TY - JOUR TI - Regulation of dynamic pigment cell states at single-cell resolution AU - Perillo, Margherita AU - Oulhen, Nathalie AU - Foster, Stephany AU - Spurrell, Maxwell AU - Calestani, Cristina AU - Wessel, Gary A2 - Newmark, Phillip A A2 - Bronner, Marianne E A2 - Rast, Jonathan Patrick VL - 9 PY - 2020 DA - 2020/08/19 SP - e60388 C1 - eLife 2020;9:e60388 DO - 10.7554/eLife.60388 UR - https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.60388 AB - Cells bearing pigment have diverse roles and are often under strict evolutionary selection. Here, we explore the regulation of pigmented cells in the purple sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, an emerging model for diverse pigment function. We took advantage of single cell RNA-seq (scRNAseq) technology and discovered that pigment cells in the embryo segregated into two distinct populations, a mitotic cluster and a post-mitotic cluster. Gcm is essential for expression of several genes important for pigment function, but is only transiently expressed in these cells. We discovered unique genes expressed by pigment cells and test their expression with double fluorescence in situ hybridization. These genes include new members of the fmo family that are expressed selectively in pigment cells of the embryonic and in the coelomic cells of the adult - both cell-types having immune functions. Overall, this study identifies nodes of molecular intersection ripe for change by selective evolutionary pressures. KW - sea urchin KW - pigment cells KW - scmRNA-seq KW - gene regulatory network KW - innate immunity KW - glial cells missing JF - eLife SN - 2050-084X PB - eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd ER -