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Updated: Jul 12, 2025
Isolation of Adipose Tissue Nuclei for Single-Cell Genomic Applications
Published on: June 12, 2020
Single-nucleus transcriptome inventory of giant panda reveals cellular basis for fitness optimization under low
Shangchen Yang1, Tianming Lan2,3, Rongping Wei4
1MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, State Conservation Centre for Gene Resources of Endangered Wildlife, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
Background:
Energy homeostasis is essential for the adaptation of animals to their environment and some wild animals keep low metabolism adaptive to their low-nutrient dietary supply. Giant panda is such a typical low-metabolic mammal exhibiting species specialization of extremely low daily energy expenditure. It has low levels of basal metabolic rate, thyroid hormone, and physical activities, whereas the cellular bases of its low metabolic adaptation remain rarely explored.
Results:
In this study, we generate a single-nucleus transcriptome atlas of 21 organs/tissues from a female giant panda. We focused on the central metabolic organ (liver) and dissected cellular metabolic status by cross-species comparison. Adaptive expression mode (i.e., AMPK related) was prominently displayed in the hepatocyte of giant panda. In the highest energy-consuming organ, the heart, we found a possibly optimized utilization of fatty acid. Detailed cell subtype annotation of endothelial cells showed the uterine-specific deficiency of blood vascular subclasses, indicating a potential adaptation for a low reproductive energy expenditure.
Conclusions:
Our findings shed light on the possible cellular basis and transcriptomic regulatory clues for the low metabolism in giant pandas and helped to understand physiological adaptation response to nutrient stress.
