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Updated: Sep 27, 2025
06:04
Murine Dermal Fibroblast Isolation by FACS
Published on: January 7, 2016
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Sphingolipids control dermal fibroblast heterogeneity
Laura Capolupo1, Irina Khven2, Alex R Lederer2
1Interfaculty Institute of Bioengineering and Global Health Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|April 14, 2022
Summary
Cellular lipid differences are crucial for skin structure. Sphingolipid variations define fibroblast states, influencing cell behavior and multicellular organization.
Area of Science:
- Cellular Biology
- Lipidomics
- Systems Biology
Background:
- Human cells generate thousands of lipids, with composition varying during differentiation and between individual cells.
- The functional significance of cell-to-cell lipid heterogeneity remains largely uncharacterized.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the functional role of lipid heterogeneity in human dermal fibroblasts.
- To link individual cell lipid profiles with their transcriptional states and contribution to tissue organization.
Main Methods:
- Coupling of high-resolution mass spectrometry imaging with single-cell transcriptomics.
- Analysis of lipidomes and transcriptomes from individual human dermal fibroblasts.
Main Results:
- Cell-to-cell variations in lipid metabolic pathways were found to influence cell states related to skin architecture.
- Sphingolipid composition was identified as a key determinant of fibroblast subpopulations.
- Sphingolipid metabolic rewiring was observed to drive transitions between cell states.
Conclusions:
- Cell-to-cell lipid heterogeneity plays a significant role in determining cell states.
- Lipid heterogeneity adds a novel regulatory layer to the self-organization of multicellular systems.
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