Single-Soma Deep RNA sequencing of Human DRG Neurons Reveals Novel Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms Underlying Somatosensation

Abstract

The versatility of somatosensation arises from heterogeneous dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons. However, soma transcriptomes of individual human DRG (hDRG) neurons - critical information to decipher their functions - are lacking due to technical difficulties. Here, we developed a novel approach to isolate individual hDRG neuron somas for deep RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). On average, >9,000 unique genes per neuron were detected, and 16 neuronal types were identified. Cross-species analyses revealed remarkable divergence among pain-sensing neurons and the existence of human-specific nociceptor types. Our deep RNA-seq dataset was especially powerful for providing insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying human somatosensation and identifying high potential novel drug targets. Our dataset also guided the selection of molecular markers to visualize different types of human afferents and the discovery of novel functional properties using single-cell in vivo electrophysiological recordings. In summary, by employing a novel soma sequencing method, we generated an unprecedented hDRG neuron atlas, providing new insights into human somatosensation, establishing a critical foundation for translational work, and clarifying human species-specific properties.