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Characterization of Human Monocyte Subsets by Whole Blood Flow Cytometry Analysis
Published on: October 17, 2018
Comparison of gene expression profiles between human and mouse monocyte subsets
Molly A Ingersoll1, Rainer Spanbroek, Claudio Lottaz
1Department of Gene and Cell Medicine and Immunology Institute, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
Blood
|December 8, 2009
Summary
Human and mouse blood share conserved monocyte subsets, but species-specific gene expression differences exist. These findings highlight conserved and divergent immune cell functions between humans and mice, crucial for disease modeling.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Comparative genomics
- Cell biology
Background:
- Blood contains two main monocyte subsets in both humans and mice.
- Understanding the similarities and differences between these subsets is crucial for comparative immunology and disease modeling.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the extent of similarity between human and mouse monocyte subsets.
- To identify conserved and divergent gene expression patterns.
Main Methods:
- Microarray analysis was used to compare gene expression profiles.
- Differential gene expression was analyzed with a 2-fold change threshold.
- Cell surface protein expression was confirmed experimentally.
Main Results:
- Over 130 differentially expressed genes between monocyte subsets were conserved between humans and mice.
- Some molecules, like CD36, CD9, and TREM-1, showed converse expression.
- Mouse monocytes displayed a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) signature absent in humans, with opposing phagocytic receptor patterns.
Conclusions:
- Human and mouse monocyte subsets are broadly conserved at the gene expression level.
- Significant species-specific differences, including PPARgamma expression and phagocytic receptor patterns, exist.
- These differences necessitate careful consideration when using mouse models for human disease research.
