Evolutionary and developmental specialization of foveal cell types in the marmoset

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Zhang, Lin; Cavallini, Martina; Wang, Junqiang; Xin, Ruiqi; Zhang, Qiangge; Feng, Guoping; Sanes, Joshua R.; Peng, Yi - Rong
• 署名单位: University of California System; University of California Los Angeles; University of California Los Angeles Medical Center; David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA; Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT); Harvard University; Harvard University
• 刊物名称: PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0027-13496
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2313820121
• 发表日期: 2024-04-16
• 关键词: new-world monkey; high-acuity vision; ganglion-cells; retina; cones; photoreceptors; interneurons; ORGANIZATION; melanopsin; provide

摘要

In primates, high- acuity vision is mediated by the fovea, a small specialized central region of the retina. The fovea, unique to the anthropoid lineage among mammals, undergoes notable neuronal morphological changes during postnatal maturation. However, the extent of cellular similarity across anthropoid foveas and the molecular underpinnings of foveal maturation remain unclear. Here, we used high- throughput single-cell RNA sequencing to profile retinal cells of the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus), an early divergent in anthropoid evolution from humans, apes, and macaques. We generated atlases of the marmoset fovea and peripheral retina for both neonates and adults. Our comparative analysis revealed that marmosets share almost all their foveal types with both humans and macaques, highlighting a conserved cellular structure among primate foveas. Furthermore, by tracing the developmental trajectory of cell types in the foveal and peripheral retina, we found distinct maturation paths for each. In-depth analysis of gene expression differences demonstrated that cone photoreceptors and M & uuml;ller glia (MG), among others, show the greatest molecular divergence between these two regions. Utilizing single-cell ATAC-seq and gene- regulatory network inference, we uncovered distinct transcriptional regulations differentiating foveal cones from their peripheral counterparts. Further analysis of predicted ligand-receptor interactions suggested a potential role for MG in supporting the maturation of foveal cones. Together, these results provide valuable insights into foveal development, structure, and evolution.