Follicle

Gene

Internal medicine

Endocrinology

Gene expression

Transcriptome

Receptor

Embryo

Estrous cycle

Corpus luteum

Ovulation

Ovary

Genetics

Folliculogenesis

Hormone

Medicine

Paracrine signalling

Biology

Embryogenesis

Cell biology

eLife

The estrous cycle is regulated by rhythmic endocrine interactions of the nervous and reproductive systems, which coordinate the hormonal and ovulatory functions of the ovary. Folliculogenesis and follicle progression require the orchestrated response of a variety of cell types to allow the maturation of the follicle and its sequela, ovulation, corpus luteum formation, and ovulatory wound repair. Little is known about the cell state dynamics of the ovary during the estrous cycle and the paracrine factors that help coordinate this process. Herein, we used single-cell RNA sequencing to evaluate the transcriptome of &gt;34,000 cells of the adult mouse ovary and describe the transcriptional changes that occur across the normal estrous cycle and other reproductive states to build a comprehensive dynamic atlas of murine ovarian cell types and states.

A single-cell atlas of the cycling murine ovary