scDual-Seq of Toxoplasma gondii-infected mouse BMDCs reveals heterogeneity and differential infection dynamics.
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Hildebrandt F, Mohammed M, Dziedziech A, Bhandage AK, Divne AM, Barrenäs F, Barragan A, Henriksson J, Ankarklev J
Front Immunol 14 (-) 1224591 [2023-07-27; online 2023-07-27]
Dendritic cells and macrophages are integral parts of the innate immune system and gatekeepers against infection. The protozoan pathogen, Toxoplasma gondii, is known to hijack host immune cells and modulate their immune response, making it a compelling model to study host-pathogen interactions. Here we utilize single cell Dual RNA-seq to parse out heterogeneous transcription of mouse bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) infected with two distinct genotypes of T. gondii parasites, over multiple time points post infection. We show that the BMDCs elicit differential responses towards T. gondii infection and that the two parasite lineages distinctly manipulate subpopulations of infected BMDCs. Co-expression networks define host and parasite genes, with implications for modulation of host immunity. Integrative analysis validates previously established immune pathways and additionally, suggests novel candidate genes involved in host-pathogen interactions. Altogether, this study provides a comprehensive resource for characterizing host-pathogen interplay at high-resolution.
Bioinformatics Support for Computational Resources [Service]
Microbial Single Cell Genomics [Technology development]
NGI Stockholm (Genomics Production) [Service]
National Genomics Infrastructure [Service]
PubMed 37575232
DOI 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1224591
Crossref 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1224591