NIDDK Information Network (dkNET), University of California San Diego

Hormones coordinate physiological functions across tissues and organs. The Hormone Cell Atlas analyses expression of 379 hormone and receptor genes in a dataset containing 14 million single cells and nuclei across 47 human tissues. The hormone2cell approach maps putative hormone-producing and hormone-receiving cell types and identifies tissue-specific and shared endocrine signatures. The analysis predicts nonclassical hormone sources, including secretin expression in plasmacytoid dendritic cells, and infers convergent hormone actions, feedback loops and cell populations implicated in monogenic endocrine disorders. Integrating adipocyte datasets across tissues reveals endocrine programmes that vary between depots, among cell subtypes and during differentiation. The atlas provides a framework for investigating the sources, targets and health consequences of hormone signalling at cellular resolution.