Identification of dynamic undifferentiated cell states within the male germline.

ABSTRACT: The role of stem cells in tissue maintenance is appreciated and hierarchical models of stem cell self-renewal and differentiation often proposed. Stem cell activity in the male germline is restricted to undifferentiated A-type spermatogonia (A_undiff); however, only a fraction of this population act as stem cells in undisturbed testis and A_undiff hierarchy remains contentious. Through newly developed compound reporter mice, here we define molecular signatures of self-renewing and differentiation-primed adult A_undiff fractions and dissect A_undiff heterogeneity by single-cell analysis. We uncover an unappreciated population within the self-renewing A_undiff fraction marked by expression of embryonic patterning genes and homeodomain transcr

SUBMITTER: La HM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6053434 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature