Cell landscape of larval and adult Xenopus laevis at single-cell resolution

The rapid development of high-throughput single-cell RNA sequencing technology offers a good opportunity to dissect cell heterogeneity of animals. A large number of organism-wide single-cell atlases have been constructed for vertebrates such as Homo sapiens, Macaca fascicularis, Mus musculus and Danio rerio. However, an intermediate taxon that links mammals to vertebrates of more ancient origin is still lacking. Here, we construct the first Xenopus cell landscape to date, including larval and adult organs. Common cell lineage-specific transcription factors have been identified in vertebrates, including fish, amphibians and mammals. The comparison of larval and adult erythrocytes identifies stage-specific hemoglobin subtypes, as well as a common type of cluster containing both larval and adult hemoglobin, mainly at NF59. In addition, cell lineages originating from all three layers exhibits both antigen processing and presentation during metamorphosis, indicating a common regulatory mechanism during metamorphosis. Overall, our study provides a large-scale resource for research on Xenopus metamorphosis and adult organs. Single-cell RNA sequencing technology offers a unique opportunity to dissect cell heterogeneity of animals. Here, the authors construct a Xenopus cell landscape including larval and adult organs to dissect cell heterogeneity of the amphibian.

Automated summary

In this study, the authors constructed a Xenopus cell landscape including larval and adult organs to dissect cell heterogeneity of the amphibian. They identified common cell lineage-specific transcription factors in vertebrates and discovered stage-specific hemoglobin subtypes in larval and adult erythrocytes, as well as a common type of cluster containing both larval and adult hemoglobin. They also found that cell lineages originating from all three layers exhibit antigen processing and presentation during metamorphosis, indicating a common regulatory mechanism. This study provides valuable insights into Xenopus metamorphosis and adult organs.