Transcriptomic landscape reveals germline potential of porcine skin-derived multipotent dermal fibroblast progenitors

According to estimations, approximately about 15% of couples worldwide suffer from infertility, in which individuals with azoospermia or oocyte abnormalities cannot be treated with assisted reproductive technology. The skin-derived stem cells (SDSCs) differentiation into primordial germ cell-like cells (PGCLCs) is one of the major breakthroughs in the field of stem cells intervention for infertility treatment in recent years. However, the cellular origin of SDSCs and their dynamic changes in transcription profile during differentiation into PGCLCs in vitro remain largely undissected. Here, the results of single-cell RNA sequencing indicated that porcine SDSCs are mainly derived from multipotent dermal fibroblast progenitors (MDFPs), which are regulated by growth factors (EGF/bFGF). Importantly, porcine SDSCs exhibit pluripotency for differentiating into three germ layers and can effectively differentiate into PGCLCs through complex transcriptional regulation involving histone modification. Moreover, this study also highlights that porcine SDSC-derived PGCLCs specification exhibit conservation with the human primordial germ cells lineage and that its proliferation is mediated by the MAPK signaling pathway. Our findings provide substantial novel insights into the field of regenerative medicine in which stem cells differentiate into germ cells in vitro, as well as potential therapeutic effects in individuals with azoospermia and/or defective oocytes.

Automated summary

According to estimations, around 15% of couples worldwide suffer from infertility, especially individuals with azoospermia or oocyte abnormalities. Recent breakthroughs in stem cell intervention for infertility treatment include the differentiation of skin-derived stem cells (SDSCs) into primordial germ cell-like cells (PGCLCs). However, the cellular origin of SDSCs and their transcriptional changes during differentiation into PGCLCs in vitro are still not well understood. This study provides novel insights by revealing that porcine SDSCs are derived from multipotent dermal fibroblast progenitors (MDFPs), and they can effectively differentiate into PGCLCs through complex transcriptional regulation and histone modification.