Single-cell RNA-seq uncovers cellular heterogeneity of granulosa cells and provides a signature for follicular development in chicken

The functional differentiation of the granulosa cell (GC) layer plays an essential role in follicular development and oocyte maturation in avian. In the current study, single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) was employed to identify GC types, uncover heterogeneity, and construct developmental trajectories of chicken GCs in two developmental stages of hierarchical follicles (HF-GCs) and prehierarchical (PHF-GCs). The ?ndings enhance our understanding of the cellular biology of GC layer of ovarian follicles? ?and will assist studies of the molecular mechanisms of follicle development and selection in chicken. Overall design: The granulosa layers were isolated from prehierarchical and hierarchical follicles. The GC layers were processed further to obtain single cell suspension for scRNA-seq.