Single-cell transcriptome unveils mesenchymal cell diversity in endometriosis

Xia Chen, Shengkun Zhang, Yujuan Qi, Tiantian Wu, Qiuru Huang, Xueyun Bao, Juan Gu, Qingqing Sun, Youming Shao, Yueyue Shao, Nan Jiang, Ning Chen, Zhenbei Li, Sen Zheng, Xiangnan Cao, Xue Cao, Jiaxin Li, Bo Zheng, Zhonghua Shi, Yijuan Cao, Xiaoli Sun, Jun Yu
Human molecular genetics · 2025 · vol. 34(13) , pp. 1146–1156 · doi:10.1093/hmg/ddaf065 · PMID:40302519 · W4409987113
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⚙ AI-generated summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-08 ⓘ

This study used single-cell RNA sequencing to identify six distinct mesenchymal cell subclusters in normal and endometriotic ovarian tissues, revealing their diverse functions in protein synthesis, cell adhesion, and metabolism, with specific genes linked to complement cascades and ECM regulation.

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Abstract

Mesenchymal cells constitute the primary structural support elements within endometriotic lesions, yet their pivotal roles in endometriotic pathogenesis remain largely uncharted. This study aimed to construct a single-cell atlas of endometriosis using samples from three ovarian tissues affected by endometriosis and three normal ovarian tissues. Through the utilization of scRNA-seq, we have unveiled six distinct mesenchymal subclusters in normal and endometriosis-afflicted ovaries, elucidating the diverse functions of mesenchymal populations in endometriosis. Our comprehensive analysis has revealed that mesenchymal cells predominantly engage in three key functions: ribosome-mediated protein synthesis and processing, cell adhesion facilitating intercellular support and communication, and a range of metabolic processes. Furthermore, our findings have identified several pivotal differentially expressed genes (e.g. C3, FN1, COL3A1, COL1A1, NRXN3), primarily associated with the complement and coagulation cascades, extracellular matrix (ECM) regulation, ECM receptor interactions, and cell adhesion molecules. In essence, our study provides a comprehensive transcriptomic dataset and novel insights into adhesive molecule and integrin networks within mesenchymal subclusters in endometriosis. This, in effect, has deepened the understanding of the pathomechanisms governing this condition.

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Condition tags

mesh:D004715endometriosis

MeSH descriptors

Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis

Citation neighborhood

Papers in the corpus that this work cites (lower rings, blue) and that cite this one (upper rings, green). Dot size scales with the paper's in-corpus citation count — bigger dot = more influential within the endo/adeno field. Click a dot to open that paper. [ expand to 2 hops ] — adds papers reached through this work's immediate citers/citees. Heavier; up to 60 extra dots.

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