Many different functions are regulated by circadian rhythms, including those orchestrated by discrete clock neurons within animal brains. To comprehensively characterize and assign cell identity to the 75 pairs of Drosophila circadian neurons, we optimized a single cell RNA sequencing method and assayed clock neuron gene expression at different times of day. The data identify at least 17 clock neuron categories with striking spatial regulation of gene expression. Transcription factor regulation is prominent and likely contributes to the robust circadian oscillation of many transcripts, including those that encode cell-surface proteins previously shown to be important for cell recognition and synapse formation during development. The many other clock-regulated genes also constitute an important resource for future mechanistic and functional studies between clock neurons and/or for temporal signaling to circuits elsewhere in the fly brain.

中文翻译：

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果蝇昼夜节律神经元的转录组学分类

许多不同的功能受昼夜节律的调节，包括由动物大脑中离散的时钟神经元协调的功能。为了全面表征和分配 75 对果蝇昼夜节律神经元的细胞身份，我们优化了单细胞 RNA 测序方法并测定了一天中不同时间的时钟神经元基因表达。数据确定了至少 17 个时钟神经元类别，具有显着的基因表达空间调节。转录因子调节很重要，可能有助于许多转录物的强大昼夜节律振荡，包括那些编码细胞表面蛋白的转录物，这些蛋白以前被证明对发育过程中的细胞识别和突触形成很重要。