Single-cell transcriptomic analysis reveals diversity within mammalian spinal motor neurons

Ee Shan Liau, Suoqin Jin, Yen-Chung Chen, Wei-Szu Liu, Maëliss Calon, Stéphane Nedelec, Qing Nie () and Jun-An Chen ()
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Ee Shan Liau: National Defense Medical Center
Suoqin Jin: Wuhan University
Yen-Chung Chen: Academia Sinica
Wei-Szu Liu: Academia Sinica
Maëliss Calon: Institut du Fer à Moulin
Stéphane Nedelec: Institut du Fer à Moulin
Qing Nie: University of California, Irvine
Jun-An Chen: National Defense Medical Center

Nature Communications, 2023, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-21

Abstract: Abstract Spinal motor neurons (MNs) integrate sensory stimuli and brain commands to generate movements. In vertebrates, the molecular identities of the cardinal MN types such as those innervating limb versus trunk muscles are well elucidated. Yet the identities of finer subtypes within these cell populations that innervate individual muscle groups remain enigmatic. Here we investigate heterogeneity in mouse MNs using single-cell transcriptomics. Among limb-innervating MNs, we reveal a diverse neuropeptide code for delineating putative motor pool identities. Additionally, we uncover that axial MNs are subdivided into three molecularly distinct subtypes, defined by mediolaterally-biased Satb2, Nr2f2 or Bcl11b expression patterns with different axon guidance signatures. These three subtypes are present in chicken and human embryos, suggesting a conserved axial MN expression pattern across higher vertebrates. Overall, our study provides a molecular resource of spinal MN types and paves the way towards deciphering how neuronal subtypes evolved to accommodate vertebrate motor behaviors.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35574-x

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