Single-Cell RNA-Seq Reveals Developmental Origins and Ontogenetic Stability of Neurexin Alternative Splicing Profiles

摘要

Neurexins are key synaptic organizers that areexpressed in thousands of alternatively splicedisoforms. Because transsynaptic neurexin interactionswith different postsynaptic molecules arelargely isoform dependent, a cell type-level censusof different neurexin isoforms could predict molecularinteractions relating to synapse identity andfunction. Using single-cell transcriptomics to studythe origin of neurexin diversity in multiple murinemature and embryonic cell types, we have discoveredshared neurexin expression patterns in developmentallyrelated cells. By comparing neurexinprofiles in immature embryonic neurons, we showthat neurexin profiles are specified during earlydevelopment and remain unchanged throughoutneuronal maturation. Thus, our findings reveal ontogeneticstability and provide a cell type-level censusof neurexin isoform expression in the cortex.