Single-Cell Transcriptomics of Proliferative Phase Endometrium: Systems Analysis of Cell-Cell Communication Network...

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Biology
• Cellular and Molecular Biology
• Genomics and Transcriptomics

Background:

• Endometrial thickness increases during the proliferative phase, driven by angiogenesis and complex cell interactions.
• Intercellular communication networks orchestrating endometrial growth remain incompletely understood.
• Understanding these communications is vital for reproductive health and disease research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate cell-cell interactions within the human proliferative phase endometrium.
• To identify key signaling pathways and cell types involved in endometrial development.
• To map the intercellular communication landscape at single-cell resolution.

Main Methods:

• Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) was performed on 33,240 primary human endometrial cells.
• CellChat software was utilized to infer cell-cell interactomes based on receptor-ligand expression.
• Analysis focused on growth factor and angiogenic signaling pathways critical for endometrial function.

Main Results:

• Nine distinct endometrial cell types and 88 signaling pathways were identified.
• Stromal cells and proliferating stromal cells act as interaction hubs for EGF and PDGF signals.
• Endothelial cells are central to VEGF and TGFb signaling, with ANGPT pathway involvement.

Conclusions:

• This study provides a comprehensive map of intercellular communication in the proliferative endometrium.
• Identified signaling hubs highlight the roles of stromal and endothelial cells in endometrial growth.
• Findings deepen the understanding of endometrial cell communication and potential therapeutic targets.