Isolation and Preparation of Embryonic Zebrafish Retinal Cells for Single-Cell RNA Sequencing

Recent technological advances in single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-Seq) have enabled scientists to answer novel questions in biology with unparalleled precision. Indeed, in the field of ocular development and regeneration, scRNA-Seq studies have resulted in a number of exciting discoveries that have begun to revolutionize the way we think about these processes. Despite the widespread success of scRNA-Seq, many scientists are wary to perform scRNA-Seq experiments due to the uncertainty of obtaining high-quality viable cell populations that are necessary for the generation of usable data that enable rigorous computational analyses. Here, we describe methodology to reproducibility generate high-quality single-cell suspensions from embryonic zebrafish eyes. These single-cell suspensions served as inputs to the 10× Genomics v3.1 system and yielded high-quality scRNA-Seq data in proof-of-principle studies. In describing methodology to quantitatively assess cell yields, cell viability, and other critical quality control parameters, this protocol can serve as a useful starting point for others in designing their scRNA-Seq experiments in the zebrafish eye and in other developing or regenerating tissues in zebrafish or other model systems.