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Updated: Jul 12, 2025
Adipocyte-Specific ATAC-Seq with Adipose Tissues Using Fluorescence-Activated Nucleus Sorting
Published on: March 17, 2023
Single-cell transcriptomic architecture and cellular communication circuits of parametrial adipose tissue in pregnant
Akiko Yano1, Shuang Liu2, Yasuyuki Suzuki3
1Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Ehime University School of Medicine, Shitsukawa, Toon, Ehime, Japan; Department of Pharmacology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Shitsukawa, Toon, Ehime, Japan.
Aims:
The activity and interactions of cellular subpopulations in the adipose tissue microenvironment are critical for the coordination of local and systemic adaptation during pregnancy. With a particular interest in parametrial adipose tissue (PmAT), single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) was utilized to unveil the gestative cellular composition and functional shift.
Materials And Methods:
To identify cell-type-enriched transcriptome profiles, a total of 18,074 cells in adipose tissue were studied. The cell populations were cataloged, and signaling crosstalk between adipocytes and other composition factions via soluble and membrane-bound factors were evaluated.
Key Findings:
A marked decline of pregnancy adipocytes and relative elevation of non-adipocyte fractions were observed. A subpopulation of adipocytes, Adipo_5, with unique properties in the response to estrogen and the embryonic processes involved in pregnancy, was defined. Interactome analysis revealed the potential contribution of PmAT to the establishment of maternal-fetal immune tolerance. During gestation, adipocytes shut down outgoing signaling, resulting in deterioration of the resistin-related incoming signaling network in B cells, which would therefore benefit tissue-specific maternal-fetal tolerance. Furthermore, a subpopulation of adipocytes, Aipo_2, was also considered to take part in a paradigm shift in the process of pregnancy-induced chemical stiffness-triggered vesicular remodeling via the THBS signaling pathway network.
Significance:
These data-derived findings will encourage investigation into the role of pregnant PmTA in pregnancy-related immunological, hypertensive and metabolic disorders, with the ultimate goal of establishing preventive strategies to mitigate these pregnancy-related health challenges. This translational aspect of our work holds significant promise for improving maternal and fetal well-being.
