cell transcriptomic analysis reveals unique cell types and patterns of gene expression in the frog corneal epithelium.

Here, we use scRNA-seq to expand our understanding of the vertebrate corneal epithelium in an amphibian model, having undertaken a comprehensive characterization of cellular and transcriptional heterogeneity to identify novel corneal marker genes. Adult Xenopus laevis were obtained from Nasco (Fort Atkinson, WI). Fertilized eggs were collected, and larvae were raised to Stage 49-51 based on developmental staging by Nieuwkoop and Faber (1956). The corneal epithelial tissue was dissected using very fine microscissors (Henry et al., 2019), taking care not to include any surrounding skin. Corneal tissue was dissociated and processed through the 10X pipeline, and we identified 5173 cells using Cellranger.