Project description:Capitella teleta is a model specie in marine annelids research, to gain insight into its development, we performed time-course RNA-seq ranging from 64 cell to stage 7 larvae, to profiling the gene expression dynamics
Project description:Capitella teleta is a model specie in marine annelids research, to gain insight into its development, we performed time-course ATAC-seq ranging from 64 cell to stage 8 larvae, to profiling the gene regulation dynamics
Project description:Here we use a whole-organism, single-cell transcriptomic approach to map larval cell types in the annelid Capitella teleta at 24- and 48-hours post gastrulation (stages 4 and 5). We identified eight unique cell clusters (undifferentiated precursors, ectoderm, muscle, ciliary-band, gut, neurons, neurosecretory cells and protonephridia), thus helping to identify previously uncharacterized molecular signatures such as novel myogenic and neurosecretory cell markers. Analysis of coregulatory programs in individual clusters revealed gene interactions that can be used for comparisons of cell types across taxa. We examined the neural and neurosecretory clusters more deeply and characterized a differentiation trajectory starting from dividing precursors to neurons using Monocle3 and velocyto. Pseudotime analysis along this trajectory identified temporally-distinct cell states undergoing progressive gene expression changes over time. Our data revealed two potentially distinct neural differentiation trajectories including an early trajectory for brain neurosecretory cells. This work provides a valuable resource for future functional investigations to better understanding neurogenesis and the transitions from neural precursors to neurons in an annelid.
