A regulatory role for CHD4 in maintenance of the spermatogonial stem cell pool

To understand the role of the nucleosome remodelling protein CHD4 in regulating spermatogonial stem cell function, we performed single cell RNA-sequencing on undifferentiated spermatogonia from primary culture that had been transfected with either control (non-targeting) siRNA or Chd4 siRNA. Transcriptome profiling revealed reduced expression of ‘self-renewal’ genes following Chd4 knockdown, along with increased expression of signature progenitor genes. Overall, CHD4 was demonstrated to primarily act as an activator of gene expression in SSCs. In pairing these data with additional analyses, including use of an Id4-eGfp transgenic mouse line, spermatogonial transplantation, and co-immunoprecipitation experiments: the findings of our study demonstrated a previously unappreciated and fundamental role for CHD4 in controlling fate decisions in the spermatogonial pool.