Dendritic-cell diversity in equine blood revealed by single-cell transcriptomics

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Cell Biology
• Veterinary Science

Background:

• Detailed classification of equine dendritic cells (DCs) is crucial for understanding their role in equine immune-mediated diseases.
• Existing knowledge on equine DC subsets requires further refinement for comprehensive research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To perform a detailed classification of equine dendritic cell (DC) subsets in blood.
• To establish a foundational resource for comparative immunology and the study of equine pathologies.

Main Methods:

• Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) was applied to enriched DC populations from equine blood.
• Key gene expression markers were used to identify and classify distinct DC subsets.

Main Results:

• Identification of major DC subsets including conventional DC type 1 (cDC1), conventional DC type 2 (cDC2), and plasmacytoid DC (pDC).
• Detection of hematopoietic progenitors, transitional DC (tDC), and putative DC type 3 (DC3).
• Confirmation of known equine DC phenotypes and discovery of two cDC2 subclusters (cDC2.1, cDC2.2) with distinct characteristics and potential functions.

Conclusions:

• An atlas of equine blood DCs was generated, serving as a valuable resource for comparative immunology.
• This classification provides a basis for investigating the involvement of specific DC subsets in equine infections and immune-mediated diseases.