Transcriptomic analysis identifies injury-responsive fibroblast populations as potential mediators of Wnt-dependent spinal cord regeneration

Background In humans and other mammals, spinal cord injury (SCI) can lead to a permanent loss of sensory and motor function, due to the inability of damaged neurons and axons to regenerate. However, other vertebrate species including zebrafish exhibit complete spinal cord regeneration and functional recovery after SCI. Wnt signaling is required for neurogenesis and axon regrowth in a larval zebrafish SCI model, but the genes regulated by this pathway and the cell types that express them remain largely unknown. Results In this study, we used bulk RNA-sequencing (RNAseq) to identify candidate genes regulated by Wnt signaling that are expressed after SCI. Using this unbiased screen, we identified multiple genes previously unassociated with SCI in larval zebrafish, and confirmed by in situ hybridization that their expression is injury-responsive, Wnt-dependent, and localized to fibroblast-like cells surrounding the spinal cord. Conclusions Together, our data reveal potential novel gene targets and cell populations that may play important roles in spinal cord regeneration.