Hundreds of immune cell types work in coordination to maintain tissue homeostasis. Upon infection, dramatic changes occur with the localization, migration and proliferation of the immune cells to first alert the body of the danger, confine it to limit spreading, and finally extinguish the threat and bring the tissue back to homeostasis. Since current technologies can follow the dynamics of only a limited number of cell types, we have yet to grasp the full complexity of global in vivo cell dynamics in normal developmental processes and disease. Here we devise a computational method, digital cell quantification (DCQ), which combines genomewide gene expression data with an immune cell compendium to infer in vivo dynamical changes in the quantities of 213 immune cell subpopulations. DCQ was applied to study global immune cell dynamics in mice lungs at ten time points during a 7-day time course of flu infection. We find dramatic changes in quantities of 70 immune cell types, including various innate, adaptive and progenitor immune cells. We focus on the previously unreported dynamics of four immune dendritic cell subtypes, and suggest a specific role for CD103+CD11b- cDCs in early stages of disease and CD8+ pDC in late stages of flu infection. Overall design: To study pathogenesis of Influenza infection, C57BL/6 mice (5 weeks) were infected intranasally with 4x103 PFU of influenza PR8 virus. We measured using RNA-Seq global gene expression in lung tissue at ten time points during a 7-day time course of infection, two infected individuals in each time point and four un-infected individuals as control. The lung organ was removed and transferred immediately into RNA Latter solution (Invitrogen).
Digital cell quantification identifies global immune cell dynamics during influenza infection.
Age, Specimen part, Cell line, Subject, Time
View SamplesHundreds of immune cell types work in coordination to maintain tissue homeostasis. Upon infection, dramatic changes occur with the localization, migration and proliferation of the immune cells to first alert the body of the danger, confine it to limit spreading, and finally extinguish the threat and bring the tissue back to homeostasis. Since current technologies can follow the dynamics of only a limited number of cell types, we have yet to grasp the full complexity of global in vivo cell dynamics in normal developmental processes and disease. Here we devise a computational method, digital cell quantification (DCQ), which combines genomewide gene expression data with an immune cell compendium to infer in vivo dynamical changes in the quantities of 213 immune cell subpopulations. DCQ was applied to study global immune cell dynamics in mice lungs at ten time points during a 7-day time course of flu infection. We find dramatic changes in quantities of 70 immune cell types, including various innate, adaptive and progenitor immune cells. We focus on the previously unreported dynamics of four immune dendritic cell subtypes, and suggest a specific role for CD103+CD11b- cDCs in early stages of disease and CD8+ pDC in late stages of flu infection. Overall design: To better understand the physiological role of these differential dynamic changes in the DCs, we measured the genome-wide RNA expression of all four DC subpopulations from lung of influenza infected mice at four time points following infections (two mice per time-point). For sorting dendritic cells from lungs, the lungs from infected and control uninfected C57BL/6J mice were immersed in cold PBS, cut into small pieces in 5 ml DMEM media containing 10% Bovine Fetal Serum, the cell suspensions were grinded using 1ml syringe cup on a 70 µm cell strainers (BD Falcon). The cells were washed with ice cold PBS. Remaining red blood cells were lysed using ammonium chloride solution (Sigma). Cells were harvested, immersed 1ml FACS buffer [PBS+2% FBS, 1mM EDTA], Fc receptors were blocked with anti-mouse CD16/CD32, washed with FACS buffer and divided into two tubes for sorting cDC and pDC cells.
Digital cell quantification identifies global immune cell dynamics during influenza infection.
Age, Specimen part, Cell line, Subject, Time
View SamplesSingle-cell expression profiling is a rich resource of cellular heterogeneity. While profiling every sample under study is advantageous, such workflow is time consuming and costly. We devised CPM - a deconvolution algorithm in which cellular heterogeneity is inferred from bulk expression data based on pre-existing collection of single-cell RNA-seq profiles. We applied CPM to investigate individual variation in heterogeneity of murine lung cells during in vivo influenza virus infection, revealing that the relations between cell quantities and clinical outcomes varies in a gradual manner along the cellular activation process. Validation experiments confirmed these gradual changes along the cellular activation trajectory. Additional analysis suggests that clinical outcomes relate to the rate of cell activation at the early stages of this process. These findings demonstrate the utility of CPM as a mapping deconvolution tool at single-cell resolution, and highlight the importance of such fine cell landscape for understanding diversity of clinical outcomes. Overall design: Lungs gene expression of Collaborative Cross mice taken 48h after the infection with either the influenza virus or PBS.
Cell composition analysis of bulk genomics using single-cell data.
Specimen part, Subject, Time
View SamplesThe balance between protecting tissue integrity and efficient immune response is critical for host survival. Here we investigate the role of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteolysis in achieving this balance in the lung during influenza virus infection using a combined genomic and proteomic approach. We followed the transcriptional dynamics and ECM- related responses in a mouse model of influenza virus infection, integrated with whole tissue imaging and functional assays. Our study identifies MT1-MMP as a prominent host-ECM-remodeling collagenase in influenza virus infection. We show that selective inhibition of MT1-MMP-driven ECM proteolysis protects the tissue from infection-related structural and compositional damage. Inhibition of MT1-MMP did not significantly alter the immune response or cytokine expression, indicating its dominant role in ECM remodeling. We demonstrate that the available treatment for influenza virus (Tamiflu/ Oseltamivir) does not prevent lung ECM damage and is less effective than anti-MT1-MMP treatment in influenza virus and Streptococcus pneumoniae coinfection paradigms. Importantly, combination therapy of Tamiflu with anti-MT1-MMP shows a strong synergistic effect and results in complete recovery in mice. This study highlights the importance of tissue tolerance agents for surviving infectious diseases, and the potential of such host-pathogen therapy combination for respiratory infections. Overall design: Overall 8 samples were included, in duplicates, both infected and non-infected control cells were includeda. Both MT1-MMP positive and MT1-MMP negative were tested were non-infectdd, MT1-MMP negative cells served as controls.
Extracellular Matrix Proteolysis by MT1-MMP Contributes to Influenza-Related Tissue Damage and Mortality.
Specimen part, Cell line, Treatment, Subject
View SamplesOcular immune privilege (IP) limits immune surveillance of intraocular tumors as certain immunogenic tumor cell lines (P815, E.G7-OVA) that are rejected when transplanted in the skin grow progressively when placed in the anterior chamber (a.c.) of the eye. As splenectomy (SPLNX) is known to terminate ocular IP, we characterized immune mechanisms responsible for spontaneous rejection of intraocular tumors in SPLNX mice as a first step toward identifying how to restore tumoricidal activity within the eye. Microarray data showed a 3-fold increase in interferon (IFN)- and a 2.7-fold increase in Fas ligand (FasL). There was a robust increase in transcripts (127 of 408 surveyed) from interferon (IFN)-stimulated genes and a marked decrease (in 40 of 192 surveyed) in the expression of cell-cycle-associated genes. Non-microarray data confirmed that IFN, FasL and CD8+ T cells but not perforin or TNF were required for elimination of intraocular E.G7-OVA tumors that culminated in destruction of the eye (ocular phthsis). IFN and FasL did not target tumor cells directly as the majority of SPLNX IFNR1-/- mice and Fas-defective lpr mice failed to eliminate ocular E.G7-OVA tumors that expressed Fas and IFNR1. Bone marrow chimeras showed that immune cell expression of IFNR1 and Fas was critical and that SPLNX increased the frequency of activated macrophages within ocular tumors in an IFN- and Fas/FasL-dependent manner. Rejection of intraocular tumors was associated with increased ocular mRNA expression of several inflammatory genes including FasL, NOS2, CXCL2 and T-bet. Our data support a model in which IFN- and Fas/FasL-dependent activation of intratumoral macrophage by CD8+ T cells promotes severe intraocular inflammation that indirectly eliminates intraocular tumors by inducing phthisis. The immunosuppressive mechanisms which maintain ocular IP likely interfere with the interaction between CD8+ T cells and macrophage to limit immunosurveillance of intraocular tumors.
Splenectomy promotes indirect elimination of intraocular tumors by CD8+ T cells that is associated with IFNγ- and Fas/FasL-dependent activation of intratumoral macrophages.
Specimen part, Treatment
View SamplesNGS was used in order to discover novel downstream targets of the miR-17-92/106b clusters. Overall design: Comperasion of gene expression from miR-17-92/106b KO and control
miR-17-92 and miR-106b-25 clusters regulate beta cell mitotic checkpoint and insulin secretion in mice.
Specimen part, Cell line, Subject
View SamplesNeurons in the arcuate nucleus (ARC) sense the fed/fasted state and regulate hunger. ARCAgRP neurons release GABA, NPY and the melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) antagonist, AgRP, and are activated by fasting1-4. When stimulated, they rapidly and potently drive hunger5,6. ARCPOMC neurons, in contrast, release the MC4R agonist, a-MSH, and are viewed as the counterpoint to ARCAgRP neurons. They are regulated in an opposite fashion and their activity leads to decreased hunger2,4,7. Together, ARCAgRP and ARCPOMC neurons constitute the ARC feeding center. Against this, however, is the finding that ARCPOMC neurons, unlike ARCAgRP neurons, fail to affect food intake over the timescale of minutes to hours following opto- or chemogenetic stimulation5,8. This suggests a rapidly acting component of the ARC satiety pathway is missing. Here, we show that excitatory ARC neurons identified by expression of vesicular glutamate transporter 2 (VGLUT2) and the oxytocin receptor, unlike ARCPOMC neurons, rapidly cause satiety when chemo- or optogenetically manipulated. These glutamatergic ARC projections synaptically converge with GABAergic ARCAgRP projections on MC4R-expressing neurons in the paraventricular hypothalamus (PVHMC4R neurons), which are known to mediate satiety9. ARCPOMC neurons also send dense projections to the PVH. Importantly, the a-MSH they release post-synaptically potentiates glutamatergic synaptic activity onto PVHMC4R neurons – including that emanating from ARCVglut2 neurons. This suggests a means by which a-MSH can bring about satiety – via postsynaptic potentiation of this novel ARCVglut2 to PVHMC4R satiety circuit. Thus, while fast (GABA and NPY) and slow (AgRP) ARC hunger signals are delivered together by ARCAgRP neurons10,11, the temporally analogous satiety signals from the ARC, glutamate and a-MSH, are delivered separately by two parallel, interacting projections (from ARCVGLUT2 and ARCPOMC neurons). Discovery of this rapidly acting excitatory ARC ? PVH satiety circuit, and its regulation by a-MSH, provides new insight into regulation of hunger/satiety. Overall design: 23 samples representing single neurons dissociated from the arcuate hypothalamus of two young adult male vGLUT2-IRES-Cre mice
A rapidly acting glutamatergic ARC→PVH satiety circuit postsynaptically regulated by α-MSH.
Specimen part, Cell line, Subject
View SamplesIn multigravidae, a specific dNK cell population characterized by NKG2CBright expression is expanded, suggesting that this reflects a population of memory dNK generated during the first pregnancy. Purpose: To gain further insight into the transcriptome profile of the expanded memory NKG2CBright dNK population found only in multigravida decidua samples Overall design: Flow cytometry based dNK cell sorting (based on CD56 and NKG2C) was done in order to purify CD56PosCD3NegCD16NegNKG2CBright and CD56PosCD3NegCD16NegNKG2CNeg subsets.
Trained Memory of Human Uterine NK Cells Enhances Their Function in Subsequent Pregnancies.
Specimen part, Subject
View SamplesWe use mice containing a gene trap in the first intron of the Rest gene, which effectively eliminates transcription from all coding exons, to prematurely remove REST from neural progenitors. We find catastrophic DNA damage that occurs during S-phase of the cell cycle and concominant with activation of p53 pro-apoptotic sgnalling, with consequences including abnormal chromosome separation, apoptosis, and smaller brains.
The REST remodeling complex protects genomic integrity during embryonic neurogenesis.
Specimen part
View SamplesWe use mice containing a gene trap in the first intron of the Rest gene, which effectively eliminates transcription from all coding exons, to prematurely remove REST from neural progenitors. We find catastrophic DNA damage that occurs during S-phase of the cell cycle, with consequences including abnormal chromosome separation, apoptosis, and smaller brains. Further support for persistent effects is the latent appearance of proneural glioblastomas in adult mice also lacking the tumor suppressor, p53. A Rest deficient mouse line generated previously, using a conventional gene targeting approach, does not exhibit these phenotypes, likely due to a remaining C terminal peptide that still binds chromatin and recruits REST chromatin modifiers.Our results indicate that REST-mediated chromatin remodeling is required for proper S-phase dynamics, prior to its well-established role in relieving repression of neuronal genes at terminal differentiation.
The REST remodeling complex protects genomic integrity during embryonic neurogenesis.
Specimen part
View Samples