Identification of stem cell marker-positive subpopulations in the vocal fold of the larynx through transcriptomic analyses

Abstract

Information on the maintenance of tissue homeostasis is important for the development of effective therapeutic methods, however, reports on the cellular composition and tissue stem cells of the larynx were scarce. Therefore, we analyzed mouse laryngeal mucosa using scRNA-seq, and spatial transcriptomics by photo-isolation chemistry, and performed the generation of laryngeal organoid used as an in vitro model from mouse laryngeal mucosa. As a result, we found a SOX9-positive basal cell subpopulation and a Lgr5-positive fibroblast subpopulation in the mouse vocal fold, and obtained three types of epithelial organoids from laryngeal epithelium. We also confirmed the differences in pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium composition between the supraglottis and subglottis of the mouse larynx. These findings provide novel insights and valuable tools for future research in laryngology and stem cell biology.