Pluto Bioinformatics

GSE115904: Unique transcriptional architecture in airway epithelial cells and macrophages shapes distinct responses following influenza virus infection ex vivo.

Bulk RNA sequencing

Airway epithelial cells and macrophages differ markedly in their responses to influenza A virus (IAV) infection. To investigate transcriptional responses underlying these differences, purified subsets of type II airway epithelial cells (ATII) and alveolar macrophages (AM) recovered from the lungs of mock- or IAV-infected mice were subjected to RNA sequencing. In the absence of infection, AM predominantly expressed genes related to immunity whereas ATII expressed genes consistent with their physiological roles in the lung. Following IAV infection, AM almost exclusively activated cell-intrinsic antiviral pathways that were dependent on interferon regulatory factor (IRF)3/7 and/or type I interferon (IFN) signaling. In contrast, IAV-infected ATII activated a broader range of physiological responses, including cell-intrinsic antiviral pathways, which were both independent and dependent on IRF3/7 and/or type I IFN. These data suggest that transcriptional profiles hardwired during development could be a major determinant underlying the different responses of ATII and AM to IAV infection. SOURCE: Joel,Zhi-Iong,Ma (intuitivelogic.au@gmail.com) - University of Melbourne