摘要：SummaryGranulosa cells (GCs) play a critical role in folliculogenesis. It remains unclear how GCs expand during follicle development and whether there is a subpopulation of cells that is responsible for GCs growth. Here, we observed that a small population of GCs expressed stem cell surface marker Procr (Protein C receptor). Procr GCs displayed higher proliferation ability and lower levels of hormone receptors compared with Procr- GCs. Knockdown of Procr inhibited proliferation. Lineage tracing experiments demonstrated that they contribute to increasing numbers of GCs during folliculogenesis. Targeted ablation of Procr+ cells disrupted ovarian follicle development, leading to phenotypes of polycystic ovary syndrome. Our findings suggest that Procr-expressing GCs are endowed with high proliferative capacity that is critical for follicle development.Graphical abstractDisplay OmittedHighlights•Develop a new FACS isolation method for mouse GCs•Procr marks a subset of GCs that have higher proliferative capacity•Procr+ cells contribute to increasing numbers of GCs during follicle development•Generate a PCOS mouse model with targeted ablation of Procr+ cellsReproductive Medicine; Developmental Genetics; Molecular Biology; Female Reproductive Endocrinology
