Work

Genomics-informed approach identifies which cell types regulate the metabolome

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: MOTIVATION: Metabolism occurs in a cell type-specific manner, but which cells regulate metabolite levels remains unclear. RESULTS: Here, we integrate some of the largest metabolite quantitative trait loci datasets, TOPMed and UK Biobank, with one of the most extensive single-cell RNA sequencing resources, Tabula Sapiens. This integration allows us to identify cell types that regulate metabolites body-wide. We find hepatocytes are the primary regulatory cell type for most metabolites, associating with 385/410 (94%) metabolites for whom an association is found. Additionally, our multi-gene approach reveals more metabolite associations with beta cells compared to those identified using a single-gene approach. For example, we identify novel metabolite-cell type associations, such as the association between phenylpropanoic acid and beta cells, this metabolite that was previously thought to be regulated by the microbiome. AVAILABILITY: Code used in this work is available via Github at https://github.com/haimkru/Metabolite-Cell-Type-Associations.

Source: Bioinformatics

DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btag330

Authors: Haim Krupkin, Evin M Padhi, Daniel Nachun, Jessica Kain, Jonathan Z Long, Stephen B Montgomery

Institutions: Stanford Medicine, Stanford University

Language: English

Topic: Metabolomics and Mass Spectrometry Studies

Subfield: Molecular Biology

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,989