Profiling 26,000 Aplysia californica neurons by single cell mass spectrometry reveals neuronal populations with distinct neuropeptide profiles. 2022

Peter C Chan-Andersen, and Elena V Romanova, and Stanislav S Rubakhin, and Jonathan V Sweedler
Department of Chemistry and the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA.

Neuropeptides are a chemically diverse class of cell-to-cell signaling molecules that are widely expressed throughout the central nervous system, often in a cell-specific manner. While cell-to-cell differences in neuropeptides is expected, it is often unclear how exactly neuropeptide expression varies among neurons. Here we created a microscopy-guided, high-throughput single cell matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry approach to investigate the neuropeptide heterogeneity of individual neurons in the central nervous system of the neurobiological model Aplysia californica, the California sea hare. In all, we analyzed more than 26,000 neurons from 18 animals and assigned 866 peptides from 66 prohormones by mass matching against an in silico peptide library generated from known Aplysia prohormones retrieved from the UniProt database. Louvain-Jaccard (LJ) clustering of mass spectra from individual neurons revealed 40 unique neuronal populations, or LJ clusters, each with a distinct neuropeptide profile. Prohormones and their related peptides were generally found in single cells from ganglia consistent with the prohormones' previously known ganglion localizations. Several LJ clusters also revealed the cellular colocalization of behaviorally related prohormones, such as an LJ cluster exhibiting achatin and neuropeptide Y, which are involved in feeding, and another cluster characterized by urotensin II, small cardiac peptide, sensorin A, and FRFa, which have shown activity in the feeding network or are present in the feeding musculature. This mass spectrometry-based approach enables the robust categorization of large cell populations based on single cell neuropeptide content and is readily adaptable to the study of a range of animals and tissue types.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D009474 Neurons The basic cellular units of nervous tissue. Each neuron consists of a body, an axon, and dendrites. Their purpose is to receive, conduct, and transmit impulses in the NERVOUS SYSTEM. Nerve Cells,Cell, Nerve,Cells, Nerve,Nerve Cell,Neuron
D009479 Neuropeptides Peptides released by NEURONS as intercellular messengers. Many neuropeptides are also hormones released by non-neuronal cells. Neuropeptide
D002490 Central Nervous System The main information-processing organs of the nervous system, consisting of the brain, spinal cord, and meninges. Cerebrospinal Axis,Axi, Cerebrospinal,Axis, Cerebrospinal,Central Nervous Systems,Cerebrospinal Axi,Nervous System, Central,Nervous Systems, Central,Systems, Central Nervous
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D001048 Aplysia An opisthobranch mollusk of the order Anaspidea. It is used frequently in studies of nervous system development because of its large identifiable neurons. Aplysiatoxin and its derivatives are not biosynthesized by Aplysia, but acquired by ingestion of Lyngbya (seaweed) species. Aplysias
D059010 Single-Cell Analysis Assaying the products of or monitoring various biochemical processes and reactions in an individual cell. Analyses, Single-Cell,Analysis, Single-Cell,Single Cell Analysis,Single-Cell Analyses
D019032 Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization A mass spectrometric technique that is used for the analysis of large biomolecules. Analyte molecules are embedded in an excess matrix of small organic molecules that show a high resonant absorption at the laser wavelength used. The matrix absorbs the laser energy, thus inducing a soft disintegration of the sample-matrix mixture into free (gas phase) matrix and analyte molecules and molecular ions. In general, only molecular ions of the analyte molecules are produced, and almost no fragmentation occurs. This makes the method well suited for molecular weight determinations and mixture analysis. Laser Desorption-Ionization Mass Spectrometry, Matrix-Assisted,MALD-MS,MALDI,Mass Spectrometry, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization,Mass Spectroscopy, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization,Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization Mass Spectrometry,Spectroscopy, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization,MALDI-MS,MS-MALD,SELDI-TOF-MS,Surface Enhanced Laser Desorption Ionization Mass Spectrometry,Laser Desorption Ionization Mass Spectrometry, Matrix Assisted,MALDI MS,Mass Spectrometry, Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization,Mass Spectroscopy, Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization,Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Mass Spectrometry

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