In vitro differentiated CD56-positive ILC transcriptional profiling via scRNA-seq
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ABSTRACT: The innate cytotoxic Natural Killer (NK) cells emerged during hematopoiesis through a linear model of human NK development, yet how in vitro model of NK differentiation recapitulates in vivo process is largely under-explored. Here, we established that NK cell trajectory in vitro can be divided into 4 stages by sequential acquisition of CD161, CD56 and CD94 in which CD56 bifurcation can separate Stage 3a (CD56-) as ILC-precursor that can further give rise to stage 3b (CD56+) and stage 4 (CD94+). Re-plating results together with clonal tracing between S3b, S4 and ILC3 subsets supported a diverging developmental point between NK and ILC3 lineages occurs at the S3a stage and accompanied by the loss of the ILC3 potential as NK cell maturation progress from S3b toward S4. Single-cell transcriptomic and RNA-velocity connected the NK cytotoxic trajectory with a coordinated network of transcription factors (TFs) that are highly compatible with primary NK cell gene program.
Project description:There is limited knowledge on the origin and development of the ample spectrum of human NK cells, particularly of specialized NK subsets. Here, we characterized the NK cell progeny of CD34+DNAM-1bright CXCR4+ precursors that reside in healthy bone marrow and circulate in the peripheral blood (PB) of patients with chronic infections/inflammation. including HIV, HCV or HCMV reactivation after HSC transplantation. Unlike conventional CD34+ precursors they rapidly differentiated in vitro into cytotoxic, IFNγ-secreting CD94/NKG2C+KIR+CD57+ maturing NK cell progenies with HCMV-inhibiting activity. Progeny characterization led also to identification of an additional new PB Lin-CD56-CD16+ precursor giving rise to the same CD94/NKG2C+KIR+CD57+ maturing NK cell progenies. Microarray analysis of NK cell progenies revealed a signature compatible with maturing adaptive NK cells. In vivo circulation of multiple common lymphocyte precursors with rapid development to NKG2C+ NK cell progeny is steadily occurring and may thus be a crucial resource for the prompt control of HCMV. We used microarray to compare the transcriptional profiles of human NKG2C+ NK cells derived from i) CD34+DNAM1brightCXCR4+ precursors, ii) Lin-CD34-CD16+CD56- precursors, iii) peripheral blood.
Project description:A small subset of T cells also expresses kiler-cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs). We find that KIR+ T cells primarily reside in the CD56+ T population. However, little is known on how these cells are different from the conventional CD56- T, NK, and iNKT cells. We used microarray profiling to compare and determine the distinctive differences of CD56+ T cell and its KIR subsets when compared to the conventional CD56- T, NK and iNKT cells. Lymphocyte subsets were sorted from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells with FACSAriaII (BD Biosciences, San Jose, CA) using anti-CD3, anti-CD56, anti-CD14, anti-KIR2DL1, anti-KIR2DL2/3, anti-KIR3DL1 and anti-TCRValpha24 antibodies. The purity of CD3+CD56- T cells, CD3-CD56+ NK cells, CD3+CD56+ T cells, KIR-CD3+CD56+ T cells, and KIR+CD3+CD56+ T cells were more than 98% in all experiments. The purities of iNKT cells for TCRValpha24 and CD1d-tetramer were >95% and >90%, respectively. RNA pre-amplification, labeling and hybridization on Human Genome U133Plus 2.0 GeneChip array were performed in the St. Jude Hartwell Center for Bioinformatics & Biotechnology microarray core facility according to the manufacturer’s instructions (Affymetrix, Santa Clara, CA).
Project description:T-BET and EOMES are key transcription factors in the development of mature NK cells in mice. However, the role of these transcription factors during human NK cell development is less well understood. Therefore, we overexpressed T-BET or EOMES in human umbilical cord blood-derived hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPC) and cultured them in vitro in an NK cell differentiation model. On day 21 of culture mature stage 4 (CD56+CD94+CD16-) and stage 5 (CD56+CD94+CD16+) NK cells from T-BET or EOMES overexpression and control cultures were sorted, whereafter mRNA was isolated and transcriptome analysis was performed by RNA sequencing. Evaluation of the transcriptome in mature NK cells with T-BET or EOMES overexpression could reveal the molecular mechanisms of how T-BET and EOMES play a role in terminal NK cell maturation.
Project description:T-BET and EOMES are key transcription factors in the development of mature NK cells in mice. However, the role of these transcription factors during human NK cell development is less well understood. Therefore, we overexpressed T-BET or EOMES in human umbilical cord blood-derived hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPC) and cultured them in vitro in an NK cell differentiation model. On day 21 of culture mature stage 4 (CD56+CD94+CD16-) and stage 5 (CD56+CD94+CD16+) NK cells from T-BET or EOMES overexpression and control cultures were sorted, whereafter genomic DNA was isolated and the chromatin accessibility landscape was determined by assay for transposase-accessible chromatin (ATAC) sequencing. Profiling of the epigenetic changes during T-BET or EOMES overexpression in mature NK cells revealed new insights in the regulatory role of T-BET and EOMES during terminal NK cell maturation.
Project description:A small subset of T cells also expresses kiler-cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs). We find that KIR+ T cells primarily reside in the CD56+ T population. However, little is known on how these cells are different from the conventional CD56- T, NK, and iNKT cells. We used microarray profiling to compare and determine the distinctive differences of CD56+ T cell and its KIR subsets when compared to the conventional CD56- T, NK and iNKT cells.
Project description:Human ILCs are classically categorized into five subsets; cytotoxic CD127-CD94+ NK cells and non-cytotoxic CD127+CD94-, ILC1s, ILC2s, ILC3s and LTi cells. Here, we identify a novel subset within the CD127+ ILC population, characterized by the expression of the cytotoxic marker CD94. These CD94+ ILCs strongly resemble conventional ILC3s in terms of phenotype, transcriptome and cytokine production, but are highly cytotoxic. IL-15 was unable to induce differentiation of CD94+ ILCs towards mature NK cells. Instead, CD94+ ILCs retained RORγt, CD127 and CD200R expression and produced IL-22 in response to IL-15. Culturing non-cytotoxic CD127+ ILC1s or ILC3s with IL-12 induced upregulation of CD94 and cytotoxic activity, effects that were not observed with IL-15 stimulation. Thus, human helper ILCs can acquire a cytotoxic program without differentiating into NK cells.
Project description:Bulk RNA-seq, and single cell RNA-Seq using inDrops methodology, were used to compare two populations of cells that had been sorted by flow cytometry from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from two donors, G27 and G33. To sort the cells, PBMCs were stained with antibodies to 11 lineage markers (FITC), anti-CD56 (PE), and anti-CD94 (APC). The 11 lineage marker positive cells were excluded to identify the innate lymphocyte cell (ILC) population. Then we sorted the Lin-CD56+CD94- cells (CD127-ILC1s, 'neg') from the Lin-CD56+CD94+ cells (NK cells, 'pos') with a BD FACSAria IIu. Libraries were generated from each of these two populations.
Project description:Cord blood (CB)-derived chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-natural killer (NK) cells targeting CD19 has been shown to be effective against B cell malignancies. While human CD56+ NK cells can be expanded in vitro, it is also known that NK cells can be differentiated from hematopoietic progenitor cells. It is still unclear whether CAR-NK cells are originated from mature NK cells or NK progenitor cells in CB. Here we found that CAR-NK cells are predominantly derived from the CD56- NK progenitor cells. We first found that substantial numbers of CD19 CAR-NK cells were produced from the CD56- CB mononuclear cells after in vitro culture for two weeks. Single cell RNAseq analysis of CD56-CD3-CD14-CD19- CB mononuclear cells revealed that those cells were subdivided into three subpopulations based on the expression of CD34 and HLA-DR. NK cells were predominantly produced from the CD34-HLA-DR- cells. In addition, in the CD34-HLA-DR- cells, only CD7+ cells could differentiate into NK cells. These results indicate that CD56-CD7+CD34- HLA-DR-lineage marker (Lin)- cells are the major origin of human CB-derived CAR-NK cells, indicating that we need to develop methods to enhance the quality and quantity of NK cells produced from these NK cell progenitor cells.
Project description:Type 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3s) fulfill protective functions at mucosal surfaces via cytokine production. While their plasticity to become ILC1s, the innate counterparts of type 1 helper T cells, has been described previously, we report that they can differentiate into cytotoxic lymphocytes with many characteristics of early differentiated natural killer (NK) cells. This transition is promoted by the proinflammatory cytokines IL-12 and IL-15, and correlates with expression of the master transcription factor of cytotoxicity eomesodermin (Eomes). As revealed by transcriptome analysis and flow cytometric profiling, differentiated ILC3s express CD94, NKG2A, NKG2C, CD56 and CD16 among other NK cell receptors, and possess all components of the cytotoxic machinery. These characteristics allow them to recognize and kill leukemic cells. Therefore, ILC3s can be harnessed for cytotoxic responses via differentiation under the influence of proinflammatory cytokines.
Project description:Pooled purified peripheral blood derived CD56dimCD16+ NK, CD56brightCD16- NK and in vitro activated CD56+CD16+ NK subsets obtained from 9 healthy donors were analyzed for gene expression pattern. Each pooled NK subset sample was hybridized in replicates (A and B). Keywords: other