In this study, we have compiled a single-cell atlas of the adult human ovary and for the first time leveraged spatial transcriptomics to study the ovarian cell landscape, identifying the stromal and immune cell populations of the ovary, deciphering the transcriptome of the developing follicle, and discovering unique signatures of gene expression tied to discrete regions in the ovary.
Analysis of 21,198 cells uncovered four primary cell types found in the human ovary: immune cells, endothelial cells, pericytes, and stromal cells. The spatial transcriptomics data allowed us, for the first time, to identify gradients of gene expression across the ovarian cortex and differential signaling in the follicle’s cumulus mass related to androgen production, lipid regulation, and ECM remodeling.
The similarity between these two datasets demonstrated the robust capabilities of spatial transcriptomics for characterizing cells in various compartments of the ovary. Together, these datasets serve as a benchmark for future studies exploring diseased and perturbed states in the ovary.