GSE135704
Single-cell molecular and cellular architecture of neurohypophyseal cell types in adult mouse
The neurohypophysis (NH), located at the posterior lobe of the pituitary, is a major neuroendocrine tissue, which mediates osmotic balance, blood pressure, reproduction, and lactation by means of releasing the neurohormones oxytocin and arginine-vasopressin from the brain into the peripheral blood circulation. The major cellular components of the NH are hypothalamic axonal termini, fenestrated endothelia and pituicytes, the resident astroglia. However, despite the physiological importance of the NH, the exact molecular signature defining neurohypophyseal cell types and in particular the pituicytes, remains unclear. Using single cell RNA sequencing, we captured seven distinct cell types in the NH and intermediate lobe (IL) of adult male mouse. We revealed novel pituicyte markers showing higher specificity than previously reported markers. Multiplexing single molecule in situ hybridization revealed spatial organization of the major cell types implying intercellular communications. We present a comprehensive molecular and cellular characterization of neurohypophyseal cell-types serving as a valuable resource for further functional research. Overall design: 2 pools of 5 dissected neurohypophyses from 3-month-old male C57/BL6 mice were prepared for 10x Chromium single-cell RNA-Seq