A human adipose tissue cell-type transcriptome atlas.

Area of Science:

• Adipose tissue biology
• Transcriptomics
• Genomics

Background:

• Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) faces challenges with adipocytes, the main adipose tissue cell type.
• Adipocyte data is often missing from scRNA-seq studies despite their functional importance.
• Defining cell-type-specific genes is crucial for understanding tissue function.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a method for profiling cell-type-enriched transcriptomes from unfractionated adipose tissue using bulk RNA sequencing.
• To identify cell-type-specific genes in human visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT).
• To uncover sex-specific gene expression patterns and identify drivers of differential gene expression between VAT and SAT.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of bulk RNA sequencing data from 527 VAT and 646 SAT samples.
• Identification of cell-type-enriched transcripts across major adipose tissue cell types.
• Sex-subset analysis and differential expression analysis between SAT and VAT.

Main Results:

• Identification of over 2,300 cell-type-enriched transcripts.
• Discovery of a panel of male-only cell-type-enriched genes.
• Mesothelial cells identified as the primary drivers of gene expression differences between SAT and VAT.

Conclusions:

• Bulk RNA sequencing provides an accessible method to profile cell-type-enriched transcriptomes in adipose tissue.
• This study generates a valuable resource and roadmap for adipose tissue biology research.
• The findings enhance our understanding of adipose tissue heterogeneity and cell-specific functions.