Cited by 385Gene Regulatory Network AnalysisSingle-cell and spatial transcriptomicsDevelopmental Biology and Gene Regulation

Decoding the regulatory network of early blood development from single-cell gene expression measurements

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Moignard, Victoria, Woodhouse, Steven, Haghverdi, Laleh, Lilly, Andrew J, Tanaka, Yosuke, Wilkinson, Adam C, Buettner, Florian, Macaulay, Iain C +8 more·2015·Nature Biotechnology

Abstract

Reconstruction of the molecular pathways controlling organ development has been hampered by a lack of methods to resolve embryonic progenitor cells. Here we describe a strategy to address this problem that combines gene expression profiling of large numbers of single cells with data analysis based on diffusion maps for dimensionality reduction and network synthesis from state transition graphs. Applying the approach to hematopoietic development in the mouse embryo, we map the progression of mesoderm toward blood using single-cell gene expression analysis of 3,934 cells with blood-forming potential captured at four time points between E7.0 and E8.5. Transitions between individual cellular states are then used as input to develop a single-cell network synthesis toolkit to generate a computationally executable transcriptional regulatory network model of blood development. Several model predictions concerning the roles of Sox and Hox factors are validated experimentally. Our results demonstrate that single-cell analysis of a developing organ coupled with computational approaches can reveal the transcriptional programs that underpin organogenesis.

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  • Single-cell sequencing technologies have successfully been used to infer regulatory associations in multiple studies, and even to study regulatory mechanisms.

    “They have successfully been used to infer regulatory associations in multiple studies, and even to study regulatory mechanisms [9].”
  • Several studies inferred individual cells' cell cycle phase from scRNA-seq using transcriptional signatures of discrete phases from earlier bulk profiling.

    “Several studies inferred the cell cycle phase of individual cells from single-cell RNA-seq data30,35,97,99, relying on transcriptional signatures of discrete phases from earlier bulk profiling experiments146.”
  • The cell cycle often has an enormous impact on cellular gene expression, and this impact can extend to other processes and be affected by them.

    “The cell cycle often has an enormous impact on cellular gene expression146,149,150 (although some87 have challenged this view), but this impact can extend to other processes, and in turn be affected by them.”
  • From the ordering of cells, it is possible to identify the transcriptional changes that accompany developmental processes.

    “From the ordering of cells, it is possible to identify the transcriptional changes that accompany developmental processes, which can also permit the reconstruction of gene regulatory networks (Moignard et al, 2015).”
  • Predicted gene regulators were supported by motif searches and, for Erg1, validated in reporter systems.

    “This facilitated a mechanistic interpretation of the data, where predicted gene regulators were supported by motif searches and, for Erg1, validated in reporter systems.”

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Authors
Moignard, V., Woodhouse, S., Haghverdi, L., Lilly, A. J., Tanaka, Y., Wilkinson, A. C., Buettner, F., Macaulay, I. C., Jawaid, W., Diamanti, E., Nishikawa, S.-I., Piterman, N., Kouskoff, V., Theis, F. J., Fisher, J., & Göttgens, B.
Affiliations
  • Wellcome/MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute (GB)
  • Helmholtz Munich (DE)
  • Cancer Research UK (GB)
  • Wellcome Sanger Institute (GB)
  • University of Cambridge (GB)
  • RIKEN (JP)
  • University of Leicester (GB)
Corresponding author
  • Theis, Fabian J
  • Fisher, Jasmin
  • Göttgens, Berthold
Venue
Nature Biotechnology
Published
2015-02-09
Volume
33
Issue
3
Pages
269-276
ISSN
  • 0733-222X (ISSN-L)
  • 1087-0156
  • 1546-1696
OpenAlex
W2136453810
Cited by
380
References
58
Citations by year
2026: 8 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 24 · 2023: 26 · 2022: 29 · 2021: 30 · 2020: 45 · 2019: 38 · 2018: 42 · 2017: 50 · 2016: 51 · 2015: 25 · 2014: 1
FWCI
24.30
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Nature Biotechnology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Research Explorer (The University of Manchester) (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • Apollo (University of Cambridge) (acceptedVersion)
  • Leicester Research Archive (University of Leicester) (submittedVersion)
  • MDC Repository (Max-Delbrueck-Center for Molecular Medicine) (submittedVersion)
  • Site cant be reached (submittedVersion)
  • PuSH - Publication Server of Helmholtz Zentrum München (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
  • Microsoft Research
  • Wellcome Trust (100140, 97922, 097922)
  • Cancer Research UK (12486, 12765)
  • Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research
  • Medical Research Council (MR/M008975/1, MC_PC_12009)
  • Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BB/I00050X/1)
  • Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Gene Regulatory Network Analysis
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Single-cell and spatial transcriptomics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Developmental Biology and Gene Regulation
Keywords
hematopoietic development, transcriptional regulatory networks, single-cell gene expression, diffusion maps, state diagrams, network synthesis, organogenesis, mouse embryo
MeSH terms
Animals, Base Sequence, Blood Cells, Computer Simulation, Diffusion, Female, Gene Expression Regulation, Male, Mice, Inbred ICR, Models, Genetic, Molecular Sequence Data, Transcription, Genetic, Gene Expression Profiling, Gene Regulatory Networks, Gastrulation, Single-Cell Analysis

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