Single-cell RNA sequencing of the CFS414 zebra finch cell line

The zebra finch is one of the most commonly studied songbirds in biology, particularly in genomics, neuroscience and vocal communication. However, this species lacks a robust cell line for molecular biology research and reagent optimization. We generated a cell line from zebra finch embryonic fibroblasts using the SV40 large and small T antigens, designated CFS414. This cell line demonstrates an improvement over previous songbird cell lines through continuous and density-independent growth, allowing for indefinite culture and monoclonal line derivation. Cytogenetic, genomic, and transcriptomic profiling established the provenance of this cell line and identified the expression of genes relevant to ongoing songbird research. This single-cell RNA sequencing experiment provided information on the gene expression landscape of the cell line, informing on its cell type, transcriptomic stability, and value to researchers utilizing the zebra finch as a model organism. 2 Samples at separate passage timepoints