Institute for Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
Parasitology. 2021 Sep;148(10):1223-1236. doi: 10.1017/S003118202100041X. Epub 2021 Mar 8.
Kinetoplastid parasites are responsible for both human and animal diseases across the globe where they have a great impact on health and economic well-being. Many species and life cycle stages are difficult to study due to limitations in isolation and culture, as well as to their existence as heterogeneous populations in hosts and vectors. Single-cell transcriptomics (scRNA-seq) has the capacity to overcome many of these difficulties, and can be leveraged to disentangle heterogeneous populations, highlight genes crucial for propagation through the life cycle, and enable detailed analysis of host–parasite interactions. Here, we provide a review of studies that have applied scRNA-seq to protozoan parasites so far. In addition, we provide an overview of sample preparation and technology choice considerations when planning scRNA-seq experiments, as well as challenges faced when analysing the large amounts of data generated. Finally, we highlight areas of kinetoplastid research that could benefit from scRNA-seq technologies.
动基体目寄生虫在全球范围内导致人和动物疾病，对健康和经济福利有重大影响。由于在分离和培养方面的限制，以及在宿主和载体中作为异质群体的存在，许多物种和生活史阶段都难以研究。单细胞转录组学（scRNA-seq）有能力克服许多这些困难，并可用于分解异质群体，突出在生命周期中对繁殖至关重要的基因，并能够对宿主-寄生虫相互作用进行详细分析。在这里，我们回顾了迄今为止应用于原生动物寄生虫的 scRNA-seq 研究。此外，我们还概述了在计划 scRNA-seq 实验时的样品制备和技术选择考虑因素，以及在分析生成的大量数据时面临的挑战。最后，我们强调了可能受益于 scRNA-seq 技术的动基体目研究领域。
