Integrative multi-omics increase resolution of the sea urchin posterior gut gene regulatory network at single-cell level

Drafting gene regulatory networks (GRNs) requires embryological knowledge pertaining to the cell type families, information on the regulatory genes, causal data from gene knockdown experiments and validations of the identified interactions by cis-regulatory analysis. We use multi-omics involving nex...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Voronov, Danila, Paganos, Periklis, Magri, Marta Silvia, Cuomo, Claudia, Maeso, Ignacio, Gómez-Skarmeta, José Luis, Arnone, Maria Ina
Format: article
Status:Published version
Publication Date:2024
Country:España
Institution:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
Repository:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
OAI Identifier:oai:recercat.cat:2445/219040
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/2445/219040
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Embriologia
Eriçons de mar
Embryology
Sea urchins
Description
Summary:Drafting gene regulatory networks (GRNs) requires embryological knowledge pertaining to the cell type families, information on the regulatory genes, causal data from gene knockdown experiments and validations of the identified interactions by cis-regulatory analysis. We use multi-omics involving next-generation sequencing to obtain the necessary information for drafting the Strongylocentrotus purpuratus (Sp) posterior gut GRN. Here, we present an update to the GRN using: (1) a single-cell RNA-sequencing-derived cell atlas highlighting the 2 day-post-fertilization (dpf) sea urchin gastrula cell type families, as well as the genes expressed at the single-cell level; (2) a set of putative cis-regulatory modules and transcription factor-binding sites obtained from chromatin accessibility ATAC-seq data; and (3) interactions directionality obtained from differential bulk RNA sequencing following knockdown of the transcription factor Sp-Pdx1, a key regulator of gut patterning in sea urchins. Combining these datasets, we draft the GRN for the hindgut Sp-Pdx1 -positive cells in the 2 dpf gastrula embryo. Overall, our data suggest the complex connectivity of the posterior gut GRN and increase the resolution of gene regulatory cascades operating within it.