Dissecting the fate of Foxl2-expressing cells in ovary development using lineage tracing and Single-Cell Transcriptomics
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ABSTRACT: Gonad somatic cells acquire sex-specific fates during sex determination. In XX gonad, a subset of somatic cells expresses Foxl2 after sex determination which are considered as the progenitor of granulosa cells. However, whether these cells also contribute to other cell type at later developmental stage is unknown. In the present study, the cell fate of Foxl2-expressing cells in fetal ovaries was analyzed by lineage tracing and signal-cell transcriptomics. We found that Foxl2-expressing cells gave rise to three cell types at later developmental stage, including granulosa cells, theca-interstitial cells, and stromal cells. Series single-cell RNA sequencing revealed that Foxl2-positive cells were divided into two clusters at P0. One group further differentiated into granulosa cells and theca cells at P14. Another group was classified as stromal cell lineage, then a small portion of them further differentiated into 3β-HSD-positive interstitial cells. We also found that interstitial cells were CYP17a1-positive, whereas theca cells did express this gene. Our data provide an important resource, at single-cell resolution, for better understanding somatic cell differentiation in ovary development.
ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus
PROVIDER: GSE163879 | GEO | 2022/11/22
REPOSITORIES: GEO
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