Metabolomics,Unknown,Transcriptomics,Genomics,Proteomics

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Single cell RNA sequencing of thymic dendritic cells reveals molecular determinants of antigen transfer in the thymus

ABSTRACT: The presentation of self-antigens in the thymus by medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) and dendritic cells (DCs) is crucial for the establishment of central tolerance. While mTECs produce and present self-antigens in an autonomous manner, DCs acquire them from mTECs by Cooperative Antigen Transfer (CAT). Although CAT represents a key process of central tolerance, molecular determinants which drive CAT are largely unknown. To reveal these determinants, we compared the transcriptomes of CAT-experienced and CAT-inexperienced DCs via scRNAseq. Specifically, we sequenced TdTOMATO+ and TdTOMATO– CD11c+ and CD11b+ cells from the thymus of Foxn1CreR26TdTOMATO mice. In this model, fluorescent TdTOMATO protein is exclusively produced by thymic epithelium, thus TdTOMATO expression in DCs (CD11c+ and CD11b+ cells) mark their previous experience of CAT. Using this approach we unraveled several candidate determinants of CAT. We focused on the gene determinant, Cldn1, encoding the tight junction protein Claudin 1, that was found to be highly expressed among the CAT-experienced type 1 lineage DCs. We performed further experiments that confirmed its role in driving CAT. In addition, this scRNAseq approach allowed us to redefine the heterogeneity and maturation states of thymic DCs.

INSTRUMENT(S): NextSeq 500

ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus

SUBMITTER: Jan Kubovčiak

PROVIDER: E-MTAB-14319 | biostudies-arrayexpress |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-arrayexpress

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Project description:Purpose: In all vertebrates, the thymus is necessary and sufficient for production of classic adaptive T cells. The key components of the thymus are cortical and medullary thymic epithelial cells (cTECs and mTECs). Despite the capital role of TECs, our understanding of TEC biology is quite rudimentary. For instance, we ignore what might be the extent of divergence in the functional program of these two TECs populations. It also remains unclear why the number of TECs decreases rapidly with age, thereby leading to progressive thymic insufficiency. Methods: Systems level understanding of cell function begins with gene expression profiling, and the transcriptome is currently the only '-ome' that can be reliably tackled in its entirety in freshly harvested primary cells. In order to gain novel insights into TEC biology, we therefore decided to analyse the whole transcriptome of cTECs, mTECs and skin epithelial cells. We elected to analyse gene expression using RNA-seq rather microarrays because RNA-seq has higher sensitivity and dynamic range coupled to lower technical variations. Results: Our deep sequencing approach provides a unique perspective into the transcriptome of TECs. Consistent with their ability to express ectopic genes, we found that mTECs expressed more genes than other cell populations. Out of a total of 15,069 genes expressed in TECs, 25% were differentially expressed by at least 5-fold in cTECs vs. mTECs. Genes expressed at higher levels in cTECs than mTECs regulate numerous cell functions including cell differentiation, cell movement and microtubule dynamics. Almost all positive regulators of the cell cycle were overexpressed in skin ECs relative to TECs. Conclusions: Our RNA-seq data provide novel insights into the transcriptional landscape of TECs, highlight substantial divergences in the transcriptome of TEC subsets and suggest that cell cycle progression is differentially regulated in TECS and skinECs. We believe that our work will therefore represent a valuable resource and will be of great interest to readers working in biological sciences, particularly in the areas of immunology and systems biology. The mRNA profiles of cTEC, mTEC (from 14 thymi of 7-days old C57BL/6 mice) and skinEC (from the trunk and dorsum of seven newborn mice) were generated by RNA-sequencing using Illumina HiSeq2000.

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Single cell RNA sequencing of thymic dendritic cells reveals molecular determinants of antigen transfer in the thymus

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