Abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue (Loft et al., 2026, Nature Met)

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Cell Metadata

Pericytes

Ontology Term: pericyteCL:0000669
Synonyms Terms that have the same, or nearly the same, meaning as the selected cell type.: adventitial reticular cell, pericyte cell, adventitial cell, pericyte of Rouget, cell of Rouget, ARC
Category Class of which the cell type is a subclass.: mural cellCL:0008034
Ontology Assessment Disagreements with any aspect of the Cell Ontology.: —
Marker Gene Evidence Gene markers used by researcher to assign this cell annotation.: STEAP4, GIPR
Canonical Marker Genes: STEAP4, GIPR
Rationale: STEAP family genes are enriched in mural cells and are associated with perivascular metal ion homeostasis and redox activity, a characteristic feature of pericytes. GIPR is selectively expressed in adipose tissue pericytes and marks a perivascular cell population closely associated with the microvasculature. Together, STEAP and GIPR support the identification of pericytes and help distinguish them from endothelial and stromal progenitor cells.
Rationale DOI: 10.1038/s42255-025-01296-9

Set of Labels Description: Annotation of all broad canonical cell populations present in AT were based on previously described markers from Loft et al. 2026 (PMID: 40360756).
Annotation Method: manual

Ontology Term: pericyteCL:0000669
Synonyms Terms that have the same, or nearly the same, meaning as the selected cell type.: adventitial reticular cell, pericyte cell, adventitial cell, pericyte of Rouget, cell of Rouget, ARC
Category Class of which the cell type is a subclass.: mural cellCL:0008034
Ontology Assessment Disagreements with any aspect of the Cell Ontology.: —
Marker Gene Evidence Gene markers used by researcher to assign this cell annotation.: STEAP4, GIPR
Canonical Marker Genes: STEAP4, GIPR
Rationale: STEAP family genes are enriched in mural cells and are associated with perivascular metal ion homeostasis and redox activity, a characteristic feature of pericytes. GIPR is selectively expressed in adipose tissue pericytes and marks a perivascular cell population closely associated with the microvasculature. Together, STEAP and GIPR support the identification of pericytes and help distinguish them from endothelial and stromal progenitor cells.
Rationale DOI: 10.1038/s42255-025-01296-9

Set of Labels Description: Annotation of all broad canonical cell populations present in AT were based on previously described markers from Loft et al. 2026 (PMID: 40360756).
Annotation Method: manual