Purification and transcriptomic analysis of mouse fetal Leydig cells reveals candidate genes for disorders of sex development

To examine the transcriptome of early testicular somatic cells during gonadogenesis at 12.5dpc RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) was performed on murine primary testicular cell lineages isolated from the Sf1-eGFP line by FACS. The three main somatic cell lineages of the testis were isolated: the Sertoli cells which direct male development; the fetal Leydig cells (FLCs) that produce steroid hormones and virilise the XY individual and a heterogenous population of interstitial cells, some of which give rise to the adult Leydig cells (ALCs). This dataset provides a platform for exploring the biology of FLCs and understanding the role of these cells in testicular development and masculinization of the embryo, and a basis for targeted studies designed to identify causes of idiopathic XY DSD. RNA-Seq of 3 enriched cell populations from 12.5dpc mouse gonad (Sertoli cells, Leydig cells and Interstitial cells isolated by FACS-sorting) on an Illumina HiSeq 1500, in triplicate.为探究12.5dpc（交配后12.5天）性腺发生时期早期睾丸体细胞的转录组特征，研究人员通过荧光激活细胞分选（Fluorescence-Activated Cell Sorting, FACS）从Sf1-eGFP转基因小鼠品系中分离得到原代睾丸细胞谱系，并对其开展RNA测序（RNA-Seq）。 本次实验共分离得到睾丸三类主要体细胞谱系：调控雄性性腺发育的支持细胞（Sertoli cells）、合成类固醇激素并诱导XY个体雄性化的胎儿莱迪希细胞（Fetal Leydig Cells, FLCs），以及具有异质性的间质细胞群——其中部分间质细胞可分化为成体莱迪希细胞（Adult Leydig Cells, ALCs）。 本数据集为探究胎儿莱迪希细胞的生物学特性、阐明其在睾丸发育与胚胎雄性化过程中的作用提供了研究平台，同时也为旨在明确特发性XY性发育障碍（Disorders of Sex Development, DSD）病因的靶向研究奠定了基础。 本实验针对12.5dpc小鼠性腺中经荧光激活细胞分选得到的三类富集细胞群（支持细胞、莱迪希细胞与间质细胞）进行了三次生物学重复的RNA测序，测序平台为Illumina HiSeq 1500。