Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34499650›Full record

ArticlePLoS genetics2021

Transcriptional progression during meiotic prophase I reveals sex-specific features and X chromosome dynamics in human fetal female germline.

Xueying Fan, Ioannis Moustakas, Vanessa Torrens-Juaneda, Qijing Lei, Geert Hamer, Leoni A Louwe, Gonneke S K Pilgram, Karoly Szuhai, Roberto Matorras, Cristina Eguizabal and 3 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PLoS genetics, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
3.0field-weighted citation impact, top 9% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 13 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Mechanisms of human germ cell development.Nature reviews. Molecular cell biology · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.

Xueying FanDepartment of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-7809-2254
Ioannis MoustakasDepartment of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Vanessa Torrens-JuanedaDepartment of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-0965-947X
Qijing LeiCenter for Reproductive Medicine, Reproductive Biology Laboratory, Amsterdam Reproduction and Development Research Institute, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Location AMC, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-4959-1345
Geert HamerCenter for Reproductive Medicine, Reproductive Biology Laboratory, Amsterdam Reproduction and Development Research Institute, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Location AMC, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Leoni A LouweDepartment of Gynaecology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Gonneke S K PilgramDepartment of Gynaecology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Karoly SzuhaiDepartment of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Roberto MatorrasIVIRMA, IVI Bilbao, Bilbao, Spain; Human Reproduction Unit, Cruces University Hospital, Bilbao, Spain; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Basque Country University, Spain; Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, Bilbao, Spain.
Cristina EguizabalCell Therapy, Stem Cells and Tissues Group, Basque Centre for Blood Transfusion and Human Tissues, Galdakao, Spain.ORCID 0000-0002-8738-2077
Lucette van der WesterlakenDepartment of Gynaecology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Hailiang MeiSequencing Analysis Support Core, Department of Biomedical Data Sciences, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-1781-5508
Susana M Chuva de Sousa LopesDepartment of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-3866-2803
Leiden University Medical Center · NLAmsterdam University Medical Centers · NLBioCruces Health research Institute · ESUniversity of the Basque Country · ES

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

During gametogenesis in mammals, meiosis ensures the production of haploid gametes. The timing and length of meiosis to produce female and male gametes differ considerably. In contrast to males, meiotic prophase I in females initiates during development. Hence, the knowledge regarding progression through meiotic prophase I is mainly focused on human male spermatogenesis and female oocyte maturation during adulthood. Therefore, it remains unclear how the different stages of meiotic prophase I between human oogenesis and spermatogenesis compare. Analysis of single-cell transcriptomics data from human fetal germ cells (FGC) allowed us to identify the molecular signatures of female meiotic prophase I stages leptotene, zygotene, pachytene and diplotene. We have compared those between male and female germ cells in similar stages of meiotic prophase I and revealed conserved and specific features between sexes. We identified not only key players involved in the process of meiosis, but also highlighted the molecular components that could be responsible for changes in cellular morphology that occur during this developmental period, when the female FGC acquire their typical (sex-specific) oocyte shape as well as sex-differences in the regulation of DNA methylation. Analysis of X-linked expression between sexes during meiotic prophase I suggested a transient X-linked enrichment during female pachytene, that contrasts with the meiotic sex chromosome inactivation in males. Our study of the events that take place during meiotic prophase I provide a better understanding not only of female meiosis during development, but also highlights biomarkers that can be used to study infertility and offers insights in germline sex dimorphism in humans.

Indexed as

Chromosomes, Human, XGerm CellsMeiotic Prophase ISex FactorsTranscription, GeneticCytoskeletonDNA MethylationFemaleGene ExpressionGenitalia, FemaleHumansMaleOocytes

Identifiers

PMID34499650
PMCPMC8428764
OpenAlexW3197658049

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.