Transcriptome analysis of the mouse fetal and adult rete ovarii and surrounding tissues

The rete ovarii (RO) is an epithelial structure that arises during fetal development in close proximity to the ovary, and persists throughout adulthood in mammals. However, the functional significance of the RO remains elusive and it has been absent from recent discussions of female reproductive anatomy. The RO comprises three distinct regions: the intraovarian rete (IOR) within the ovary, the extraovarian rete (EOR) in the periovarian tissue, and the connecting rete (CR) linking the EOR and IOR. We hypothesize that the RO plays a pivotal role in maintaining ovarian homeostasis and responding to physiological changes. To uncover the nature and function of RO cells, we conducted transcriptome analysis, encompassing bulk, single-cell, and nucleus-level sequencing of both fetal and adult RO tissues using the Pax8-rtTA; Tre-H2B-GFP mouse line, where all RO regions express nuclear GFP. This study presents three datasets, which highlight RO-specific gene expression signatures and reveal differences in gene expression across the three RO regions during development and in adulthood. The integration and rigorous validation of these datasets will advance our understanding of the RO's roles in ovarian development, female maturation, and adult female fertility. Overall design: This study employs comprehensive bulk, single cell and single nucleus transcriptome analysis to uncover gene expression signatures of the fetal and adult rete ovarii (RO) in mice.

卵巢网（rete ovarii, RO）是一种上皮结构，于胎儿发育阶段形成且紧邻卵巢，在哺乳动物体内终生留存。然而，卵巢网的功能意义至今仍不明晰，且近期女性生殖解剖学相关讨论中均未涉及该结构。卵巢网包含三个独立区域：位于卵巢内部的卵巢内网（intraovarian rete, IOR）、卵巢周围组织中的卵巢外网（extraovarian rete, EOR），以及连接卵巢内网与卵巢外网的连接网（connecting rete, CR）。我们提出假说：卵巢网在维持卵巢稳态及响应生理变化中发挥关键作用。为阐明卵巢网细胞的本质与功能，我们利用Pax8-rtTA; Tre-H2B-GFP小鼠品系（该品系中所有RO区域均表达核定位绿色荧光蛋白），对胎儿及成年期的卵巢网组织开展了涵盖bulk转录组、单细胞及单细胞核测序的转录组分析。本研究公开三套数据集，这些数据集清晰展现了卵巢网特异性基因表达特征，并揭示了发育及成年阶段三个卵巢网区域间的基因表达差异。对这些数据集进行整合与严格验证，将推动我们对卵巢网在卵巢发育、雌性成熟以及成年雌性生育能力中所发挥作用的认知。整体实验设计：本研究采用全面的bulk转录组、单细胞及单细胞核转录组分析手段，以解析小鼠胎儿及成年期卵巢网的基因表达特征。