Single-cell RNA sequencing of multi-lineage differentiating stress-enduring (Muse) cells in the naïve state and after phagocytosis of cardiomyocyte-, neural cell-, or hepatic cell–derived fragments
Stem cells undergo cytokine-driven differentiation, but this process often takes longer than several weeks to complete. A novel mechanism for somatic stem cell differentiation via phagocytosing 'model cells' (apoptotic differentiated cells) was found to require only a short time frame. Pluripotent-like Muse cells phagocytosed apoptotic differentiated cells via different phagocytic receptor subsets than macrophages. The phagocytosed-differentiated cell-derived contents (e.g., transcription factors) were quickly released into the cytoplasm, translocated into the nucleus, and bound to promoter regions of the stem cell genomes. Within 24 ~ 36 h, the cells expressed lineage-specific markers corresponding to the phagocytosed-differentiated cells, both in vitro and in vivo. This scRNA-seq experiment aimed to elucidate the transcriptional changes induced by the phagocytosis of dead cell fragments derived from differentiated cells, including cardiomyocytes, neural cells, and hepatocytes.
Stem cells undergo cytokine-driven differentiation, but this process often takes longer than several weeks to complete. A novel mechanism for somatic stem cell differentiation via phagocytosing 'model cells' (apoptotic differentiated cells) was found to require only a short time frame. Pluripotent-like Muse cells phagocytosed apoptotic differentiated cells via different phagocytic receptor subsets than macrophages. The phagocytosed-differentiated cell-derived contents (e.g., transcription factors) were quickly released into the cytoplasm, translocated into the nucleus, and bound to promoter regions of the stem cell genomes. Within 24 ~ 36 h, the cells expressed lineage-specific markers corresponding to the phagocytosed-differentiated cells, both in vitro and in vivo. This scRNA-seq experiment aimed to elucidate the transcriptional changes induced by the phagocytosis of dead cell fragments derived from differentiated cells, including cardiomyocytes, neural cells, and hepatocytes.
European Bioinformatics Institute