Single cell RNA sequencing of distal lund epithelial cells generated from human induced pluripotent stem cells

We perform transcriptomic profiling of a directed differentiation protocol for generating distal lung epithelial cells and alveolar type II epithelial cells (AEC2s) from pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) using bi-fluorescently targeted iPSC cell line BU3-NGST. On day 33 of distal lung differentiation, we sorted SFTPCtdTomato/NKX2-1GFP double positive cells and NKX2-1GFP single positive cells for Fluidigm single cell RNA sequencing analysis. We find canonical AEC2s genes expressed in both sorted populations but at a higher level in the SFTPCtdTomato/NKX2-1GFP double positive population. We also find genes associated with cellular proliferation to be enriched in the NKX2-1GFP single positive population, suggestive of a less mature but more proliferative subset of PSC-derived AEC2s. Global single cell transcriptomic analysis of day 33 PSC-derived distal lung epithelial cell populations identified by NKX2-1GFP and SFTPCtdTomato reporters.