Gene expression and chromatin accessibility profiles of cultured male germline stem cells [RNA-seq and ATAC-seq]

We report the application of RNA-seq to profile the transcriptome associated with Oct4-GFP intensity, feeder v.s. feeder-free culture, epithelial and mesenchymal heterogeneity and G9a inhibition in cultured male germline stem cells (GSCs). First, we confirmed that the self-renewal gene expression levels of feeder culture and feeder-free culture were comparable to each other. Next, we investigatied the transcriptional differences among GSCs with different Oct4-GFP intensity. Then, we explored the transcriptonal differences between epithelial-like and mesenchymal-like GSCs, demonstrating GSCs could undergo an EMT-like process. Lastly, we showed that G9a inhibition could suppress the EMT-like process in GSCs. Transcriptomes of GSCs in feeder culture GSCs in feeder-free culture, UNC0638-treated GSCs, epithelial-like GSCs and mesenchymal-like GSCs.