Single cell RNA sequencing redefines the mesenchymal cell landscape of mouse endometrium [bulkRNAseq]

The goal of this study was to generate an NGS-derived transcriptome profile (RNA-seq) for a population of perivascular mesenchymal cells from healthy cycling Pdgfrb-BAC-eGFP mouse uterus. Bulk RNAseq revealed cells in the perivascular niche which express high levels of Pdgfrb (GFPhigh) also express genes previously identified in pericytes and/or vascular smooth muscle cells including Acta2, Myh11, Olfr78, Cspg4, Rgs4, Rgs5, Kcnj8 and Abcc9. Our work uncovers novel target genes for perivascular cell populations in mouse endometrium providing a platform to understand the role of these cells in endometrial physiology and disease. Overall design: We present NGS mRNA profiles of mesenchymal cells isolated from the uteri of 12 healthy cycling mice. Pdgfrb+/GFP+ mesenchymal cells can be separated into GFPhigh perivascular cells and GFPlow stromal fibroblasts. The transcriptomic profile for GFPhigh cells was inferred by comparing GFPtotal cells (GFPhigh+GFPlow, termed Naive(N)) with GFPlow cells (termed Stromal (S)).