Identification of a regulatory pathway inhibiting adipogenesis via RSPO2

Dong and Sun et al. show that adipogenesis regulatory cells in murine white adipose tissue inhibit adipogenesis through RSPO2, which regulates maturation of early progenitor cells via Lgr4. Healthy adipose tissue remodeling depends on the balance between de novo adipogenesis from adipogenic progenitor cells and the hypertrophy of adipocytes. De novo adipogenesis has been shown to promote healthy adipose tissue expansion, which confers protection from obesity-associated insulin resistance. Here, we define the role and trajectory of different adipogenic precursor subpopulations and further delineate the mechanism and cellular trajectory of adipogenesis, using single-cell RNA-sequencing datasets of murine adipogenic precursors. We identify Rspo2 as a functional regulator of adipogenesis, which is secreted by a subset of CD142(+) cells to inhibit maturation of early progenitors through the receptor Lgr4. Increased circulating RSPO2 in mice leads to adipose tissue hypertrophy and insulin resistance and increased RSPO2 levels in male obese individuals correlate with impaired glucose homeostasis. Taken together, these findings identify a complex cellular crosstalk that inhibits adipogenesis and impairs adipose tissue homeostasis.

Automated summary

Dong and Sun et al. demonstrate the inhibitory role of adipogenesis regulatory cells in murine white adipose tissue through RSPO2. They show that RSPO2 regulates the maturation of early progenitor cells via Lgr4. This study highlights the importance of cellular crosstalk in adipogenesis and its impact on adipose tissue homeostasis.