Single-cell Transcriptomic Analysis Identifies Extensive Heterogeneity in the Cellular Composition of Mouse Achilles Tendons

Tendon is a dense connective tissue that stores and transmits forces between muscles and bones. Cellular heterogeneity is increasingly recognized as an important factor in the biological basis of tissue homeostasis and disease, yet little is known about the diversity of cell types that populate tendon. To address this, we determined the heterogeneity of cell populations within mouse Achilles tendons using single-cell RNA sequencing. In assembling a transcriptomic atlas of Achilles tendons, we identified 11 distinct types of cells, including 3 previously undescribed populations of tendon fibroblasts. This table contains differential gene expression for specific genes identified in distinct populations of cells within tendon tissue.