Single-cell profiling of human adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal progenitor cells induced toward adipogenic fate.

To understand the specific transcriptomic changes in cells undergoing adipogenic differentiation, we performed single cell RNA-seq on two separate cultures: one corresponding to multipotent progenitors grown to confluency but not subjected to differentiation stimuli, and the second corresponding to progenitors exposed to adipogenic media for 3 days. Homogenous multipotent progenitors underwent two distinct fate trajectories rapidly upon induction of adipose differentiation, one toward the adipocyte fate, and the other towards a distinct, undifferentiated state. Overall design: Human adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal progenitor cells underwent non-induced or adipogenic induction for 3 days.