Insights from the Applications of Single-Cell Transcriptomic Analysis in Germ Cell Development and Reproductive Medicine.
Int J Mol Sci
; 22(2)2021 Jan 15.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-33467661
ABSTRACT
Mechanistic understanding of germ cell formation at a genome-scale level can aid in developing novel therapeutic strategies for infertility. Germ cell formation is a complex process that is regulated by various mechanisms, including epigenetic regulation, germ cell-specific gene transcription, and meiosis. Gonads contain a limited number of germ cells at various stages of differentiation. Hence, genome-scale analysis of germ cells at the single-cell level is challenging. Conventional genome-scale approaches cannot delineate the landscape of genomic, transcriptomic, and epigenomic diversity or heterogeneity in the differentiating germ cells of gonads. Recent advances in single-cell genomic techniques along with single-cell isolation methods, such as microfluidics and fluorescence-activated cell sorting, have helped elucidate the mechanisms underlying germ cell development and reproductive disorders in humans. In this review, the history of single-cell transcriptomic analysis and their technical advantages over the conventional methods have been discussed. Additionally, recent applications of single-cell transcriptomic analysis for analyzing germ cells have been summarized.
Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Reproductive Medicine
/
RNA, Small Cytoplasmic
/
Single-Cell Analysis
/
Transcriptome
/
Germ Cells
Type of study:
Prognostic_studies
Limits:
Animals
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Language:
En
Journal:
Int J Mol Sci
Year:
2021
Document type:
Article