Single-cell analysis identifies TCF4 and ID3 as a molecular switch of mammary epithelial stem cell differentiation [mm_bulkRNAseq]

However, the molecular mechanisms that regulate the differentiation of MaSCs are not well understood. We conducted a comprehensive scRNA-seq profiling of murine mammary epithelial cells, and identified a unique cell population that displays molecular characteristics of MaSCs.

Upon further purification and detailed analysis, we discovered that these cells are not homogeneous. Instead, we identified three distinct subpopulations that represent the initial stages of lineage commitment. We inferred the developmental trajectory and found that one of these subpopulations represents bipotent MaSCs, from which luminal and basal lineages diverge.