Single-cell transcriptome analysis reveals cellular heterogeneity in mouse intra- and extra articular ligaments

Ligaments are collagenous connective tissues that connect bones. Injury of knee ligaments, namely anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and medial collateral ligament (MCL), is common in athletes. Both ligaments have important functions, but distinct regeneration capacities. The capacity for recovery aft...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Communications biology 2022-11, Vol.5 (1), p.1233-1233, Article 1233
Main Authors: Ishibashi, Kyota, Ikegami, Kentaro, Shimbo, Takashi, Sasaki, Eiji, Kitayama, Tomomi, Nakamura, Yuzuru, Tsushima, Takahiro, Ishibashi, Yasuyuki, Tamai, Katsuto
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
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Age
Angiogenesis
Animals
Anterior Cruciate Ligament
Biology
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Collagen
Connective tissues
Fibroblasts
Gene expression
Gene Expression Profiling
Gene regulation
Knee
Knee Joint
Life Sciences
Ligaments
Mice
Therapeutic targets
Transcriptomes
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Summary:Ligaments are collagenous connective tissues that connect bones. Injury of knee ligaments, namely anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and medial collateral ligament (MCL), is common in athletes. Both ligaments have important functions, but distinct regeneration capacities. The capacity for recovery after injury also diminishes with age. However, cellular heterogeneity in the ligaments remains unclear. Here, we profiled the transcriptional signatures of ACL and MCL cells in mice using single-cell RNA sequencing. These ligaments comprise three fibroblast types expressing Col22a1 , Col12a1 , or Col14a1 , but have distinct localizations in the tissue. We found substantial heterogeneity in Col12a1 - and Col14a1 -positive cells between ACL and MCL. Gene Ontology analysis revealed that angiogenesis- and collagen regulation-related genes were specifically enriched in MCL cells. Furthermore, we identified age-related changes in cell composition and gene expression in the ligaments. This study delineates cellular heterogeneity in ligaments, serving as a foundation for identifying potential therapeutic targets for ligament injuries. Cell heterogeneity in the mouse anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and medial collateral ligament (MCL) is demonstrated using single-cell analysis with three types of fibroblasts identified, expressing Col14a1, Col12a1, or Col22a1.
ISSN:2399-3642
2399-3642
DOI:10.1038/s42003-022-04196-w