| Summary: | Although lncRNAs have been identified as playing critical roles in the development of germ cells, their potential involvement in the development of PGCs in chickens remains poorly understood. Differentially expressed lncRNAs (DELs) from previous RNA-seq of embryonic stem cells (ESCs), PGCs, and spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) were analyzed by K-means clustering, from which a key candidate, lncRNA (lncRNA PGC regulator, <i>LncPGCR</i>) was obtained. We confirmed that <i>LncPGCR</i> plays a positive role in the development of PGCs by increasing the expression of the PGC marker gene (<i>Cvh</i> and <i>C-kit</i>), while downregulating the pluripotency-associated gene (<i>Nanog</i>) in vitro and in vivo. The activation and expression of <i>LncPGCR</i> are regulated by histone acetylation, and transcription factor TCF7L2. Mechanistically, a rescue assay was performed to further confirm that <i>LncPGCR</i> contributed to the development of PGCs by regulating the gga-miR-6577-5p/<i>Btrc</i> signaling pathway. Adsorption of gga-miR-6577-5p activated the WNT signaling cascade by relieving the gga-miR-6577-5p-dependent inhibition of <i>Btrc</i> expression. Taken together, our study discovered the growth-expedited role of <i>LncPGCR</i> in PGCs development, showing the potential <i>LncPGCR</i>/miR-6577-5p/<i>Btrc</i> pathway. The results and findings provide a novel insight into the development of PGCs.
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