A unified rodent atlas reveals the cellular complexity and evolutionary divergence of the dorsal vagal complex
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The dorsal vagal complex (DVC) is a region in the brainstem comprised of an intricate network of specialized cells responsible for sensing and propagating many appetite-related cues. Understanding the dynamics controlling appetite requires deeply exploring the cell types and transitory states harbored in this brain site. We generated a multi-species DVC cell atlas using single nuclei RNAseq (sn-RNAseq), thorough curation and harmonization of mouse and rat data which includes >180,000 cells and 123 cell identities at 5 granularities of cellular resolution. We report unique DVC features such as Kcnj3 expression in Ca + -permeable astrocytes as well as new cell populations like neurons co-expressing Th and Cck , and a leptin receptor-expressing neuron population in the rat area postrema which is marked by expression of the progenitor marker, Pdgfra . In summary, our findings suggest there are distinct cellular populations specific to the DVC compared to other brain sites and our comprehensive atlas is a valuable tool for the study of this metabolic center.
