Genetic map of the adult carotid body stem cell niche
We employed a single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) approach using the 10x Genomics platform to investigate the transcriptomic landscape of all cellular constituents within the adult carotid body germinal niche. This organ serves as the principal peripheral chemoreceptor in mammals, mediating the detection of hypoxemia. To our knowledge, this study represents the first comprehensive transcriptomic profiling of all cell types residing in this niche, including neural crest-derived progenitor cells and oxygen-sensitive glomus (type I) cells. Furthermore, we analyzed samples obtained from animals maintained under normoxic and hypoxic conditions, enabling comparative analyses that revealed molecular and cellular alterations elicited by hypoxic stimulation. Overall design: Following 8 days of either normoxia or hypoxia (10% oxygen), young adult Wistar rats were used to dissect their carotid bodies, enzymatically disperse the cells, and analyze their transcriptomes using scRNA-seq.