Single-cell RNA sequencing defines the regulation of spermatogenesis by Sertoli-cell androgen signaling

In this study, we collected scRNA-seq data from wild-type (WT) and SCARKO mice testes at p20 and identified four somatic cell populations and two male germ cell populations. Further analysis identified that the distribution of Sertoli cells was completely different and uncovered the cellular heterogeneity and transcriptional changes between WT and SCARKO Sertoli cells. In addition, several differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in SCARKO Sertoli cells, many of which have been previously implicated in cell cycle, apoptosis and male infertility, have also been identified. Together, our research explores a novel perspective on the changes in the transcription level of various cell types between WT and SCARKO mice testes, providing new insights for the investigations of the molecular and cellular processes regulated by AR signaling in Sertoli cells.

本研究收集了野生型（WT）与塞托利细胞特异性雄激素受体敲除（SCARKO）小鼠在出生后第20天（p20）的睾丸单细胞RNA测序（scRNA-seq）数据，鉴定出4个体细胞群与2个雄性生殖细胞群。进一步分析发现，塞托利细胞（Sertoli cells）的分布特征存在显著差异，并揭示了野生型与SCARKO小鼠塞托利细胞间的细胞异质性与转录组变化。此外，本研究还鉴定出SCARKO小鼠塞托利细胞中的多个差异表达基因（DEGs），其中多数此前已被证实与细胞周期、细胞凋亡及雄性不育密切相关。综上，本研究为解析野生型与SCARKO小鼠睾丸内各类细胞的转录水平变化提供了全新视角，为探索塞托利细胞中受雄激素受体（AR）信号通路调控的分子与细胞过程提供了新的研究思路。