Faculty, Staff and Student Publications
Publication Date
1-1-2025
Journal
Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal
DOI
10.1016/j.csbj.2025.09.031
PMID
41127818
PMCID
PMC12538024
PubMedCentral® Posted Date
9-24-2025
PubMedCentral® Full Text Version
Post-print
Abstract
Cell-cell communication between adjacent tissues is fundamental to orchestrating organ morphogenesis. During secondary palate development, interactions between epithelial and mesenchymal cells regulate epithelial-mesenchymal signaling, thereby controlling cell proliferation, differentiation, and tissue patterning. However, the precise molecular mechanisms underlying these interactions remain largely unexplored. In this study, we employed single-cell multiome sequencing to simultaneously profile chromatin accessibility and gene expression in 35,150 individual cells isolated from the developing mouse secondary palate at embryonic days E12.5, E13.5, E14.0, and E14.5. Our analysis revealed that intercellular signaling plays a pivotal role in directing secondary palate morphogenesis, with WNT, BMP, and PDGF pathways emerging as key regulators of this process. These pathways exhibit peak activity at E12.5, followed by a progressive decline toward E14.5. Notably, WNT signaling is predominantly enriched in the nasal epithelium, mediating interactions with neighboring cell populations, while BMP signaling is more prominent in the oral epithelium. Additionally, PDGF signaling exhibits enhanced activity in the dental epithelium, indicating its role in coordinating epithelial-mesenchymal interactions during palatal development. Collectively, these findings provide novel insights into the spatiotemporal associations of WNT, BMP, and PDGF signaling with intercellular communication during secondary palate development, suggesting that these pathways may contribute to the cellular dynamics underlying secondary palate morphogenesis. Moreover, they underscore the need for further investigation.
Keywords
Cellular communication, Gene regulatory network, Palatogenesis, Signaling pathway, Single-cell multi-omics
Published Open-Access
yes
Recommended Citation
Hussein, Usama; Dai, Yulin; Liu, Andi; et al., "Single-Cell Multiome Characterizing Intercellular Communication and Intracellular Regulation of Epithelium and Mesenchymal During Secondary Palate Development in Mice" (2025). Faculty, Staff and Student Publications. 702.
https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/uthshis_docs/702
Graphical Abstract