Discovery of thyrocyte heterogeneity reveals an essential role of Notch signaling in thyroid function and mammalian homeostasis

The thyroid functions at the apex of a web of endocrine organs that control cell growth, differentiation and metabolic homeostasis. Thyroid dysregulation significantly impacts human health in myriad ways with thyroid diseases standing as the most common endocrine disorder. Despite the essential role of the thyroid in human health, a high-resolution view of the cellular composition as well as molecular mechanisms that govern function of this crucial organ have been lacking. Employing the first single-cell analyses of adult mouse thyroid, we here report the discovery of unexpected thyrocyte heterogeneity, specifically three distinct thyrocyte subtypes marked by different metabolic and Notch signaling patterns. Using a battery of pharmacologic and genetic methods, we find that selective inhibition of Notch ligands and receptors disrupts thyrocyte mitochondrial activity and ROS production, thus decreasing levels of circulating thyroid hormones, inducing hypothyroidism and disrupting whole-body thermoregulation. We find an enriched frequency of hypothyroidism in children with Alagille Syndrome, a genetic disorder marked by Notch loss-of-function mutations, suggesting that our Notch-thyroid mechanisms are relevant in humans and directly account for Alagille hypothyroidism. Overall, our work reveals that Notch, although classically described as a developmental pathway that determines cell fate, controls homeostasis and thermoregulation in the adult through a mitochondria-based mechanism in a subset of thyrocytes. Our fine-grained picture of the thyroid unveils a novel understanding of this key metabolic organ and provides clinically impactful insights into its pathological dysfunctions.