Single-Cell RNA-Seq Reveals Dynamic Early Embryonic-like Programs during Chemical Reprogramming

We profile 36,199 single-cell transcriptomes at multiple timepoints throughout a highly efficient chemical reprogramming system using RNA-sequencing and reconstruct their progression trajectories. Through identifying sequential molecular events, we reveal that the dynamic early embryonic-like programs account for successful reprogramming from XEN-like state to pluripotency, including the transcriptomic signature of concomitant two-cell (2C) embryonic-like and early pluripotency program and the epigenetic signature of notable genome-wide DNA demethylation. Single cell RNA-Seq, bulk RNA-Seq and whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) analyse the molecular mechanism of highly efficient chemical reprogramming system.