Single-Cell Transcriptional Profiling of Aortic Endothelium Identifies a Hierarchy from Endovascular Progenitors to Differentiated Cells

Abstract

Summary: The cellular and molecular profiles that govern the endothelial heterogeneity of the circulatory system have yet to be elucidated. Using a data-driven approach to study the endothelial compartment via single-cell RNA sequencing, we characterized cell subpopulations within and assigned them to a defined endothelial hierarchy. We show that two transcriptionally distinct endothelial populations exist within the aorta and, using two independent trajectory analysis methods, confirm that they represent transitioning cells rather than discrete cell types. Gene co-expression analysis revealed crucial regulatory networks underlying each population, including significant metabolic gene networks in progenitor cells. Using mitochondrial activity assays and phenotyping, we confirm that endovascular progenitors display higher mitochondrial content compared to differentiated endothelial cells. The identities of these populations were further validated against bulk RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data obtained from normal and tumor-derived vasculature. Our findings validate the heterogeneity of the aortic endothelium and previously suggested hierarchy between progenitor and differentiated cells. : Lukowski et al. demonstrate the existence of two distinct endothelial cell populations in the aorta via single-cell sequencing. The data confirm that a progenitor population transitions to a mature endothelial cell, defining an endothelial hierarchy. Keywords: single-cell RNA sequencing, transcriptome, endothelial cell, aorta, hierarchy, endovascular progenitor