Single cell functional genomics reveals plasticity of subcutaneous white adipose tissue (WAT) during early postnatal development

Elizabeth A Rondini; Vanesa D Ramseyer; Rayanne B Burl; Roger Pique-Regi; James G Granneman

doi:10.1016/j.molmet.2021.101307

Single cell functional genomics reveals plasticity of subcutaneous white adipose tissue (WAT) during early postnatal development

Mol Metab. 2021 Nov:53:101307. doi: 10.1016/j.molmet.2021.101307. Epub 2021 Jul 21.

Authors

Elizabeth A Rondini¹, Vanesa D Ramseyer¹, Rayanne B Burl¹, Roger Pique-Regi¹, James G Granneman²

Affiliations

¹ Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA.
² Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA; Center for Integrative Metabolic and Endocrine Research, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA. Electronic address: jgranne@med.wayne.edu.

Abstract

Objective: The current study addresses the cellular complexity and plasticity of subcutaneous (inguinal) white adipose tissue (iWAT) in mice during the critical periods of perinatal growth and establishment.

Methods: We performed a large-scale single cell transcriptomic (scRNA-seq) and epigenomic (snATAC-seq) characterization of cellular subtypes (adipose stromal cells (ASC) and adipocyte nuclei) during inguinal WAT (subcutaneous; iWAT) development in mice, capturing the early postnatal period (postnatal days (PND) 06 and 18) through adulthood (PND56).

Results: Perinatal and adult iWAT contain 3 major ASC subtypes that can be independently identified by RNA expression profiles and DNA transposase accessibility. Furthermore, the transcriptomes and enhancer landscapes of both ASC and adipocytes dynamically change during postnatal development. Perinatal ASC (PND06) are highly enriched for several imprinted genes (IGs; e.g., Mest, H19, Igf2) and extracellular matrix proteins whose expression then declines prior to weaning (PND18). By comparison, adult ASC (PND56) are more enriched for transcripts associated with immunoregulation, oxidative stress, and integrin signaling. Two clusters of mature adipocytes, identified through single nuclei RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq), were distinctive for proinflammatory/immune or metabolic gene expression patterns that became more transcriptionally diverse in adult animals. Single nuclei assay for transposase-accessible chromatin (snATAC-seq) revealed that differences in gene expression were associated with developmental changes in chromatin accessibility and predicted transcription factor motifs (e.g., Plagl1, Ar) in both stromal cells and adipocytes.

Conclusions: Our data provide new insights into transcriptional and epigenomic signaling networks important during iWAT establishment at a single cell resolution, with important implications for the field of metabolic programming.

Keywords: Adipocytes; Development; Imprinted genes; Single cell ATAC-Seq; Single cell RNA-Seq; White adipose tissue.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

Adipose Tissue, White / metabolism*
Animals
Cell Plasticity / genetics*
Female
Male
Mice
Mice, Inbred C57BL
Single-Cell Analysis*

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

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