Epigenetic heterogeneity of the Notch signaling components in the developing human retina

Abstract

AbstractNotch signaling-mediated differentiation is dependent on fine-tuned expression regulation. In particular, the diversification processes of the initially homogenous undifferentiated cells were well documented for this signaling pathway. Although this signaling pathway is involved in the development of the mammalian retina, it is unclear how the expression levels of Notch signaling components are regulated. Here, we analyzed publicly available datasets of single-cell RNA-seq and single-cell ATAC-seq from human fetal retinas at Days 53, 59 and 78 to examine the status of the mRNA expression and chromatin accessibility of Notch signaling components. We found that Notch signaling components were expressed in undifferentiated cells and that the chromatin accessibilities in those cells were different. This finding revealed the epigenetic heterogeneity among the differentiating cells during Notch signaling-driven cellular dynamics.