Single-cell transcriptional responses of T cells during microsporidia infection

Abstract T cells have been reported to play critical roles in preventing of microsporidia dissemination. However, there roles and functions of each subset remain unclear. Here in the study, we performed a thorough analysis of murine splenic T-cell response analysis via single-cell RNA sequencing dur...

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Main Authors: Yunlin Tang, Lu Cao, Jiangyan Jin, Tangxin Li, Yebo Chen, Yishan Lu, Tian Li, Louis M. Weiss, Guoqing Pan, Jialing Bao, Zeyang Zhou
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-04-01
Series:Communications Biology
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-07990-4
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author Yunlin Tang
Lu Cao
Jiangyan Jin
Tangxin Li
Yebo Chen
Yishan Lu
Tian Li
Louis M. Weiss
Guoqing Pan
Jialing Bao
Zeyang Zhou
author_facet Yunlin Tang
Lu Cao
Jiangyan Jin
Tangxin Li
Yebo Chen
Yishan Lu
Tian Li
Louis M. Weiss
Guoqing Pan
Jialing Bao
Zeyang Zhou
author_sort Yunlin Tang
collection DOAJ
description Abstract T cells have been reported to play critical roles in preventing of microsporidia dissemination. However, there roles and functions of each subset remain unclear. Here in the study, we performed a thorough analysis of murine splenic T-cell response analysis via single-cell RNA sequencing during microsporidia E. cuniculi infection. We demonstrated that Type I T helper (Th1) cells, T follicular helper (Tfh) cells, effector CD8 + T cells and proliferating CD8 + T cells were activated and expanded after infection. Activated Th1 cells and Tfh cells presented significantly upregulated gene expression of Ifng and Il21, respectively. A subcluster of Th1 cells with high Csf1 expression was detected after infection. Subsets of activated CD8 + T cells were markedly enriched with high expression of cytotoxic-function related genes such as Gzma and Gzmb, whereas some active CD8 T cells were enriched with proliferation-function related genes Mki67 and Stmn1. Other subsets of T cells including NK T cells, Myb+ T cells, γδ T cells and Cxcr6+ T cells, were also analyzed in this study yet no expansion was observed. In summary, our findings provide in-depth and comprehensive insights into T-cell responses during microsporidia infection, which will be valuable for further investigations.
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spelling doaj-art-70b5e6085246417eb16ffca6e1e172e22025-08-20T03:07:44ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Biology2399-36422025-04-018111010.1038/s42003-025-07990-4Single-cell transcriptional responses of T cells during microsporidia infectionYunlin Tang0Lu Cao1Jiangyan Jin2Tangxin Li3Yebo Chen4Yishan Lu5Tian Li6Louis M. Weiss7Guoqing Pan8Jialing Bao9Zeyang Zhou10State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest UniversityState Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest UniversityState Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest UniversityState Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest UniversityState Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest UniversityState Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest UniversityState Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest UniversityDepartment of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of MedicineState Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest UniversityState Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest UniversityState Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest UniversityAbstract T cells have been reported to play critical roles in preventing of microsporidia dissemination. However, there roles and functions of each subset remain unclear. Here in the study, we performed a thorough analysis of murine splenic T-cell response analysis via single-cell RNA sequencing during microsporidia E. cuniculi infection. We demonstrated that Type I T helper (Th1) cells, T follicular helper (Tfh) cells, effector CD8 + T cells and proliferating CD8 + T cells were activated and expanded after infection. Activated Th1 cells and Tfh cells presented significantly upregulated gene expression of Ifng and Il21, respectively. A subcluster of Th1 cells with high Csf1 expression was detected after infection. Subsets of activated CD8 + T cells were markedly enriched with high expression of cytotoxic-function related genes such as Gzma and Gzmb, whereas some active CD8 T cells were enriched with proliferation-function related genes Mki67 and Stmn1. Other subsets of T cells including NK T cells, Myb+ T cells, γδ T cells and Cxcr6+ T cells, were also analyzed in this study yet no expansion was observed. In summary, our findings provide in-depth and comprehensive insights into T-cell responses during microsporidia infection, which will be valuable for further investigations.https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-07990-4
spellingShingle Yunlin Tang
Lu Cao
Jiangyan Jin
Tangxin Li
Yebo Chen
Yishan Lu
Tian Li
Louis M. Weiss
Guoqing Pan
Jialing Bao
Zeyang Zhou
Single-cell transcriptional responses of T cells during microsporidia infection
Communications Biology
title Single-cell transcriptional responses of T cells during microsporidia infection
title_full Single-cell transcriptional responses of T cells during microsporidia infection
title_fullStr Single-cell transcriptional responses of T cells during microsporidia infection
title_full_unstemmed Single-cell transcriptional responses of T cells during microsporidia infection
title_short Single-cell transcriptional responses of T cells during microsporidia infection
title_sort single cell transcriptional responses of t cells during microsporidia infection
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-07990-4
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