Single-cell RNA-Sequencing of neurons labeled by retrograde FastBlue tracing (SmartSeq)

Most cancers including pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are infiltrated by PNS neurons participating in their complex tumor microenvironment. However, their cell bodies and nuclei are located in the para- and pre-vertebral PNS ganglia located far from the tumor mass itself. Thus, molecular information on healthy organ- vs. cancer-infiltrating neurons is currently lacking in any sequencing dataset of healthy or tumor tissue. To specifically identify and molecularly characterize the identity and transcriptomes of PDAC-infiltrating neurons at single cell resolution, we developed “Trace-n-seq”. This method is based on retrograd tracing of axons from target tissues to their respective ganglia, followed by individual FACS-isolation and transcriptomic analysis. We characterized >2000 sympathetic and sensory neurons that infiltrate PDAC, healthy pancreas, or other abdominal organs.