PLX002991

GSE149207: scRNA-seq of mouse thymocyte CD4 CD8 lineage choice and differentiation

• Organsim mouse
• Type RNASEQ
• Target gene
• Project ARCHS4

CD4 and CD8 identify helper and cytotoxic T cell lineages, and serve as co-receptors for MHC-restricted TCR recognition. Despite decades of investigation, questions remain about how TCR specificity and co-receptor gene expression are matched during T cell repertoire selection. Here we address the order and logic of CD4/CD8 lineage choice and differentiation by scRNA-seq. Maturation, activation, and lineage specification emerged as principle components, in this order. Co-receptor gene expression uncovered waves of Cd4+Cd8a+, Cd4+Cd8a- and Cd4-Cd8a+ selection intermediates and revealed gene expression programs associated with each pattern, including TCR- and cytokine signaling genes, lineage markers and transcription factors. While in the unperturbed thymus early Cd4+Cd8a+ selection intermediates were followed first by CD4-like Cd4+Cd8a- and later by CD8-like Cd4-Cd8a+ selection intermediates, the order of co-receptor gene expression was not inherently fixed. These data provide a benchmark for models of CD4/CD8 lineage choice, and a rich resource for interrogating T cell differentiation. SOURCE: LMS Bioinformatics Core (lms_bioinformatics@imperial.ac.uk) - MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences