Germline stem cell isolation, lineage tracing, and aging in a protochordate

Germline stem cells (GSCs), the source of gametes, are the only stem cells capable of passing genes to future generations and are therefore considered units of natural selection. Yet, the factors that influence GSC fitness, and thus govern GSC competition, which exist in both protochordates and mammals, remain poorly understood. We studied how aging affects GSC fitness in the protochordate Botryllus schlosseri, an evolutionary crosspoint between invertebrates and vertebrates. GSCs were isolated and distinguished from developing and mature gametes using flow cytometry and scRNA-Seq, facilitated by a new PacBio genome assembly. Moreover, their function was validated through a novel lineage tracing approach that combines membrane-labeled GSC transplantation with scRNA-Seq. Leveraging our method to isolate them, single-cell transcriptomics showed significant age-related changes between young and old GSCs. Spermatids and sperm, however, showed minimal changes, suggesting that reproductive aging is governed by GSCs rather than by gametes. Reduced expressions of markers like DDX4 and PIWIL1 in aged GSCs mirrored trends in mammalian datasets, pointing to a conserved GSC-driven aging mechanism across chordate evolution. This study provides new techniques that lay the foundation to investigate further drivers of GSC fitness and highlights fertility-related genes as promising targets for therapies to preserve reproductive health.