A unique adipocyte progenitor population that promotes age-related adiposity

The average fat (adipose tissue) mass in adults increases dramatically with age, and older people often suffer from visceral obesity and related adverse metabolic disorders. Unfortunately, how aging leads to adipose accumulation is poorly understood. It is known that fat cell (adipocyte) turnover is very low in young mice, similar to that in young humans. Single-cell RNA sequencing analyses reveal that aging globally remodels APCs. Herein, we identify a novel, age-specific committed APC population as CP-A cells, existing both in mice and humans, with a global activation of proliferation and adipogenesis pathways. CP-A cells display high proliferation and adipogenesis activity, both in vivo and in vitro. M1 macrophages may regulate the remodeling of APCs and the generation of CP-A cells during aging. Overall design: single cell RNA sequencing profiles of Lin- stromal vascular fraction (SVF) cells and CD45+ immune cells from 2.5-month-old or 12-month-old C57BL/6J male mice epididymal white adipose tissue or Lin- SVFs from human peri-pancreatic adipose tissue.