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snRNA-seq reveals a subpopulation of adipocytes that regulates thermogenesis

Author

Listed:
  • Wenfei Sun

    (Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich)

  • Hua Dong

    (Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich)

  • Miroslav Balaz

    (Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich)

  • Michal Slyper

    (Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard)

  • Eugene Drokhlyansky

    (Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard)

  • Georgia Colleluori

    (Marche Polytechnic University)

  • Antonio Giordano

    (Marche Polytechnic University)

  • Zuzana Kovanicova

    (Biomedical Research Center at the Slovak Academy of Sciences)

  • Patrik Stefanicka

    (Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital, Comenius University)

  • Lucia Balazova

    (Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich)

  • Lianggong Ding

    (Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich)

  • Anna Sofie Husted

    (University of Copenhagen)

  • Gottfried Rudofsky

    (Cantonal Hospital Olten)

  • Jozef Ukropec

    (Biomedical Research Center at the Slovak Academy of Sciences)

  • Saverio Cinti

    (Marche Polytechnic University)

  • Thue W. Schwartz

    (University of Copenhagen)

  • Aviv Regev

    (Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard
    Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Genentech)

  • Christian Wolfrum

    (Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich)

Abstract

Adipose tissue is usually classified on the basis of its function as white, brown or beige (brite)1. It is an important regulator of systemic metabolism, as shown by the fact that dysfunctional adipose tissue in obesity leads to a variety of secondary metabolic complications2,3. In addition, adipose tissue functions as a signalling hub that regulates systemic metabolism through paracrine and endocrine signals4. Here we use single-nucleus RNA-sequencing (snRNA-seq) analysis in mice and humans to characterize adipocyte heterogeneity. We identify a rare subpopulation of adipocytes in mice that increases in abundance at higher temperatures, and we show that this subpopulation regulates the activity of neighbouring adipocytes through acetate-mediated modulation of their thermogenic capacity. Human adipose tissue contains higher numbers of cells of this subpopulation, which could explain the lower thermogenic activity of human compared to mouse adipose tissue and suggests that targeting this pathway could be used to restore thermogenic activity.

Suggested Citation

  • Wenfei Sun & Hua Dong & Miroslav Balaz & Michal Slyper & Eugene Drokhlyansky & Georgia Colleluori & Antonio Giordano & Zuzana Kovanicova & Patrik Stefanicka & Lucia Balazova & Lianggong Ding & Anna So, 2020. "snRNA-seq reveals a subpopulation of adipocytes that regulates thermogenesis," Nature, Nature, vol. 587(7832), pages 98-102, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:587:y:2020:i:7832:d:10.1038_s41586-020-2856-x
    DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2856-x
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    Cited by:

    1. Borja Martinez-Tellez & Guillermo Sanchez-Delgado & Francisco M. Acosta & Juan M. A. Alcantara & Francisco J. Amaro-Gahete & Wendy D. Martinez-Avila & Elisa Merchan-Ramirez & Victoria Muñoz-Hernandez , 2022. "No evidence of brown adipose tissue activation after 24 weeks of supervised exercise training in young sedentary adults in the ACTIBATE randomized controlled trial," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-12, December.
    2. Tatiana Dandolini Saccon & Felippe Mousovich-Neto & Raissa Guimarães Ludwig & Victor Corasolla Carregari & Ana Beatriz Anjos Souza & Amanda Stephane Cruz Passos & Matheus Cavalheiro Martini & Priscill, 2022. "SARS-CoV-2 infects adipose tissue in a fat depot- and viral lineage-dependent manner," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-15, December.
    3. Lucas Massier & Jutta Jalkanen & Merve Elmastas & Jiawei Zhong & Tongtong Wang & Pamela A. Nono Nankam & Scott Frendo-Cumbo & Jesper Bäckdahl & Narmadha Subramanian & Takuya Sekine & Alastair G. Kerr , 2023. "An integrated single cell and spatial transcriptomic map of human white adipose tissue," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-19, December.
    4. Yan-Ting Chen & Qi-Yuan Yang & Yun Hu & Xiang-Dong Liu & Jeanene M. Avila & Mei-Jun Zhu & Peter W. Nathanielsz & Min Du, 2021. "Imprinted lncRNA Dio3os preprograms intergenerational brown fat development and obesity resistance," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-18, December.
    5. Shengnan Liu & Siyi Shen & Ying Yan & Chao Sun & Zhiqiang Lu & Hua Feng & Yiruo Ma & Zhili Tang & Jing Yu & Yuting Wu & Balázs Gereben & Petra Mohácsik & Csaba Fekete & Xiaoyun Feng & Feixiang Yuan & , 2022. "Triiodothyronine (T3) promotes brown fat hyperplasia via thyroid hormone receptor α mediated adipocyte progenitor cell proliferation," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-17, December.

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