GSE159343
Single cell RNA-seq defines novel heterogeneity within the pancreatic ductal tree
Lineage tracing using genetically engineered mouse models has become an essential tool for investigating cell-fate decisions of progenitor cells and biology of mature cell types, with respect to physiology and disease progression. To study disease development, an inventory of an organ's cell types and understanding of physiologic function is paramount. Here, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing to examine heterogeneity of murine pancreatic duct cells, pancreatobiliary cells, and intrapancreatic bile duct cells. We isolated duct cells within the murine pancreas using the DBA lectin sorting strategy that labels all pancreatic duct cell types. Our data contest the paradigm suggested by previous single cell studies that murine pancreatic duct cells are homogenous. We describe an epithelial mesenchymal transitory axis among our two subpopulations of pancreatic duct cells and identify SPP1 as a regulator of this phenotype and human duct cell de-differentiation. Our results further define functional heterogeneity of pancreatic duct subpopulations by elucidating a role for Geminin in accumulation of DNA damage in the setting of chronic pancreatitis. Our findings implicate diverse functional roles for subpopulations of pancreatic duct cells in disease progression and establish a comprehensive road map of murine pancreatic duct cell, pancreatobiliary cell, and intrapancreatic bile duct cell homeostasis. Overall design: We performed single cell analysis of murine pancreatic duct cells and follow up functional studies of pancreatic ductal cells, which include RNA-seq of HPDE E6/E7 SPP1 gRNA cell lines and HPDE E6/E7 scr gRNA controls.