The intricate formation of the palate involves a series of complex events, yet its mechanistic basis remains uncertain. To explore major cell populations in the palate and their roles during development, we constructed a spatiotemporal transcription landscape of palatal cells. Palate samples from C57BL/6 J mice at embryonic days 12.5 (E12.5), 14.5 (E14.5), and 16.5 (E16.5) underwent single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to identify distinct cell subsets. In addition, spatial enhanced resolution omics-sequencing (stereo-seq) was used to characterize the spatial distribution of these subsets. Integrating scRNA-seq and stereo-seq with CellTrek annotated mesenchymal and epithelial cellular components of the palate during development. Furthermore, cellular communication networks between these cell subpopulations were analyzed to discover intercellular signaling during palate development. From the analysis of the middle palate, both mesenchymal and epithelial populations were spatially segregated into 3 domains. The middle palate mesenchymal subpopulations were associated with tooth formation, ossification, and tissue remodeling, with initial state cell populations located proximal to the dental lamina. The nasal epithelium of the palatal shelf exhibited richer humoral immune responses than the oral side. Specific enrichment of Tgfβ3 and Pthlh signals in the midline epithelial seam at E14.5 suggested a role in epithelial–mesenchymal transition. In summary, this study provides high-resolution transcriptomic information, contributing to a deeper mechanistic understanding of palate biology and pathophysiology.

中文翻译：

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小鼠上颚发育的时空进化

味觉的复杂形成涉及一系列复杂的事件，但其机制基础仍然不确定。为了探索腭中的主要细胞群及其在发育过程中的作用，我们构建了腭细胞的时空转录景观。对胚胎 12.5 (E12.5)、14.5 (E14.5) 和 16.5 (E16.5) 天的 C57BL/6 J 小鼠的上颚样本进行单细胞 RNA 测序 (scRNA-seq)，以鉴定不同的细胞亚群。此外，空间增强分辨率组学测序（stereo-seq）用于表征这些子集的空间分布。将 scRNA-seq 和 Stereo-seq 与 CellTrek 集成，注释了发育过程中上颚的间充质和上皮细胞成分。此外，分析这些细胞亚群之间的细胞通信网络，以发现上颚发育过程中的细胞间信号传导。通过对中腭的分析，间充质和上皮细胞群体在空间上分为 3 个区域。中腭间充质亚群与牙齿形成、骨化和组织重塑相关，初始状态细胞群位于牙板附近。腭架的鼻上皮表现出比口侧更丰富的体液免疫反应。 E14.5 中线上皮缝中 Tgfβ3 和 Pthlh 信号的特异性富集表明在上皮-间质转化中发挥作用。总之，这项研究提供了高分辨率的转录组信息，有助于更深入地了解上颚生物学和病理生理学的机制。