Cellular and transcriptome signatures unveiled by single-cell RNA-Seq following ex vivo infection of murine splenocytes with Borrelia burgdorferi

In this study, we used single-cell RNA-Seq analysis in conjunction with mouse genomics exploiting GFP-expressing Bb to sort GFP+ splenocytes and GFP− bystander cells to uncover novel molecular and cellular signatures that contribute to early stages of immune responses against Bb.ResultsThese data decoded the heterogeneity of splenic neutrophils, macrophages, NK cells, B cells, and T cells in C3H/HeN mice in response to Bb infection. Increased mRNA abundance of apoptosis-related genes was observed in neutrophils and macrophages clustered from GFP+ splenocytes. Moreover, complement-mediated phagocytosis-related genes such as C1q and Ficolin were elevated in an inflammatory macrophage subset, suggesting upregulation of these genes during the interaction of macrophages with Bb-infected neutrophils. In addition, the role of DUSP1 in regulating the expression of Casp3 and pro-inflammatory cytokines Cxcl1, Cxcl2, Il1b, and Ccl5 in Bb-infected neutrophils were identified.DiscussionThese findings serve as a growing catalog of cell phenotypes/biomarkers among murine splenocytes that can be exploited for limiting spirochetal burden to limit the transmission of the agent of Lyme disease to humans via reservoir hosts.
Source: Frontiers in Immunology - Category: Allergy & Immunology Source Type: research