Cited by 129Single-cell and spatial transcriptomicsLiver physiology and pathologyDevelopmental Biology and Gene Regulation

Temporal analyses of postnatal liver development and maturation by single-cell transcriptomics

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Liang, Yan, Kaneko, Kota, Xin, Bing, Lee, Jin, Sun, Xin, Zhang, Kun, Feng, Gen-Sheng·2022·Developmental Cell

Published version of a preprint

Abstract

The postnatal development and maturation of the liver, the major metabolic organ, are inadequately understood. We have analyzed 52,834 single-cell transcriptomes and identified 31 cell types or states in mouse livers at postnatal days 1, 3, 7, 21, and 56. We observe unexpectedly high levels of hepatocyte heterogeneity in the developing liver and the progressive construction of the zonated metabolic functions from pericentral to periportal hepatocytes, which is orchestrated with the development of sinusoid endothelial, stellate, and Kupffer cells. Trajectory and gene regulatory analyses capture 36 transcription factors, including a circadian regulator, Bhlhe40, in programming liver development. Remarkably, we identified a special group of macrophages enriched at day 7 with a hybrid phenotype of macrophages and endothelial cells, which may regulate sinusoidal construction and Treg-cell function. This study provides a comprehensive atlas that covers all hepatic cell types and is instrumental for further dissection of liver development, metabolism, and disease.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.devcel.2022.01.004

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  • Numerous changes in mRNA abundance and splicing occur within the first 3 weeks of life, as hematopoiesis and proliferative activity are reduced, and gene products involved in metabolism are induced.

    “Numerous changes in mRNA abundance and splicing occur within the first 3 weeks of life (Bhate et al. 2015; Chembazhi et al. 2021; Liang et al. 2022), as hematopoiesis and proliferative activity are reduced, and gene products involved in metabolism are induced (Zaret 2002; Gordillo et al. 2015).”

    From ESRP2–microRNA-122 axis promotes the postnatal onset of liver polyploidization and maturation (2025) · cites this paper as Liang et al. 2022

    The Results sections on hepatocyte subpopulations and transcription factors report changes in gene expression from day 1 through day 21, supporting the mRNA-abundance part of the cited clause. They do not report changes in splicing over those three weeks; the mention of a spliced mRNA describes one transcript, not a temporal change. The later claims about hematopoiesis, proliferation, and metabolism are attached to different citations in the citing sentence. Page numbers are not available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.88)

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Authors
Liang, Y., Kaneko, K., Xin, B., Lee, J., Sun, X., Zhang, K., & Feng, G.-S.
Affiliations
University of California San Diego (US)
Corresponding author
Feng, Gen-Sheng
Venue
Developmental Cell
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2022-02
Volume
57
Issue
3
Pages
398-414.e5
ISSN
1534-5807 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W4221105933
Cited by
116
References
88
Citations by year
2026: 28 · 2025: 29 · 2024: 27 · 2023: 25 · 2022: 7
FWCI
8.25
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Developmental Cell (publishedVersion)
  • bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) (acceptedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases
  • National Institutes of Health (R01DK128320, R01CA236074, R01CA239629, S10 OD026929)
  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (P30NS047101)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Single-cell and spatial transcriptomics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Hepatology › Liver physiology and pathology
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Developmental Biology and Gene Regulation
Keywords
postnatal liver development, liver maturation, hepatocyte heterogeneity, zonation, sinusoidal endothelial cells, hepatic stellate cells, Kupffer cells, hepatic macrophages, BHLHE40, circadian regulation, transcription factors, regulatory networks, single-cell transcriptomics, mouse liver, regulatory T cells
MeSH terms
RNA-Seq, Animals, Animals, Newborn, Cell Communication, Hematopoiesis, Liver, Macrophages, Mesoderm, Time Factors, Transcription Factors, Gene Expression Profiling, Hepatocytes, Endothelial Cells, Single-Cell Analysis

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