Transcriptome Atlas Maps Cell Types Across Four Human Glands

In a new study, researchers applied integrative network analysis to a dataset of over 1,400 bulk RNA sequencing samples from human pituitary, adrenal, thyroid, and minor salivary glands to predict genome-wide, cell type-enriched transcriptomes. Cross-gland analyses revealed core transcriptional similarities among functionally related cell types, such as neuroendocrine cells, while tissue subset analyses identified pituitary gonadotropes as the predominant site of sex-specific variation.

The human pituitary, adrenal, thyroid, and minor salivary glands maintain distinct yet interconnected roles across endocrine and exocrine regulation, contributing to systemic homeostasis, metabolism, stress response, and oral health. Identifying genes with cell type-specific expression is key for understanding physiology and pathophysiology, as these genes typically encode proteins essential for specialised functions. However, transcriptional characterisation at the single-cell level has remained relatively limited for these glands compared to other tissues.

Although single-cell RNA sequencing has facilitated the profiling of cell type-specific genes, challenges such as dissociation-induced artefacts, protocol-dependent cell loss, and data sparsity limit the analysis of certain cell types and lowly expressed genes. The resulting predictive atlas provides an additional resource for investigating human glandular function in health and disease.

Subject of Research: Transcriptomic characterisation of human endocrine and exocrine glands

Article Title: A cell type transcriptome atlas for human pituitary, adrenal, thyroid and minor salivary glands

Article References: Dusart, P., Struck, E., Zwahlen, M., von Feilitzen, K., Pontén, F., Lindskog, C., Odeberg, J., Uhlén, M., & Butler, L. M. (2026). A cell type transcriptome atlas for human pituitary, adrenal, thyroid and minor salivary glands. BMC Genomics, 27(1), Article 922. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-026-13514-z

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s12864-026-13514-z

Keywords: transcriptomics, bulk RNA-seq, pituitary gland, adrenal gland, thyroid gland, minor salivary glands, neuroendocrine cells, gene expression, cell, type, transcriptome, atlas