STAT3 is required for proliferation and exhibits a cell type-specific binding preference in mouse female germline stem cells

LIF-mediated STAT3 signaling is critically involved in stem cells and development. However, its function in mouse female germline cells (FGSCs) remains elusive. In this study, we demonstrated that LIF-induced STAT3 activation contributes to the proliferation and undifferentiation maintenance of mouse FGSCs. Characterization of the STAT3-mediated transcriptional network by intersecting ChIP-seq and RNA-seq datasets revealed 405 direct target genes of STAT3, which are primarily involved in proliferation and germline development. In particular, we observed that STAT3 exhibits a FGSC-specific binding pattern when compared with mouse embryonic stem cells. Taken together, our study reported that the LIF-mediated STAT3 activation is actively involved in FGSCs and functions through a distinctive binding pattern across the FGSC genome. This cell-type specific binding preference provides an insight into understanding the genetic base for STAT3-driven cellular functions in germline stem cells.