Single-Cell RNA-seq Identification of the Cellular Molecular Characteristics of the ureter at different anatomical sites

The ureter is an indispensable organ of the urinary system, but its cell biology has been less studied than that of the kidney, bladder and prostate. A comprehensive single-cell level study of the ureters is important to explore the potential relationship between cells and diseases. We performed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) of upper and lower ureteral tissues. We provided a single-cell transcriptome map of ~32,000 ureteral cells. Cellular characteristics were identified by comparing upper and lower ureters at the scRNA level. This study presented the complex cellular component and function of the ureters by scRNA-seq. The gene expression in epithelial cells was similar to that in the upper and lower ureters. However, the difference in the composition of interstitial cells (ICs) was greater between the upper and lower ureters. We discovered a type of <i>ADRA2A</i>⁺ ICs only in the lower ureters. In addition, this study revealed the unique differences in the immune microenvironment between the upper and lower ureters by scRNA-seq. We provided a comprehensive single-cell transcriptome map of the ureters, which included different sites of the ureteral tissues. This work should provide new insights into the diagnosis and treatment of ureteral diseases.