A stem cell population at the anorectal junction maintains homeostasis and participates in tissue regeneration after injury

Transition zones are highly plastic junction tissues that connects two distinct epithelia such as stratified and glandular. Here, we used single cell RNA sequencing on normal and wounded mouse anorectal epithelial cells, to study their roles during tissue regeneration in normal and injured state. Single cell RNA sequencing has been performed on the anorectal epithelial cells isolated from normal and 1 week post-EDTA wounded K17CreERT2;R26RGFP mice, injected twice with tamoxifen to mark the anal TZ cells.