Natural killer (NK) cells are innate-like lymphocytes that belong to the family of type-1 innate lymphoid cells and rapidly respond to virus-infected and tumor cells. In this study, we have combined scRNA-seq data and bulk RNA-seq data to define the phenotypic and molecular characteristics of peripheral blood NK cells. While the role of NK cells in immune surveillance against virus infections and tumors has been well established, their contribution to protective responses to other intracellular microorganisms, such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), is still poorly understood. In this study, we have combined scRNA-seq data and bulk RNA-seq data to illuminate the molecular characteristics of circulating NK cells in patients with active tuberculosis (TB) disease and subjects with latent Mtb infection (LTBI) and compared these characteristics with those of healthy donors (HDs) and patients with non-TB other pulmonary infectious diseases (ODs). We show here that the NK cell cluster was significantly increased in LTBI subjects, as compared to patients with active TB or other non-TB pulmonary diseases and HD, and this was mostly attributable to the expansion of an NK cell population expressing KLRC2, CD52, CCL5 and HLA-DRB1, which most likely corresponds to memory-like NK2.1 cells. These data were validated by flow cytometry analysis in a small cohort of samples, showing that LTBI subjects have a significant expansion of NK cells characterized by the prevalence of memory-like CD52+ NKG2C+ NK cells. Altogether, our results provide some new information on the role of NK cells in protective immune responses to Mtb.

Mojtaba Shekarkar Azgomi, G.D.B. (2024). Integrated Analysis of Single-Cell and Bulk RNA Sequencing Data Reveals Memory-like NK Cell Subset Associated with Mycobacterium tuberculosis Latency. CELLS, 13(4) [10.3390/cells13040293].

Integrated Analysis of Single-Cell and Bulk RNA Sequencing Data Reveals Memory-like NK Cell Subset Associated with Mycobacterium tuberculosis Latency

Mojtaba Shekarkar Azgomi
Formal Analysis
;
Giusto Davide Badami
Investigation
;
Marianna Lo Pizzo
Investigation
;
Bartolo Tamburini
Data Curation
;
Costanza Dieli;Marco Pio La Manna
Writing – Original Draft Preparation
;
Francesco Dieli
Conceptualization
;
Nadia Caccamo
Supervision
2024-02-06

Abstract

Natural killer (NK) cells are innate-like lymphocytes that belong to the family of type-1 innate lymphoid cells and rapidly respond to virus-infected and tumor cells. In this study, we have combined scRNA-seq data and bulk RNA-seq data to define the phenotypic and molecular characteristics of peripheral blood NK cells. While the role of NK cells in immune surveillance against virus infections and tumors has been well established, their contribution to protective responses to other intracellular microorganisms, such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), is still poorly understood. In this study, we have combined scRNA-seq data and bulk RNA-seq data to illuminate the molecular characteristics of circulating NK cells in patients with active tuberculosis (TB) disease and subjects with latent Mtb infection (LTBI) and compared these characteristics with those of healthy donors (HDs) and patients with non-TB other pulmonary infectious diseases (ODs). We show here that the NK cell cluster was significantly increased in LTBI subjects, as compared to patients with active TB or other non-TB pulmonary diseases and HD, and this was mostly attributable to the expansion of an NK cell population expressing KLRC2, CD52, CCL5 and HLA-DRB1, which most likely corresponds to memory-like NK2.1 cells. These data were validated by flow cytometry analysis in a small cohort of samples, showing that LTBI subjects have a significant expansion of NK cells characterized by the prevalence of memory-like CD52+ NKG2C+ NK cells. Altogether, our results provide some new information on the role of NK cells in protective immune responses to Mtb.
6-feb-2024
Mojtaba Shekarkar Azgomi, G.D.B. (2024). Integrated Analysis of Single-Cell and Bulk RNA Sequencing Data Reveals Memory-like NK Cell Subset Associated with Mycobacterium tuberculosis Latency. CELLS, 13(4) [10.3390/cells13040293].
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/10447/669571
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