Paired-cell sequencing enables spatial gene expression mapping of liver endothelial cells.

Spatially resolved single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) is a powerful approach for inferring connections between a cell's identity and its position in a tissue. We recently combined scRNAseq with spatially mapped landmark genes to infer the expression zonation of hepatocytes. However, determining zonation of small cells with low mRNA content, or without highly expressed landmark genes, remains challenging. Here we used paired-cell sequencing, in which mRNA from pairs of attached mouse cells were sequenced and gene expression from one cell type was used to infer the pairs' tissue coordinates. We applied this method to pairs of hepatocytes and liver endothelial cells (LECs). Using the spatial information from hepatocytes, we reconstructed LEC zonation and extracted a landmark gene panel that we used to spatially map LEC scRNAseq data. Our approach revealed the expression of both Wnt ligands and the Dkk3 Wnt antagonist in distinct pericentral LEC sub-populations. This approach can be used to reconstruct spatial expression maps of non-parenchymal cells in other tissues.

Epigenetic Control of Expression Homeostasis during Replication Is Stabilized by the Replication Checkpoint.

DNA replication introduces a dosage imbalance between early and late replicating genes. In budding yeast, buffering gene expression against this imbalance depends on marking replicated DNA by H3K56 acetylation (H3K56ac). Whether additional processes are required for suppressing transcription from H3K56ac-labeled DNA remains unknown. Here, using a database-guided candidate screen, we find that COMPASS, the H3K4 methyltransferase, and its upstream effector, PAF1C, act downstream of H3K56ac to buffer expression. Replicated genes show reduced abundance of the transcription activating mark H3K4me3 and accumulate the transcription inhibitory mark H3K4me2 near transcription start sites. Notably, in hydroxyurea-exposed cells, the S phase checkpoint stabilizes H3K56ac and becomes essential for buffering. We suggest that H3K56ac suppresses transcription of replicated genes by interfering with post-replication recovery of epigenetic marks and assign a new function for the S phase checkpoint in stabilizing this mechanism during persistent dosage imbalance.

Global mRNA polarization regulates translation efficiency in the intestinal epithelium.

Asymmetric messenger RNA (mRNA) localization facilitates efficient translation in cells such as neurons and fibroblasts. However, the extent and importance of mRNA polarization in epithelial tissues are unclear. Here, we used single-molecule transcript imaging and subcellular transcriptomics to uncover global apical-basal intracellular polarization of mRNA in the mouse intestinal epithelium. The localization of mRNAs did not generally overlap protein localization. Instead, ribosomes were more abundant on the apical sides, and apical transcripts were consequently more efficiently translated. Refeeding of fasted mice elicited a basal-to-apical shift in polarization of mRNAs encoding ribosomal proteins, which was associated with a specific boost in their translation. This led to increased protein production, required for efficient nutrient absorption. These findings reveal a posttranscriptional regulatory mechanism involving dynamic polarization of mRNA and polarized translation.

Single-cell spatial reconstruction reveals global division of labour in the mammalian liver.

The mammalian liver consists of hexagon-shaped lobules that are radially polarized by blood flow and morphogens. Key liver genes have been shown to be differentially expressed along the lobule axis, a phenomenon termed zonation, but a detailed genome-wide reconstruction of this spatial division of labour has not been achieved. Here we measure the entire transcriptome of thousands of mouse liver cells and infer their lobule coordinates on the basis of a panel of zonated landmark genes, characterized with single-molecule fluorescence in situ hybridization. Using this approach, we obtain the zonation profiles of all liver genes with high spatial resolution. We find that around 50% of liver genes are significantly zonated and uncover abundant non-monotonic profiles that peak at the mid-lobule layers. These include a spatial order of bile acid biosynthesis enzymes that matches their position in the enzymatic cascade. Our approach can facilitate the reconstruction of similar spatial genomic blueprints for other mammalian organs.

Genome-wide assessment of post-transcriptional control in the fly brain.

Post-transcriptional control of gene expression has central importance during development and adulthood and in physiology in general. However, little is known about the extent of post-transcriptional control of gene expression in the brain. Most post-transcriptional regulatory effectors (e.g., miRNAs) destabilize target mRNAs by shortening their polyA tails. Hence, the fraction of a given mRNA that it is fully polyadenylated should correlate with its stability and serves as a good measure of post-transcriptional control. Here, we compared RNA-seq datasets from fly brains that were generated either from total (rRNA-depleted) or polyA-selected RNA. By doing this comparison we were able to compute a coefficient that measures the extent of post-transcriptional control for each brain-expressed mRNA. In agreement with current knowledge, we found that mRNAs encoding ribosomal proteins, metabolic enzymes, and housekeeping genes are among the transcripts with least post-transcriptional control, whereas mRNAs that are known to be highly unstable, like circadian mRNAs and mRNAs expressing synaptic proteins and proteins with neuronal functions, are under strong post-transcriptional control. Surprisingly, the latter group included many specific groups of genes relevant to brain function and behavior. In order to determine the importance of miRNAs in this regulation, we profiled miRNAs from fly brains using oligonucleotide microarrays. Surprisingly, we did not find a strong correlation between the expression levels of miRNAs in the brain and the stability of their target mRNAs; however, genes identified as highly regulated post-transcriptionally were strongly enriched for miRNA targets. This demonstrates a central role of miRNAs for modulating the levels and turnover of brain-specific mRNAs in the fly.