Fig. 4: Features of the protective interactions. | Nature Communications

Fig. 4: Features of the protective interactions.

From: Intercellular communication atlas reveals Oprm1 as a neuroprotective factor for retinal ganglion cells

Fig. 4

a Heatmap shows the average expression level of the genes of various receptors in different RGC subclasses. b The top 20 protective ligand-receptor interaction pairs identified in the astrocyte-to-RGC interactions are one example. The heatmap scale represents the interaction score SLR. c Examples of three preset (left) and three induced (right) protective interactions are from astrocytes to αRGCs. Preset protective interactions are characterized by constantly higher SLR in the high-survival RGC subclasses than in the low-survival subclasses. In contrast, the inducible type of protective interactions becomes stronger after injury. Shown in pink lines, these interactions are almost undetectable from astrocytes to T-RGC, a low-survival RGC subclass. d Summary of the preset and induced protective interactions. The X-axis is the difference between interaction scores in high- and low-survival subclasses before injury, and the Y-axis is the difference between interaction scores in high- and low-survival subclasses after injury. e Autocrine vs. paracrine. For the ligand genes involved in protective interactions with receptors expressed in high-survival RGCs, the dot plot summarizes expression levels of ligand genes by RGC subclasses (top) and other retinal cell types (bottom) at 12 h post-ONC.

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