Figure 4.

Model of adipose development based on single-cell transcriptomics. New adipocytes are developed from multipotent mesenchymal progenitors. Once committed to adipocyte fate, cells accumulate lipid droplets and expand in size. Mature white adipocytes contain single large lipid droplet (unilocular), whereas developing adipocytes and beige adipocytes have multiple smaller lipid droplets per cell (multilocular). Gene signatures of adipocytes in different developmental states are identified from single-cell RNA-sequencing of the progenitors and single nuclei RNA-sequencing of the mature adipocytes. The developmental stages of the reported adipocyte subtypes are inferred based on knowledge of adipocyte development. The full trajectory and the determinants for cell states or fate transitions remain to be identified.