Table_1_Transcriptome Profiling of the Ovarian Cells at the Single-Cell Resolution in Adult Asian Seabass.DOCX

Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) is widely adopted for identifying the signature molecular markers or regulators in cells, as this would benefit defining or isolating various types of cells. Likewise, the signature transcriptome profile analysis at the single cell level would well illustrate the key regulators or networks involved in gametogenesis and gonad development in animals; however, there is limited scRNA-seq analysis on gonadal cells in lower vertebrates, especially in the sexual reversal fish species. In this study, we analyzed the molecular signature of several distinct cell populations of Asian seabass adult ovaries through scRNA-seq. We identified five cell types and also successfully validated some specific genes of germ cells and granulosa cells. Likewise, we found some key pathways involved in ovarian development that may concert germline-somatic interactions. Moreover, we compared the transcriptomic profiles across fruit fly, mammals, and fish, and thus uncovered the conservation and divergence in molecular mechanisms that might drive ovarian development. Our results provide a basis for studying the crucial features of germ cells and somatic cells, which will benefit the understandings of the molecular mechanisms behind gametogenesis and gonad development in fish.

单细胞RNA测序（scRNA-seq）被广泛采用以识别细胞中的标志性分子标记或调控因子，这对于定义或分离各种类型的细胞具有重要意义。同样，在单细胞水平上的标志性转录组分析能够清晰展现涉及动物生殖细胞生成和性腺发育的关键调控因子或网络；然而，关于低等脊椎动物性腺细胞中的scRNA-seq分析却相对有限，尤其是在性逆转鱼类物种中。在本研究中，我们通过对亚洲海鲈成鱼卵巢中几个不同细胞群体的分子特征进行了scRNA-seq分析。我们鉴定出五种细胞类型，并成功验证了生殖细胞和颗粒细胞的某些特定基因。同样，我们发现了一些参与卵巢发育的关键通路，这些通路可能协调生殖细胞与体细胞之间的相互作用。此外，我们比较了果蝇、哺乳动物和鱼类的转录组特征，从而揭示了在驱动卵巢发育的分子机制中，保守性与差异性的存在。我们的研究结果为研究生殖细胞和体细胞的至关重要特征提供了基础，这将对理解鱼类生殖细胞生成和性腺发育背后的分子机制具有重要意义。