Single-cell RNA-Seq reveals a highly coordinated transcriptional program in mouse oocytes during follicular formation

To delineate the developmental trajectory of oocyte during the process, we performed RNA-seq on single germ cells from newborn (P0.5) ovaries and identified a series of genes that may function between stage transitions. The significant decrease of meiosis-related genes and the dramatic increase of oocyte-specific genes marked the transition of germ cell to a functional oocyte. Our data highlighted the complexity of transcriptional control and depicted the regulatons and their regulatory networks in oocyte development. Besides that, our data first characterized patterns of alternative splicing events and linked isform usage differences to cellular stage transitions of folliculogenesis. In summary, this study reconstructed molecular cascades in oocytes and revealed the orchestration of transcription-splicing coupling regulation on follicle formation. Overall design: Total 146 single cells from newborn mice ovary were performed.