Single-cell transcriptomic atlas of mouse gingival stroma in homeostasis and inflammation

The onset of periodontitis involves the response of gingival stroma to inflammatory stimulus. The cell constitution of gingival stroma, however, has never been mapped at the resolution of single cell. In this study, we used single-cell mRNA sequencing to establish cell atlas in mouse gingival stroma. Epithelial, mesenchymal, pericyte and neuronal clusters were successfully identified and their subpopulation and response to ligature-induced inflammation were also examined. While shifts in epithelial cell gene profile and proportion recapitulated the epithelium breakdown during periodontitis, mesenchymal cluster maintained its proportion and gene expression patterns. single cell mRNA profiles of 3-month old wild type (WT) mice intact and inflammed gingiva tissue