Exploring Immune Cell Diversity in the Lacrimal Glands of Healthy Mice: A Single-Cell RNA-Sequencing Atlas

The lacrimal gland is responsible for maintaining the health of the ocular surface through the production of tears. However, our understanding of the immune system within the lacrimal gland is currently limited. Therefore, in this study, we utilized single-cell RNA sequencing and bioinformatic analy...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of molecular sciences 2024-01, Vol.25 (2), p.1208
Main Authors: Fan, Qiwei, Yan, Ruyu, Li, Yan, Lu, Liyuan, Liu, Jiangman, Li, Senmao, Fu, Ting, Xue, Yunxia, Liu, Jun, Li, Zhijie
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis
Antigen presenting cells
Antigens
Cluster analysis
Dendritic cells
Exocrine glands
extraorbital lacrimal gland
Gene expression
Genomics
Homeostasis
immune cells
Immunology
Lacrimal Apparatus - pathology
Lymphocytes
mouse
Pathogens
Physiology
RNA
RNA - metabolism
RNA sequencing
single-cell sequencing
T cells
T-Lymphocytes
Tears - metabolism
transcriptomics
Citations: Items that this one cites
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The lacrimal gland is responsible for maintaining the health of the ocular surface through the production of tears. However, our understanding of the immune system within the lacrimal gland is currently limited. Therefore, in this study, we utilized single-cell RNA sequencing and bioinformatic analysis to identify and analyze immune cells and molecules present in the lacrimal glands of normal mice. A total of 34,891 cells were obtained from the lacrimal glands of mice and classified into 18 distinct cell clusters using Seurat clustering. Within these cell populations, 26 different immune cell subpopulations were identified, including T cells, innate lymphocytes, macrophages, mast cells, dendritic cells, and B cells. Network analysis revealed complex cell-cell interactions between these immune cells, with particularly significant interactions observed among T cells, macrophages, plasma cells, and dendritic cells. Interestingly, T cells were found to be the main source of ligands for the Thy1 signaling pathway, while M2 macrophages were identified as the primary target of this pathway. Moreover, some of these immune cells were validated using immunohistological techniques. Collectively, these findings highlight the abundance and interactions of immune cells and provide valuable insights into the complexity of the lacrimal gland immune system and its relevance to associated diseases.
ISSN:1422-0067
1661-6596
1422-0067
DOI:10.3390/ijms25021208