Mobilizable adipose stromal cells fuel regenerative adipogenesis in injured muscle

Skeletal muscle regeneration is a highly orchestrated process involving the dynamic interplay of multiple cell types. Among these, fibro-adipogenic progenitors (FAPs), a population of resident mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs), are essential for creating a supportive microenvironment that promotes satellite cell differentiation and modulates immune responses. Our recent work revealed that adipose stromal cells (ASCs) from subcutaneous adipose tissue (ScAT) infiltrate the injured muscle within the first 24h post-injury, contributing significantly to the regenerative process. Consequently, the FAP population in the regenerating muscle comprises both resident FAPs and infiltrated ASCs.

In the present study, using single cell RNA-seq in a mouse model with trackable KikGR ⁺ ASCs and bioinformatics analyses, we identify Limch1 ⁺ /Prg4 ⁺ ASCs as the primary Mobilizable ASCs (Mob-ASCs) that migrate to and infiltrate the injury site. Notably, this migration is detectable as early as 14 hours post-injury. We demonstrate that these cells are pre-activated within the ScAT, primed to initiate both migratory and regenerative programs. Intriguingly, bioinformatic inference of key activated transcription factors suggested that adipogenesis is also activated in these cells. Leveraging supervised machine learning, we tracked the fate of Mob-ASCs within the regenerating muscle post-injury, where they continue to execute these programs. Importantly, these cells lineage is cued towards a fate of adipogenesis. In vivo , we observed transient generation of adipocytes with a peak at 7-9 days post-injury to which infiltrated ASCs contributed. In vitro , conditioned media assays further revealed that adipocytes derived from ASCs—but not those from FAPs—enhance myoblasts fusion.

Collectively, our findings establish Limch1 ⁺ /Prg4 ⁺ ASCs as the Mobilizable ASC population and suggest that their transient adipogenic differentiation is beneficial for muscle regeneration.