scholarly journals Single-cell transcriptional profiling of human thymic stroma uncovers novel cellular heterogeneity in the thymic medulla

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jhoanne L. Bautista ◽  
Nathan T. Cramer ◽  
Corey N. Miller ◽  
Jessica Chavez ◽  
David I. Berrios ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Epithelial Cells ◽  
Single Cell ◽  
Transcriptional Profiling ◽  
Cellular Heterogeneity ◽  
Thymic Epithelial Cell ◽  
Single Cell Rna Sequencing ◽  
Thymic Medulla ◽  
Specific Antigens ◽  
Thymic Stroma ◽  
Multiple Stages

AbstractThe thymus’ key function in the immune system is to provide the necessary environment for the development of diverse and self-tolerant T lymphocytes. While recent evidence suggests that the thymic stroma is comprised of more functionally distinct subpopulations than previously appreciated, the extent of this cellular heterogeneity in the human thymus is not well understood. Here we use single-cell RNA sequencing to comprehensively profile the human thymic stroma across multiple stages of life. Mesenchyme, pericytes and endothelial cells are identified as potential key regulators of thymic epithelial cell differentiation and thymocyte migration. In-depth analyses of epithelial cells reveal the presence of ionocytes as a medullary population, while the expression of tissue-specific antigens is mapped to different subsets of epithelial cells. This work thus provides important insight on how the diversity of thymic cells is established, and how this heterogeneity contributes to the induction of immune tolerance in humans.

scholarly journals Single-Cell RNA-Sequencing Identifies Infrapatellar Fat Pad Macrophage Polarization in Acute Synovitis/Fat Pad Fibrosis and Cell Therapy

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. 166
Author(s):  
Dimitrios Kouroupis ◽  
Thomas M. Best ◽  
Lee D. Kaplan ◽  
Diego Correa ◽  
Anthony J. Griswold
Keyword(s):  
Single Cell ◽  
Rna Sequencing ◽  
Transcriptional Profiling ◽  
Macrophage Polarization ◽  
Myeloid Cells ◽  
Cellular Heterogeneity ◽  
Joint Disease ◽  
Infrapatellar Fat Pad ◽  
Fat Pad ◽  
Single Cell Rna Sequencing

The pathogenesis and progression of knee inflammatory pathologies is modulated partly by residing macrophages in the infrapatellar fat pad (IFP), thus, macrophage polarization towards pro-inflammatory (M1) or anti-inflammatory (M2) phenotypes is important in joint disease pathologies. Alteration of M1/M2 balance contributes to the initiation and progression of joint inflammation and can be potentially altered with mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy. In an acute synovial/IFP inflammation rat model a single intra-articular injection of IFP-MSC was performed, having as controls (1) diseased rats not receiving IFP-MSC and (2) non-diseased rats. After 4 days, cell specific transcriptional profiling via single-cell RNA-sequencing was performed on isolated IFP tissue from each group. Eight transcriptomically distinct cell populations were identified within the IFP across all three treatment groups with a noted difference in the proportion of myeloid cells across the groups. Largely myeloid cells consisted of macrophages (>90%); one M1 sub-cluster highly expressing pro-inflammatory markers and two M2 sub-clusters with one of them expressing higher levels of canonical M2 markers. Notably, the diseased samples (11.9%) had the lowest proportion of cells expressing M2 markers relative to healthy (14.8%) and MSC treated (19.4%) samples. These results suggest a phenotypic polarization of IFP macrophages towards the pro-inflammatory M1 phenotype in an acute model of inflammation, which are alleviated by IFP-MSC therapy inducing a switch towards an alternate M2 status. Understanding the IFP cellular heterogeneity and associated transcriptional programs may offer insights into novel therapeutic strategies for disabling joint disease pathologies.

scholarly journals Cryopreservation of human cancers conserves tumour heterogeneity for single-cell multi-omics analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sunny Z. Wu ◽  
Daniel L. Roden ◽  
Ghamdan Al-Eryani ◽  
Nenad Bartonicek ◽  
Kate Harvey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Single Cell ◽  
Rna Sequencing ◽  
High Throughput ◽  
Single Cells ◽  
Cellular Heterogeneity ◽  
Tumour Heterogeneity ◽  
Fresh Tissue ◽  
Human Cancers ◽  
Cryopreserved Cell ◽  
Single Cell Rna Sequencing

Abstract Background High throughput single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-Seq) has emerged as a powerful tool for exploring cellular heterogeneity among complex human cancers. scRNA-Seq studies using fresh human surgical tissue are logistically difficult, preclude histopathological triage of samples, and limit the ability to perform batch processing. This hindrance can often introduce technical biases when integrating patient datasets and increase experimental costs. Although tissue preservation methods have been previously explored to address such issues, it is yet to be examined on complex human tissues, such as solid cancers and on high throughput scRNA-Seq platforms. Methods Using the Chromium 10X platform, we sequenced a total of ~ 120,000 cells from fresh and cryopreserved replicates across three primary breast cancers, two primary prostate cancers and a cutaneous melanoma. We performed detailed analyses between cells from each condition to assess the effects of cryopreservation on cellular heterogeneity, cell quality, clustering and the identification of gene ontologies. In addition, we performed single-cell immunophenotyping using CITE-Seq on a single breast cancer sample cryopreserved as solid tissue fragments. Results Tumour heterogeneity identified from fresh tissues was largely conserved in cryopreserved replicates. We show that sequencing of single cells prepared from cryopreserved tissue fragments or from cryopreserved cell suspensions is comparable to sequenced cells prepared from fresh tissue, with cryopreserved cell suspensions displaying higher correlations with fresh tissue in gene expression. We showed that cryopreservation had minimal impacts on the results of downstream analyses such as biological pathway enrichment. For some tumours, cryopreservation modestly increased cell stress signatures compared to freshly analysed tissue. Further, we demonstrate the advantage of cryopreserving whole-cells for detecting cell-surface proteins using CITE-Seq, which is impossible using other preservation methods such as single nuclei-sequencing. Conclusions We show that the viable cryopreservation of human cancers provides high-quality single-cells for multi-omics analysis. Our study guides new experimental designs for tissue biobanking for future clinical single-cell RNA sequencing studies.

scholarly journals MBRS-46. CHARTING NEOPLASTIC AND IMMUNE CELL HETEROGENEITY IN HUMAN AND GEM MODELS OF MEDULLOBLASTOMA USING scRNAseq

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. iii406-iii406
Author(s):  
Andrew Donson ◽  
Kent Riemondy ◽  
Sujatha Venkataraman ◽  
Ahmed Gilani ◽  
Bridget Sanford ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Single Cell ◽  
Rna Sequencing ◽  
Immune Cell ◽  
Genetically Engineered ◽  
Cellular Heterogeneity ◽  
Cell Heterogeneity ◽  
Transcriptomic Data ◽  
Single Cell Rna Sequencing ◽  
Transcript Profiles

Abstract We explored cellular heterogeneity in medulloblastoma using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq), immunohistochemistry and deconvolution of bulk transcriptomic data. Over 45,000 cells from 31 patients from all main subgroups of medulloblastoma (2 WNT, 10 SHH, 9 GP3, 11 GP4 and 1 GP3/4) were clustered using Harmony alignment to identify conserved subpopulations. Each subgroup contained subpopulations exhibiting mitotic, undifferentiated and neuronal differentiated transcript profiles, corroborating other recent medulloblastoma scRNAseq studies. The magnitude of our present study builds on the findings of existing studies, providing further characterization of conserved neoplastic subpopulations, including identification of a photoreceptor-differentiated subpopulation that was predominantly, but not exclusively, found in GP3 medulloblastoma. Deconvolution of MAGIC transcriptomic cohort data showed that neoplastic subpopulations are associated with major and minor subgroup subdivisions, for example, photoreceptor subpopulation cells are more abundant in GP3-alpha. In both GP3 and GP4, higher proportions of undifferentiated subpopulations is associated with shorter survival and conversely, differentiated subpopulation is associated with longer survival. This scRNAseq dataset also afforded unique insights into the immune landscape of medulloblastoma, and revealed an M2-polarized myeloid subpopulation that was restricted to SHH medulloblastoma. Additionally, we performed scRNAseq on 16,000 cells from genetically engineered mouse (GEM) models of GP3 and SHH medulloblastoma. These models showed a level of fidelity with corresponding human subgroup-specific neoplastic and immune subpopulations. Collectively, our findings advance our understanding of the neoplastic and immune landscape of the main medulloblastoma subgroups in both humans and GEM models.

scholarly journals Spatially defined single-cell transcriptional profiling characterizes diverse chondrocyte subtypes and nucleus pulposus progenitors in human intervertebral discs

Bone Research ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yibo Gan ◽  
Jian He ◽  
Jun Zhu ◽  
Zhengyang Xu ◽  
Zhong Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Single Cell ◽  
Nucleus Pulposus ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Transcriptional Profiling ◽  
Intervertebral Discs ◽  
Cellular Heterogeneity ◽  
Effector Functions ◽  
Cartilage Endplate ◽  
Intervertebral Disks ◽  
Ivd Degeneration

AbstractA comprehensive understanding of the cellular heterogeneity and molecular mechanisms underlying the development, homeostasis, and disease of human intervertebral disks (IVDs) remains challenging. Here, the transcriptomic landscape of 108 108 IVD cells was mapped using single-cell RNA sequencing of three main compartments from young and adult healthy IVDs, including the nucleus pulposus (NP), annulus fibrosus, and cartilage endplate (CEP). The chondrocyte subclusters were classified based on their potential regulatory, homeostatic, and effector functions in extracellular matrix (ECM) homeostasis. Notably, in the NP, a PROCR+ resident progenitor population showed enriched colony-forming unit-fibroblast (CFU-F) activity and trilineage differentiation capacity. Finally, intercellular crosstalk based on signaling network analysis uncovered that the PDGF and TGF-β cascades are important cues in the NP microenvironment. In conclusion, a single-cell transcriptomic atlas that resolves spatially regulated cellular heterogeneity together with the critical signaling that underlies homeostasis will help to establish new therapeutic strategies for IVD degeneration in the clinic.

scholarly journals Single-cell RNA sequencing of cultured human endometrial CD140b+CD146+ perivascular cells highlights the importance of in vivo microenvironment

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dandan Cao ◽  
Rachel W. S. Chan ◽  
Ernest H. Y. Ng ◽  
Kristina Gemzell-Danielsson ◽  
William S. B. Yeung
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Single Cell ◽  
Rna Sequencing ◽  
Marker Gene ◽  
Cellular Heterogeneity ◽  
Stromal Fibroblast ◽  
Perivascular Cells ◽  
Endometrial Cells ◽  
Single Cell Rna Sequencing

Abstract Background Endometrial mesenchymal-like stromal/stem cells (eMSCs) have been proposed as adult stem cells contributing to endometrial regeneration. One set of perivascular markers (CD140b&CD146) has been widely used to enrich eMSCs. Although eMSCs are easily accessible for regenerative medicine and have long been studied, their cellular heterogeneity, relationship to primary counterpart, remains largely unclear. Methods In this study, we applied 10X genomics single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to cultured human CD140b+CD146+ endometrial perivascular cells (ePCs) from menstrual and secretory endometrium. We also analyzed publicly available scRNA-seq data of primary endometrium and performed transcriptome comparison between cultured ePCs and primary ePCs at single-cell level. Results Transcriptomic expression-based clustering revealed limited heterogeneity within cultured menstrual and secretory ePCs. A main subpopulation and a small stress-induced subpopulation were identified in secretory and menstrual ePCs. Cell identity analysis demonstrated the similar cellular composition in secretory and menstrual ePCs. Marker gene expression analysis showed that the main subpopulations identified from cultured secretory and menstrual ePCs simultaneously expressed genes marking mesenchymal stem cell (MSC), perivascular cell, smooth muscle cell, and stromal fibroblast. GO enrichment analysis revealed that genes upregulated in the main subpopulation enriched in actin filament organization, cellular division, etc., while genes upregulated in the small subpopulation enriched in extracellular matrix disassembly, stress response, etc. By comparing subpopulations of cultured ePCs to the publicly available primary endometrial cells, it was found that the main subpopulation identified from cultured ePCs was culture-unique which was unlike primary ePCs or primary endometrial stromal fibroblast cells. Conclusion In summary, these data for the first time provides a single-cell atlas of the cultured human CD140b+CD146+ ePCs. The identification of culture-unique relatively homogenous cell population of CD140b+CD146+ ePCs underscores the importance of in vivo microenvironment in maintaining cellular identity.

scholarly journals Cellular heterogeneity and lineage restriction during mouse digit tip regeneration at single cell resolution

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gemma L. Johnson ◽  
Erick J. Masias ◽  
Jessica A. Lehoczky
Keyword(s):  
Single Cell ◽  
Limb Regeneration ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Cellular Heterogeneity ◽  
Specific Gene ◽  
Genetic Lineage ◽  
Epimorphic Regeneration ◽  
Related Cell ◽  
Lower Vertebrates ◽  
Single Cell Rna Sequencing

ABSTRACTInnate regeneration following digit tip amputation is one of the few examples of epimorphic regeneration in mammals. Digit tip regeneration is mediated by the blastema, the same structure invoked during limb regeneration in some lower vertebrates. By genetic lineage analyses in mice, the digit tip blastema has been defined as a population of heterogeneous, lineage restricted progenitor cells. These previous studies, however, do not comprehensively evaluate blastema heterogeneity or address lineage restriction of closely related cell types. In this report we present single cell RNA sequencing of over 38,000 cells from mouse digit tip blastemas and unamputated control digit tips and generate an atlas of the cell types participating in digit tip regeneration. We define the differentiation trajectories of vascular, monocytic, and fibroblastic lineages over regeneration, and while our data confirm broad lineage restriction of progenitors, our analysis reveals an early blastema fibroblast population expressing a novel regeneration-specific gene, Mest.

scholarly journals Single-cell RNA sequencing confirms IgG transcription and limited diversity of VHDJH rearrangements in proximal tubular epithelial cells

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhenling Deng ◽  
Xinyao Wang ◽  
Yue Liu ◽  
Xinyu Tian ◽  
Shaohui Deng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Epithelial Cells ◽  
Single Cell ◽  
Rna Sequencing ◽  
Mesangial Cells ◽  
Gene Segment ◽  
Tubular Epithelial Cells ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Single Cell Rna Sequencing ◽  
Proximal Tubular Epithelial Cells ◽  
Proximal Tubular

AbstractIncreasing evidence has confirmed that immunoglobulins (Igs) can be expressed in non-B cells. Our previous work demonstrated that mesangial cells and podocytes express IgA and IgG, respectively. The aim of this work was to reveal whether proximal tubular epithelial cells (PTECs) express Igs. High-throughput single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) detected Igs in a small number of PTECs, and then we combined nested PCR with Sanger sequencing to detect the transcripts and characterize the repertoires of Igs in PTECs. We sorted PTECs from the normal renal cortex of two patients with renal cancer by FACS and further confirmed their identify by LRP2 gene expression. Only the transcripts of the IgG heavy chain were successfully amplified in 91/111 single PTECs. We cloned and sequenced 469 VHDJH transcripts from 91 single PTECs and found that PTEC-derived IgG exhibited classic VHDJH rearrangements with nucleotide additions at the junctions and somatic hypermutations. Compared with B cell-derived IgG, PTEC-derived IgG displayed less diversity of VHDJH rearrangements, predominant VH1-24/DH2-15/JH4 sequences, biased VH1 usage, centralized VH gene segment location at the 3′ end of the genome and non-Gaussian distribution of the CDR3 length. These results demonstrate that PTECs can express a distinct IgG repertoire that may have implications for their role in the renal tubular epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document