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<p>The gliding patagium represents a key adaptation for mammalian flight, but its cellular development remains unexplored. Using single-nucleus RNA sequencing of embryonic flying squirrel patagium and dorsal skin, we construct a single-cell atlas of patagium development and identify two distinct fibroblast subpopulations (Fp2 and Fr) highly enriched in the patagium. These fibroblasts are characterized by the patagium upregulation of <i>Wnt5a</i>, <i>Fgf7</i>, and <i>Fgf10</i>, and are associated with patagium morphogenesis through dermal-epidermal putative communication interactions between dermal fibroblasts (Fp2 and Fr) and epithelial basal keratinocytes. Specifically, Fp2 fibroblasts are potentially involved in distal dermal condensation and epithelial thickening together with elevated <i>Wnt5a</i> expression, while both Fp2 and Fr fibroblasts could play a role in epithelial polarization and thickening through <i>Fgf7</i> and <i>Fgf10</i>, as suggested by ex vivo assays. Our data suggest that gliding patagium development results from the co-option of conserved WNT and FGF signaling pathways within a specialized fibroblast-epithelial context, illustrating how modifications of conserved developmental programs give rise to derived morphological traits.</p>

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Single-cell profiling decodes patagium development in gliding mammal

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年8月4日

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  • YouFu Lin,
  • ShuangXian Huang,
  • LiFeng Che,
  • HaoZhe Zhao,
  • YaJun Wang,
  • MingFei Yang,
  • Cheng Ai,
  • Jue Ruan,
  • XiaoPing Wang,
  • Li Yu

摘要

The gliding patagium represents a key adaptation for mammalian flight, but its cellular development remains unexplored. Using single-nucleus RNA sequencing of embryonic flying squirrel patagium and dorsal skin, we construct a single-cell atlas of patagium development and identify two distinct fibroblast subpopulations (Fp2 and Fr) highly enriched in the patagium. These fibroblasts are characterized by the patagium upregulation of Wnt5a, Fgf7, and Fgf10, and are associated with patagium morphogenesis through dermal-epidermal putative communication interactions between dermal fibroblasts (Fp2 and Fr) and epithelial basal keratinocytes. Specifically, Fp2 fibroblasts are potentially involved in distal dermal condensation and epithelial thickening together with elevated Wnt5a expression, while both Fp2 and Fr fibroblasts could play a role in epithelial polarization and thickening through Fgf7 and Fgf10, as suggested by ex vivo assays. Our data suggest that gliding patagium development results from the co-option of conserved WNT and FGF signaling pathways within a specialized fibroblast-epithelial context, illustrating how modifications of conserved developmental programs give rise to derived morphological traits.