Li Z, Sun C, Wang F, Wang X, Zhu J, Luo L, Ding X, Zhang Y, Ding P, Wang H, Pu M, Li Y, Wang S, Qin Q, Wei Y, Sun J, Wang X, Luo Y, Chen D, Qiu W. Molecular mechanisms governing circulating immune cell heterogeneity across different species revealed by single-cell sequencing.
Clin Transl Med 2022;
12:e689. [PMID:
35092700 PMCID:
PMC8800483 DOI:
10.1002/ctm2.689]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2021] [Revised: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Immune cells play important roles in mediating immune response and host defense against invading pathogens. However, insights into the molecular mechanisms governing circulating immune cell diversity among multiple species are limited.
METHODS
In this study, we compared the single-cell transcriptomes of immune cells from 12 species. Distinct molecular profiles were characterized for different immune cell types, including T cells, B cells, natural killer cells, monocytes, and dendritic cells.
RESULTS
Our data revealed the heterogeneity and compositions of circulating immune cells among 12 different species. Additionally, we explored the conserved and divergent cellular crosstalks and genetic regulatory networks among vertebrate immune cells. Notably, the ligand and receptor pair VIM-CD44 was highly conserved among the immune cells.
CONCLUSIONS
This study is the first to provide a comprehensive analysis of the cross-species single-cell transcriptome atlas for peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). This research should advance our understanding of the cellular taxonomy and fundamental functions of PBMCs, with important implications in evolutionary biology, developmental biology, and immune system disorders.
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