eLife October, 2022 by Alexandra Wiesinger et al.
A single cell transcriptional roadmap of human pacemaker cell differentiation

Wiesinger et al. combine SORT-seq analysis with trajectory inference to reconstruct lineage decisions of sinoatrial node–like cardiomyocytes (derived from induced pluripotent stem cells). WNT and TGFb signaling seem to play a role in these lineage decisions, the authors find.

eLife May, 2022 by Maja Solman et al.
Inflammatory response in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells triggered by activating SHP2 mutations evokes blood defects

Hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) are the disease-propagating cells of juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML). A SHP2 mutation is common in these patients, and Solman et al. reproduced it in zebrafish. Single-cell mRNA sequencing of HSPCs from mutant zebrafish embryos and bulk sequencing of HSPCs from JMML patients revealed an overlapping inflammatory gene expression pattern. Pharmacological inhibition of the inflammatory response positively impacted mutant zebrafish, suggesting therapeutic possibilities in JMML patients.

eLife February, 2022 by Lenno Krenning et al.
Time-resolved single-cell sequencing identifies multiple waves of mRNA decay during the mitosis-to-G1 phase transition

The authors show that scheduled mRNA decay helps to reshape cell cycle gene expression as cells move from mitosis into G1 phase. To obtain a detailed view of mRNA levels as cells progress from M phase into G1 phase, they developed an original method that connects live-cell microscopy with SORT-seq.