Four-dimensional molecular mapping from a spatial snapshot reveals the dynamics of hair follicle organogenesis.

Abstract

Understanding organ formation requires capturing molecular information simultaneously in three-dimensional (3D) space and across developmental time. To this end, we developed 3D DNase-Enhanced Expression Profiling (3DEEP), a tissue-clearing approach that removes genomic DNA to extend spatial transcriptomic profiling hundreds of microns into intact tissues. We applied 3DEEP to neonatal mouse skin, capturing hundreds of developing hair follicles across their organogenesis trajectory. Ordering follicles by molecularly inferred developmental age transformed this single spatial snapshot into a four-dimensional (3D + time) molecular map of organogenesis. This map revealed developmental dynamics spanning stem cell compartment stratification, emergence of new cell subtypes within the follicle, and cascading structural transformations leading to hair canal formation. Comparative analysis of Foxn1-deficient nude mice, a hairlessness model, revealed organ-wide changes in developmental dynamics, including delayed molecular progression, reduced coordination, and increased developmental instability, preceding overt structural defects. This work demonstrates how deep-tissue spatial transcriptomics can uncover hidden dynamics of organ formation.