Publication Date
2-16-2023
Journal
eLife
DOI
10.7554/eLife.82201
PMID
36795469
PMCID
PMC9934865
PubMedCentral® Posted Date
2-16-2023
PubMedCentral® Full Text Version
Post-print
Published Open-Access
yes
Keywords
Animals, Male, Testis, Drosophila, RNA-Seq, Semen, Adult Stem Cells, D. melanogaster
Abstract
Proper differentiation of sperm from germline stem cells, essential for production of the next generation, requires dramatic changes in gene expression that drive remodeling of almost all cellular components, from chromatin to organelles to cell shape itself. Here, we provide a single nucleus and single cell RNA-seq resource covering all of spermatogenesis in Drosophila starting from in-depth analysis of adult testis single nucleus RNA-seq (snRNA-seq) data from the Fly Cell Atlas (FCA) study. With over 44,000 nuclei and 6000 cells analyzed, the data provide identification of rare cell types, mapping of intermediate steps in differentiation, and the potential to identify new factors impacting fertility or controlling differentiation of germline and supporting somatic cells. We justify assignment of key germline and somatic cell types using combinations of known markers, in situ hybridization, and analysis of extant protein traps. Comparison of single cell and single nucleus datasets proved particularly revealing of dynamic developmental transitions in germline differentiation. To complement the web-based portals for data analysis hosted by the FCA, we provide datasets compatible with commonly used software such as Seurat and Monocle. The foundation provided here will enable communities studying spermatogenesis to interrogate the datasets to identify candidate genes to test for function in vivo.
Included in
Biological Phenomena, Cell Phenomena, and Immunity Commons, Biomedical Informatics Commons, Genetics and Genomics Commons, Medical Genetics Commons, Medical Molecular Biology Commons, Medical Specialties Commons