Single-cell RNA sequencing of mouse germ cells

Spermatogenesis is a recurring differentiation process that results in the production of male gametes within the testes. During this process, spermatogonial stem cells differentiate to form spermatocytes, which undergo two rounds of meiotic division to form haploid spermatids. Throughout spermiogenesis, round spermatids elongate to form mature sperm. To profile maturing germ cells during the first wave of spermatogenesis, we generated droplet-based single cell RNAseq from juvenile animals at post-natal day P5-P35 as well as adult animals. Cells were isolated from whole testes. Furthermore, to assay the robustness of the meiotic cell division process, we profiled germ cells of the trans-chromosomal mouse model (Tc1) that carries a copy of the human chromosome 21.