Abstract:
Understanding biological mechanisms is fundamental for improving animal production and health to meet the growing demand for high-quality protein. As an emerging biotechnology, single-cell transcriptomics has been gradually applied in diverse aspects of animal research, offering an effective method to study the gene expression of high-throughput single cells of different tissues/organs in animals. In an unprecedented manner, researchers have identified cell types/subtypes and their marker genes, inferred cellular fate trajectories, and revealed cell‒cell interactions in animals using single-cell transcriptomics. In this paper, we introduce the development of single-cell technology and review the processes, advancements, and applications of single-cell transcriptomics in animal research. We summarize recent efforts using single-cell transcriptomics to obtain a more profound understanding of animal nutrition and health, reproductive performance, genetics, and disease models in different livestock species. Moreover, the practical experience accumulated based on a large number of cases is highlighted to provide a reference for determining key factors (e.g., sample size, cell clustering, and cell type annotation) in single-cell transcriptomics analysis. We also discuss the limitations and outlook of single-cell transcriptomics in the current stage. This paper describes the comprehensive progress of single-cell transcriptomics in animal research, offering novel insights and sustainable advancements in agricultural productivity and animal health.
摘要:
了解生物学机制对于改善动物生产和健康以满足对高质量蛋白质日益增长的需求至关重要。作为一种新兴的生物技术,单细胞转录组学已逐渐应用于动物研究的各个方面,为研究动物不同组织/器官的高通量单细胞基因表达提供了一种有效的方法。以前所未有的方式,研究人员已经确定了细胞类型/亚型及其标记基因,推断细胞命运轨迹,并使用单细胞转录组学揭示了动物中的细胞-细胞相互作用。在本文中,我们介绍了单细胞技术的发展并回顾了其过程,进步,以及单细胞转录组学在动物研究中的应用。我们总结了最近使用单细胞转录组学的努力,以获得对动物营养和健康的更深刻的理解,繁殖性能,遗传学,和不同家畜物种的疾病模型。此外,突出根据大量案例积累的实践经验,为确定关键因素提供参考(例如,样本量,细胞聚类,和细胞类型注释)在单细胞转录组学分析中。我们还讨论了现阶段单细胞转录组学的局限性和前景。本文综述了单细胞转录组学在动物研究中的研究进展,在农业生产力和动物健康方面提供新颖的见解和可持续的进步。