ERG activates a stem-like proliferation-differentiation program in prostate epithelial cells with mixed basal-luminal identity [scRNA-seq]

Performed scRNA-seq of an autochthonous mouse model at an early stage of disease initiation. Despite broad expression of ERG in all prostate epithelial cells, proliferation was enriched in a small, stem-like population of cells with mixed-luminal basal identity (intermediate cells). A Rosa26-ERGLSL/LSL; Ptenflox/flox;Pb-Cre4 (EPC) mouse model, using single cell sequencing (scRNA-seq), at an early timepoint to capture changes associated with cancer initiation. At age 3 months EPC mice have small foci of invasive cancer which subsequently progress to highly penetrant glandular invasion within 6 months