Ibrahim AlZaim, Mohamed N. Hassan, Luca Mannino, Katarina Dragicevic, Marie Balle Sjogaard, Joseph Festa, Lolita Dokshokova, Bettina Hansen, Julie N. Christensen, Jean Farup, Lin Lin, Samuele Soraggi, Henrik Holm Thomsen, Ruby Schipper, Rikke Kongsgaard Rasmussen, Maximilian von Heesen, Lena-Christin Conradi, Carolina E. Hagberg, Joerg Heeren, Anders Etzerodt, Margo Emont, Evan Rosen, Lucas Massier, Mikael Rydén, Niklas Mejhert, Matthias Blüher, Konstantin Khodosevich, Bilal N. Sheikh, Niels Jessen, Laura P.M.H. de Rooij and Joanna Kalucka
Adipose tissue physiology and homeostasis depends on a healthy vascular network. Vascular malfunction is a hallmark of obesity, and vascular endothelial dysfunction, in particular, precipitates metabolic diseases, including obesity and diabetes. Although single-cell transcriptomics approaches have defined atlases of human white adipose tissue (WAT) cells, the existing reports do not contain detailed information on the heterogeneity and the function specifically of adipose vascular cells, and their roles in metabolic disease. To address this need, we created a single-cell transcriptome atlas of human subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), comprising nearly 70,000 vascular cells from 65 individuals. We identified eight adipose endothelial cell (AdEC) populations, comprising seven canonical subtypes and a previously undescribed, heterogeneous population we named sub-AdECs. These cells exhibit gene signatures of mesenchymal, adipocytic, or immune cells, suggesting that these are transitioning cell states. Furthermore, we compare the transcriptomes of vascular cells from individuals living with or without obesity and type 2 diabetes. The atlas and accompanying analysis establish a solid foundation for future investigations into the biology of vascular cells within WAT and their contributions to metabolic diseases.
This repository contains both R and python scripts used to reproduce the results of our current study performed on subcutaneous adipose tissue samples.
Please contact Mohamed N. Hassan at [email protected] for any questions with regard to data analysis. Corresponding authors: Joanna Kalcuka ([email protected])