Meiotic transcriptional reprogramming mediated by cell-cell communications in humans and mice revealed by scATAC-seq and scRNA-seq
Haiquan Wang, 南京医科大学生殖医学与子代健康国家重点实验室, 江苏 南京 211166, 中国, Xiaolong Wu, Jing Zhang, Siting Wang, Yongjuan Sang, Kang Li, C. Z. Yang, Fei Sun, Chaojun Li, 南京大学医学院, 江苏 南京 210093, 中国, 浙江大学医学院, 浙江 杭州 310016, 中国, 浙江大学医学院附属邵逸夫医院泌尿外科与男科学系, 浙江 杭州 310000, 中国, 南京大学医学院模式动物研究中心, 江苏 南京 210093, 中国, 浙江大学良渚实验室, 浙江 杭州311121, 中国
Abstract
Meiosis is a highly complex process significantly influenced by transcriptional regulation. However, studies on the mechanisms that govern transcriptomic changes during meiosis, especially in prophase I, are limited. Here, we performed single-cell ATAC-seq of human testis tissues and observed reprogramming during the transition from zygotene to pachytene spermatocytes. This event, conserved in mice, involved the deactivation of genes associated with meiosis after reprogramming and the activation of those related to spermatogenesis before their functional onset. Furthermore, we identified 282 transcriptional regulators (TRs) that underwent activation or deactivation subsequent to this process. Evidence suggested that physical contact signals from Sertoli cells may regulate these TRs in spermatocytes, while secreted ENHO signals may alter metabolic patterns in these cells. Our results further indicated that defective transcriptional reprogramming may be associated with non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA). This study revealed the importance of both physical contact and secreted signals between Sertoli cells and germ cells in meiotic progression.