Single-cell RNA-seq reveals CD16- monocytes as key regulators of human monocyte transcriptional response to Toxoplasma

Sci Rep. 2020 Dec 3;10(1):21047. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-78250-0.

Abstract

Monocytes are among the major myeloid cells that respond to Toxoplasma, a ubiquitous foodborne that infects ≥ 1 billion people worldwide, in human peripheral blood. As such, a molecular understanding of human monocyte-Toxoplasma interactions can expedite the development of novel human toxoplasmosis control strategies. Current molecular studies on monocyte-Toxoplasma interactions are based on average cell or parasite responses across bulk cell populations. Although informative, population-level averages of monocyte responses to Toxoplasma have sometimes produced contradictory results, such as whether CCL2 or IL12 define effective monocyte responses to the parasite. Here, we used single-cell dual RNA sequencing (scDual-Seq) to comprehensively define, for the first time, the monocyte and parasite transcriptional responses that underpin human monocyte-Toxoplasma encounters at the single cell level. We report extreme transcriptional variability between individual monocytes. Furthermore, we report that Toxoplasma-exposed and unexposed monocytes are transcriptionally distinguished by a reactive subset of CD14+CD16- monocytes. Functional cytokine assays on sorted monocyte populations show that the infection-distinguishing monocytes secrete high levels of chemokines, such as CCL2 and CXCL5. These findings uncover the Toxoplasma-induced monocyte transcriptional heterogeneity and shed new light on the cell populations that largely define cytokine and chemokine secretion in human monocytes exposed to Toxoplasma.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cells, Cultured
  • Humans
  • Monocytes / metabolism*
  • RNA-Seq
  • Receptors, IgG / genetics
  • Receptors, IgG / metabolism
  • Single-Cell Analysis
  • Toxoplasmosis / genetics
  • Toxoplasmosis / metabolism*
  • Transcriptome*

Substances

  • Receptors, IgG