The regeneration-responsive careg element monitors activation of Müller glia after MNU-induced damage in the zebrafish retina

We found that the zebrafish non-coding element careg, which is induced in regenerating fins and heart, also participates in retina regeneration. Its activation persisted mostly in Müller glia from the onset to the termination of retina restoration. To assess the involvement of the careg:EGFP reporter during retina regeneration, we used a chemical injury model with MNU treatment. To identify the molecular profile of these cells, we performed a single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) experiment of retinas dissected from adult careg:EGFP zebrafish at 3, 7, and 10 dpMNU. Our control retinas were dissected from fish at 3 days after treatment with heat-inactivated MNU Adult careg:EGFP-transgenic zebrafish retinas after MNU-induced injury were isolated for scRNA-sequencing