Single ‐cell transcriptomes provide insights into expansion of glial cells in Bombyx mori

Single-cell transcriptomes from larval and adult brains ofBombyx mori. The transition from larva to adult resulted in great expansion of glia cells. AbstractThe diversity of cell types in the brain and how these change during different developmental stages, remains largely unknown. The life cycle of insects is short and goes through 4 distinct stages including embryonic, larval, pupal, and adult stages. During postembryonic life, the larval brain transforms into a mature adult version after metamorphosis. The silkworm,Bombyx mori, is a lepidopteran model insect. Here, we characterized the brain cell repertoire of larval and adultB. mori by obtaining 50  708 single-cell transcriptomes. Seventeen and 12 cell clusters from larval and adult brains were assigned based on marker genes, respectively. Identified cell types include Kenyon cells, optic lobe cells, monoaminergic neurons, surface glia, and astrocyte glia. We further assessed the cell type co mpositions of larval and adult brains. We found that the transition from larva to adult resulted in great expansion of glial cells. The glial cell accounted for 49.8% of adult midbrain cells. Compared to flies and ants, the mushroom body kenyon cell is insufficient inB. mori, which accounts for 5.4% and 3.6% in larval and adult brains, respectively. Analysis of neuropeptide expression showed that the abundance and specificity of expression varied among individual neuropeptides. Intriguingly, we found that ion transport peptide was s...
Source: Insect Science - Category: Biology Authors: Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research