Description
To examine the transcriptome of early testicular somatic cells during gonadogenesis at 12.5dpc RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) was performed on murine primary testicular cell lineages isolated from the Sf1-eGFP line by FACS. The three main somatic cell lineages of the testis were isolated: the Sertoli cells which direct male development; the fetal Leydig cells (FLCs) that produce steroid hormones and virilise the XY individual and a heterogenous population of interstitial cells, some of which give rise to the adult Leydig cells (ALCs). This dataset provides a platform for exploring the biology of FLCs and understanding the role of these cells in testicular development and masculinization of the embryo, and a basis for targeted studies designed to identify causes of idiopathic XY DSD. Overall design: RNA-Seq of 3 enriched cell populations from 12.5dpc mouse gonad (Sertoli cells, Leydig cells and Interstitial cells isolated by FACS-sorting) on an Illumina HiSeq 1500, in triplicate.