Single-Cell RNA Sequencing and Its Applications in the Study of Psychiatric Disorders

Autor(es)

Antunes, Andre S. L. M. ; Martins-de-Souza, Daniel

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE; v. 3, n. 3, p. 11-pg., 2023-07-01.

Resumo

Neuroscience is currently one of the most challenging research fields owing to the enormous complexity of the mammalian nervous system. We are yet to understand precise transcriptional programs that govern cell fate during neurodevelopment, resolve the connectome of the mammalian brain, and determine the etiology of various neuro-degenerative and psychiatric disorders. Technological advances in the past decade, notably single-cell RNA sequencing, have enabled huge progress in our understanding of such features. Our current knowledge of the transcriptome is largely derived from bulk RNA sequencing, which reveals only the average gene expression of millions of cells, potentially missing out on minor transcriptome differences between cells detectable only at single -cell resolution. Since 2009, several single-cell RNA sequencing techniques have emerged that enable the accurate classification of neuronal and glial cell subtypes beyond classical molecular markers and electrophysiological features and allow the identification of previously unknown cell types. Furthermore, it enables the interrogation of molecular and disease-relevant mechanisms and offers further possibilities for the discovery of new drug targets and disease biomarkers. This review intends to familiarize the reader with the main single-cell RNA sequencing techniques developed throughout the past decade and discusses their application in the fields of brain cell taxonomy, neuro-development, and psychiatric disorders. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 17/25588-1 - Da compreensão básica a biomarcadores clínicos para a esquizofrenia: um estudo multidisciplinar centrado na neuroproteômica
• Beneficiário: Daniel Martins-de-Souza
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Temático
• Processo FAPESP: 20/10282-7 - Explorando as bases moleculares da infecção por SARS-CoV-2 em modelos pré-clínicos neurais
• Beneficiário: Andre Saraiva Leao Marcelo Antunes
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Pós-Doutorado