Transcriptome profiling of the Olig2-expressing astrocyte subtype reveals their unique molecular signature

• Published in: iScience Vol. 24; no. 7; p. 102806
• Main Authors: Ohayon, David, Aguirrebengoa, Marion, Escalas, Nathalie, Jungas, Thomas, Soula, Cathy
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 23-07-2021; Elsevier
• Subjects: Biochemistry, Molecular Biology; Cellular neuroscience; Genomics; Life Sciences; Neurobiology; Neurons and Cognition; Omics; Transcriptomics; Transcriptomics; Cellular neuroscience; Omics
• ISSN: 2589-0042; 2589-0042
• DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102806

Astrocytes are recognized to be a heterogeneous population of cells that differ morphologically, functionally, and molecularly. Whether this heterogeneity results from generation of distinct astrocyte cell lineages, each functionally specialized to perform specific tasks, remains an open question. In this study, we used RNA sequencing analysis to determine the global transcriptome profile of the Olig2-expressing astrocyte subtype (Olig2-AS), a specific spinal astrocyte subtype that segregates early during development from Olig2 progenitors and differs from other spinal astrocytes by the expression of Olig2. We identified 245 differentially expressed genes. Among them, 135 exhibit higher levels of expression when compared with other populations of spinal astrocytes, indicating that these genes can serve as a “unique” functional signature of Olig2-AS. Among them, we identify two genes, inka2 and kcnip3, as specific molecular markers of the Olig2-AS in the P7 spinal cord. Our work thus reveals that Olig2 progenitors produce a unique spinal astrocyte subtype.
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•Efficient method to isolate Olig2-AS from other spinal glial cells•Provide astrocyte subtype transcriptome from the post-natal spinal cord•Identification of two specific markers of the Olig2-AS•Bioinformatics identifies functional specificity of Olig2-AS in synapse regulation
Cellular neuroscience; Omics; Transcriptomics