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Updated: Jun 14, 2026
Single-cell Gene Expression Using Multiplex RT-qPCR to Characterize Heterogeneity of Rare Lymphoid Populations
Published on: January 19, 2017
Unveiling genetic signatures of immune response in immune-related diseases through single-cell eQTL analysis across
Zhenhua Zhang1,2, Wenchao Li1,2, Qiuyao Zhan1,2
1Department of Computational Biology for Individualised Infection Medicine, Centre for Individualised Infection Medicine (CiiM), a joint venture between the Helmholtz-Centre for Infection Research (HZI) and the Hannover Medical School (MHH), Hannover, Germany.
Abstract:
Deciphering the intricate regulatory mechanisms underlying biological processes holds promise for elucidating how genetic variants contribute to immune-related disorders. We map genetic effects on gene expression (expression quantitative trait locus, eQTL) using single-cell transcriptomes of 152 samples from 38 healthy individuals, covering baseline state and lipopolysaccharide challenge either before or after Bacillus Calmette-Guerin vaccination. Interestingly, we uncover a monocyte eQTL linked to the LCP1, shedding light on inter-individual variations in trained immunity. Furthermore, we elucidate genetic and epigenetic regulatory networks of CD55 and SLFN5. Of note, our results support the pivotal roles of SLFN5 in COVID-19 pathogenesis by incorporating disease-associated loci, chromatin accessibility, and transcription factor binding affinities, aligning with the established functions of SLFN5 in restricting virus replication during viral infection. Our study provides a paradigm to decipher genetic underpinnings of complex traits by integrating single-cell eQTLs with multi-omics data from patients and public databases.
