Evidence |
Premeiotic germ cells (cluster 0) express early germ cell markers (such as Utf1 and Pou5f1) and the mitotic marker (Hist1h2ap) (57). Preleptotene (Pre-L) cells (cluster 1) turn on the RA signaling pathway induced transcriptional regulator Stra8 (58). Leptotene cells (cluster 2) turn on Stra8 targets, such the cohesin subunit Rec8 supporting meiotic DNA replication (59). Meioc is also induced to extend meiotic prophase and prevent premature cell cycle arrest (37, 60). Leptotene cells up-regulate synaptonemal complex components, such as Sycp3, as homolog pairing progresses. Zygotene cells (cluster 3) express additional synaptonemal complex genes, including Sycp2 and Syce3, complete homolog alignment, and begin to up-regulate Spo11, Meiob, and Rad51ap2, which are required for meiotic recombination |