Alex M Mawla
University of California,USA
Biography
Islet gene expression has been widely studied to better understand the transcriptional features that define a healthy beta cell. Transcriptomes of FACS-purified alpha, beta, and delta cells using bulk RNA-sequencing have facilitated our understanding of the complex network of crosstalk between islet cells and its effects on beta cell function. However, these approaches were by design not intended to resolve heterogeneity between individual cells. Several recent studies used single cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-Seq) to report considerable heterogeneity within mouse and human beta cells. In this perspective, we assess how this newfound ability to assess gene expression at single cell resolution has enhanced our understanding of beta cell heterogeneity. We conduct a comprehensive assessment of several single human beta cell transcriptome datasets and ask if the heterogeneity reported by these studies showed overlap and concurred with previously known examples of beta cell heterogeneity. We also illustrate the impact of the inevitable limitations of working at or below the limit of detection of gene expression at single cell resolution and their consequences for the quality of single islet cell transcriptome data. Finally, we offer some guidance on when to opt for scRNA-Seq and when bulk sequencing approaches may be better suited.
Abstract
Abstract : Navigating the depths and avoiding the shallows of pancreatic islet cell transcriptomes