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Trajectory analysis quantifies transcriptional plasticity during macrophage polarization
Serena X Liu1, Heather H Gustafson2,3, Dana L Jackson1
1Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
Scientific Reports
|July 25, 2020
Summary
Macrophages do not retain memory of past polarization states. Their current transcriptional phenotype is determined by the immediate microenvironment, not prior M1 or M2 states.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Cell Biology
- Transcriptomics
Background:
- Macrophages exhibit significant plasticity, adapting to various in vitro and in vivo conditions.
- The existence of persistent memory in macrophage polarization states remains an open question.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether macrophages retain a memory of past polarization states (M1/M2) after subsequent repolarization.
- To determine if macrophage transcriptional phenotypes are influenced by historical polarization or the current microenvironment.
Main Methods:
- Deep transcriptomic profiling of macrophages at high temporal resolution.
- Analysis of global transcriptomic profiles using trajectory analysis during M1 and M2 polarization and repolarization.
Main Results:
- Macrophages repolarized from M1 to M2, and vice versa, showed minimal to no memory of their prior polarization history.
- Macrophage transcriptional phenotypes were found to be dictated by the current cellular microenvironment.
Conclusions:
- Macrophage polarization is highly dynamic and responsive to the immediate environment.
- Macrophages lack a persistent memory of past polarization states, enabling complete repolarization.
