Shared and divergent transcriptional programs of oligodendrocyte differentiation across vertebrate species revealed by scRNA-seq analysis

Here, we performed a cross-species single-cell transcriptomic analysis of oligodendrocyte lineage cells in the spinal cord of five vertebrate species: fugu, mudskipper, chicken, mouse, and human. Pseudotime trajectory analysis revealed a shared OPC to COP to MOL differentiation trajectory across all species.

Among stage-specific DEGs, 302 high-shared genes were organized into four co-expression modules, with 46 evolutionary core genes enriched for oligodendrocyte differentiation and Wnt signaling. Notably, 184 amniote-exclusive genes were enriched for synaptic vesicle transport and locomotory behavior, predominantly at the OPC stage, compared with only 18 teleost-exclusive genes, indicating that amniotes have expanded the oligodendrocyte differentiation program at the progenitor stage.