| Description |
In this study, we performed single-cell transcriptome sequencing of human spinal cord from Carnegie Stage (CS) 16-21 and mouse spinal cord from embryonic day (E) 8.0-11.5, complemented by in situ sequencing of human spinal cord (CS 16-20). Our results reveal the critical role of the precursor state in neuronal differentiation and migration, identifying key transcription factors that regulate these processes across species. Notably, each neuronal lineage expresses unique markers as early as the progenitor stage at the spinal cord midline, and later undergoes a shared transcriptional program during precursor commitment that guides migration. This synchronized migration, validated by spatial transcriptomics, occurs in both dorsal and ventral regions. Our findings offer new insights into the migration patterns and regulatory factors that guide spinal cord neuron subtype specification during embryogenesis, deepening our understanding of neural circuit formation in the spinal cord. |