HCA_Gonads_Adult_MRC_RNA

Sexual reproduction depends on the fusion of gametes (sperm and eggs) during fertilisation followed by implantation of the resulting embryo in the lining of the womb (the endometrium). Gametes halve their genome in preparation for fertilisation during a specialized cell division known as meiosis. The process by which meiosis is co-ordinated with gamete formation in females is poorly understood, principally because it commences in utero and is not completed until decades later when the mature egg is ovulated and fertilised. To address the many gaps in our knowledge of the development of the germline and reproductive system in humans, we propose to generate a comprehensive cell atlas of adult gonads. We will combine gene-expression profiling at the single-cell level and atac-seq with new methods of gene-expression detection directly on the tissue to study the cellular environment at an unprecedented resolution and coverage. Information about the expression of the myriad of cells and cell states in reproductive cells will greatly advance our understanding of the development of the female reproductive system and the emergence and maintenance of the female germline in humans. This data is part of a pre-publication release. For information on the proper use of pre-publication data shared by the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute (including details of any publication moratoria), please see http://www.sanger.ac.uk/datasharing/