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FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
02, 2021;35 (2): e21187.

Characterization of sheep spermatogenesis through single-cell RNA sequencing.

Hua Yang, Jianyu Ma, Zhen Wan, Qi Wang, Zhibo Wang, Jie Zhao, Feng Wang, Yanli Zhang
Author Information
  1. Hua Yang: Jiangsu Livestock Embryo Engineering Laboratory, College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, P.R. China.
  2. Jianyu Ma: Jiangsu Livestock Embryo Engineering Laboratory, College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, P.R. China.
  3. Zhen Wan: Jiangsu Livestock Embryo Engineering Laboratory, College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, P.R. China.
  4. Qi Wang: Jiangsu Livestock Embryo Engineering Laboratory, College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, P.R. China.
  5. Zhibo Wang: Jiangsu Livestock Embryo Engineering Laboratory, College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, P.R. China.
  6. Jie Zhao: Jiangsu Livestock Embryo Engineering Laboratory, College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, P.R. China.
  7. Feng Wang: Jiangsu Livestock Embryo Engineering Laboratory, College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, P.R. China.
  8. Yanli Zhang: Jiangsu Livestock Embryo Engineering Laboratory, College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, P.R. China.
PMID: 33197070 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202001035RRR

Abstract

Spermatogenesis is an important biological process in male reproduction. The interaction between male germ cells and somatic cells during spermatogenesis, is necessary for male reproductive activities. This cellular heterogeneity has made it difficult to profile distinct cell types at different stages of development. Here, we present the first comprehensive, unbiased single-cell transcriptomic study of sheep spermatogenesis using 10× genomics single cell sequencing (scRNA-seq). We collected scRNA-seq data from 11 772 cells from the adult sheep testis and identified all known germ cells (including early primary spermatocytes, late primary spermatocytes, round spermatids, elongated spermatids, and sperm), and somatic cells (Sertoli cells and Leydig cells), as well as one somatic cell that unexpectedly contained leukocytes. The functional enrichment analysis indicated that several pathways of cell cycle, gamete generation, protein processing, and mRNA surveillance pathways were significantly enriched in testicular germ cell types, and ribosome pathway was significantly enriched in testicular somatic cell types. Further analysis identified several stage-specific marker genes of sheep germ cells, such as EZH2, SOX18, SCP2, PCNA, and PRKCD. Our research explored for the first time of the changes in the transcription level of various cell types during the process of sheep spermatogenesis, providing new insights for sheep spermatogenesis and spermatogenic cell development.

Keywords

scRNA-seq sheep spermatogenesis testis

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MeSH Term

Animals
Gene Expression Profiling
Leydig Cells
Male
RNA-Seq
Sertoli Cells
Sheep
Single-Cell Analysis
Spermatogenesis
Spermatozoa
Transcription Factors
Transcriptome

Chemicals

Transcription Factors
Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Links to CNCB-NGDC Resources

GEN: GEND000142 (10X genomics single cell sequencing of sheep testis)

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