A Transcriptomic and Proteomic Atlas of Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes in Cynomolgus Monkeys

Abstract

Obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D) remain major global healthcare challenges and developing therapeutics necessitate using nonhuman primate models. Here, we present transcriptomic and proteomic analyses of all the major organs of cynomolgus monkeys with spontaneous obesity or T2D in comparison to healthy controls. Molecular changes occur predominantly in the adipose tissues of individuals with obesity, while extensive expression perturbations among T2D individuals are observed in many tissues, such as the liver, kidney, brain, and heart. Immune response-related pathways are upregulated in obesity and T2D, whereas metabolism and mitochondrial pathways are downregulated. Incorporating human single-cell RNA sequencing findings corroborates the role of macrophages and monocytes in obesity. Moreover, we highlight some potential therapeutic targets including SLC2A1 and PCSK1 in obesity as well as SLC30A8 and SLC2A2 in T2D. Our findings provide insights into tissue-specific molecular foundations of obesity and T2D and reveal the mechanistic links between these two metabolic disorders.