Integration of in situ hybridization and scRNA-seq data provides a 2D topographical map of the developing retina across species

In the vertebrate retina, molecular domains along the dorsoventral and nasotemporal axes provide positional cues for regional specializations such as the high-acuity area (HAA). We combined multiplexed in situ hybridization data with single-cell transcriptomic data to create quantitative two-dimensional maps of developing retinal cells.

In the developing chicken retina, this approach resolved sharp expression boundaries of genes involved in patterning, and revealed novel candidates enriched in the anlagen of the HAA. Comparative analysis of chicken, mouse, and human data demonstrated conserved axis-based programs, but distinct fine-scale organization consistent with presence/absence of an HAA. Here, we show that spatial reconstruction from scRNA-seq data, anchored by experimental benchmarks, enables comparative 2D topographic mapping of gene expression across species and provides a generalizable strategy to investigate the spatial logic of molecular organization in developing tissues.