Project description:10x sequencing of TSPAN8+, GP2+ or Unselected medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTEC) isolated from female C57BL/6, BALB/c, and C57BL/6 x BALB/c F1 mice with the intent to identify co-expression patterns in promiscuously expressed genes in individual mTEC.
Project description:The goal of the study was to sequence mRNA expression from sorted medullary thymic epithelial cell (mTEC) subsets in inducible Aire-CreERT2.R26-Stopfl-tdTomato lineage tracing mice after a pulse chase. Four cell subsets were sorted 7 days after a single 2mg pulse of tamoxifen administered by oral gavage. 4 biological replicates (1,2,3,4) were collected derived from 12 pooled thymi per replicate. From the DAPI-;CD45-;EpCAM+ TEC pool, cells were sorted as: pre-Aire (MHCIIlo;RFP-), early-Aire (MHCIIhi;RFP-), late-Aire (MHCIIhi;RFP+), and post-Aire (MHCIIlo;RFP+). The data were used to identify differentially expressed genes across the four mTEC subsets to examine mTEC heterogeneity and identify novel mTEC subpopulations.
Project description:This study set out to assay the (polyA+) transcriptomes of single mature (MHCII high) mouse medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTEC). Following isolation by FACs, the transcriptomes of single mature mTEC was assayed using the Fluidigm C1 microfluidics platform and Illumina RNA-seq.
Project description:This study set out to assay the (polyA+) transcriptomes of single mature (MHCII high) mouse medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTEC).
Project description:Medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) play a critical role in central immune tolerance by mediating negative selection of autoreactive T cells through the collective expression of the peripheral self-antigen compartment, including tissue-specific antigens (TSAs). Recent work has shown that gene expression patterns within the mTEC compartment are remarkably heterogenous and include multiple differentiated cell states. To further define mTEC development and medullary epithelial lineage relationships, we combined lineage tracing and recovery from transient in vivo mTEC ablation with single cell RNA-sequencing in Mus musculus. The combination of bioinformatic and experimental approaches revealed a non-stem transit-amplifying population of cycling mTECs that preceded Aire expression. Based on our findings, we propose a branching model of mTEC development wherein a heterogeneous pool of transit-amplifying cells gives rise to Aire- and Ccl21a-expressing mTEC subsets. We further use experimental techniques to show that within the Aire-expressing developmental branch, TSA expression peaked as Aire expression decreased, implying Aire expression must be established before TSA expression can occur. Collectively, these data provide a higher order roadmap of mTEC development and demonstrate the power of combinatorial approaches leveraging both in vivo models and high-dimensional datasets.
Project description:Medullary thymic epithelial cells play essential role for induction of central self-tolerance by facilitating negative selection of self-reactive thymocytes and the generation of Foxp3+ regulatory T cells. Although studies highlighted the non-canonical NFκB pathway as the key regulator of mTEC development, comprehensive understanding of the molecular pathways regulating this process still remains incomplete. The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of Histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3), which is highly expressed by mTECs, on mTEC development and function. We used Affymetrix mouse 1ST arrays to analyze the impact of the Hdac3 gene on the gene expression profile of MHC-II medullary thymic epithelial cells
Project description:Antigen presentation by cortical and medullary thymic epithelial cells (cTEC and mTEC) ensures the formation of a self-restricted and self-tolerant T cell repertoire, respectively. As such, a broad diversity of self-antigens needs to be presented by mTEC to induce T cell’s self-tolerance. Even though the expression and antigen presentation of protein coding genes in mTEC has been abundantly described, little is known of the implication of allegedly noncoding regions of the genome to tolerance induction. In this study, we focused on transposable elements (TE), which have been shown to be highly expressed by mTEC.
Project description:Medullary thymic epithelial cells play essential role for induction of central self-tolerance. This functional capacity is mediated through a phenomenon known as promiscuous gene expression (pGE) of various tissue-restricted antigen (TRA) genes. pGE was previously shown to be mediated by a single factor called the Autoimmune regulator (Aire), which is specically expressed by mTECs. The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of deacetylase Sirtuin1, which is also highly expressed by mTECs, on mTEC gene expression profile and compare it with the impact of Aire. We used Affymetrix mouse 1ST arrays to analyze the impact of the Sirt1 gene on the gene expression profile of MHC-II high medullary thymic epithelial cells
Project description:The capability of T cells for discrimination between self and non-self peptides is based on rigorous negative selection of developing thymocytes by medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs). The mTECs purge autoreactive T cells by expression of cell-type specific genes referred to as tissue-restricted antigens (TRAs), therefore, the expression patterns of TRA genes can help understand development of mTECs and the regulatory mechanism during the development. We use single-cell RNA-sequencing to resolve patterns of TRA expression, and to elucidate how these patterns are changed during mTEC development. Thymi were collected from 2 and 4 week-old wild-type male and female mice. The mTEC suspension obtained from sorting was loaded onto the Fluidigm C1 platform using mediumsized capture chips (10-17m cells). External RNA Control Consortium (ERCC) spike-ins (Ambion, Life Technologies) were included in the lysis buffer. Reverse transcription and cDNA preamplification were performed using the SMARTer Ultra Low RNA kit (Clontech). The cDNA libraries for sequencing were prepared and libraries from 96 single cells were pooled and subsequently purified; pooled samples were sequenced on an Illumina HiSeq 2500 instrument.
Project description:Analysis of gene co-expression patterns in TRA-specific medullary thymic epithelial cell (mTEC) subsets. The whole genome gene signatures of purified mTEC subsets respectively positive for the TRAs Gp2, Pdpn, Cea1, Gad1, Ins2, Tspan8 were compared to their corresponding TRA-negative mTEC subset control. Results provide the enriched and depleted gene expressions in the different subsets.