Spatial transcriptomics add a new dimension to our understanding of the gut

Abstract

The profound complexity of the intestinal mucosa demands a spatial approach to the study of gut transcriptomics. Although single-cell RNA sequencing has revolutionized our ability to survey the diverse cell types of the intestine, knowledge of cell type alone cannot fully describe the cells that make up the intestinal mucosa. During homeostasis and disease, dramatic gradients of oxygen, nutrients, extracellular matrix proteins, morphogens, and microbiota collectively dictate intestinal cell state, and only spatial techniques can articulate differences in cellular transcriptomes at this level. Spatial transcriptomic techniques assign transcriptomic data to precise regions in a tissue of interest. In recent years, these protocols have become increasingly accessible, and their application in the intestinal mucosa has exploded in popularity. In the gut, spatial transcriptomics typically involve the application of tissue sections to spatially barcoded RNA sequencing or laser capture microdissection followed by RNA sequencing. In combination with single-cell RNA sequencing, these spatial sequencing approaches allow for the construction of spatial transcriptional maps at pseudo-single-cell resolution. In this review, we describe the spatial transcriptomic technologies recently applied in the gut and the previously unattainable discoveries that they have produced.

Gut virome in inflammatory bowel disease and beyond

“…Spatial transcriptomics is a cutting-edge technology that combines traditional gene expression analysis with spatial information. 50 It enables analysing gene expression patterns within tissues while maintaining their spatial context, providing a deeper understanding of how genes are regulated and interact within specific regions of an organ or tissue. In the gut, spatial transcriptomics typically involves RNA sequencing of spatially barcoded tissue sections or laser capture microdissected tissues.…”

“…In the gut, spatial transcriptomics typically involves RNA sequencing of spatially barcoded tissue sections or laser capture microdissected tissues. 50 In combination with single-cell RNA sequencing, these spatial sequencing approaches allow for the construction of spatial transcriptional maps at almost single-cell resolution.…”

The power of combined spatial transcriptomics and genome wide association studies (GWAS) approaches to heritable prostate cancer

“…The reader interested in a few practical aspects of transcriptomics should consult the excellent recent revues by Rao et al (2021), Danan et al (2022), and Williams et al (2022).…”