Journal article
Insights into Gonadal Sex Differentiation Provided by Single-Cell Transcriptomics in the Chicken Embryo
MA Estermann, S Williams, CE Hirst, ZY Roly, O Serralbo, D Adhikari, D Powell, AT Major, CA Smith
Cell Reports | CELL PRESS | Published : 2020
Open access
Abstract
Although the genetic triggers for gonadal sex differentiation vary across species, the cell biology of gonadal development was long thought to be largely conserved. Here, we present a comprehensive analysis of gonadal sex differentiation, using single-cell sequencing in the embryonic chicken gonad during sexual differentiation. The data show that chicken embryonic-supporting cells do not derive from the coelomic epithelium, in contrast to other vertebrates studied. Instead, they derive from a DMRT1+/PAX2+/WNT4+/OSR1+ mesenchymal cell population. We find a greater complexity of gonadal cell types than previously thought, including the identification of two distinct sub-populations of Sertoli ..
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Awarded by Australian Research Council
Funding Acknowledgements
This work was funded by an Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Project #DP160103881 grant held by C.A.S. The authors thank Jade Barbuto, Monash Histology Platform, for the immunostaining and Dr. Scott Coutts, Monash Micromon. The authors acknowledge the facilities and technical assistance of Monash Micro Imaging.