After entry into lymph nodes (LNs), B cells migrate to follicles, whereas T cells remain in the paracortex, with each lymphocyte type showing apparently random migration within these distinct areas. Other than chemokines, the factors contributing to this spatial segregation and to the observed patterns of lymphocyte movement are poorly characterized. By combining confocal, electron, and intravital microscopy, we showed that the fibroblastic reticular cell network regulated naive T cell access to the paracortex and also supported and defined the limits of T cell movement within this domain, whereas a distinct follicular dendritic cell network similarly served as the substratum for movement of follicular B cells. These results highlight the central role of stromal microanatomy in orchestrating cell migration within the LN.
Rationale:The respiratory tract constitutes an elaborated line of defense based on a unique cellular ecosystem. Single-cell profiling methods enable the investigation of cell population distributions and transcriptional changes along the airways.
Methods:We have explored cellular heterogeneity of the human airway epithelium in 10 healthy living volunteers by single-cell RNA profiling. 77,969 cells were collected by bronchoscopy at 35 distinct locations, from the nose to the 12 th division of the airway tree.
Results:The resulting atlas is composed of a high percentage of epithelial cells (89.1%), but also immune (6.2%) and stromal (4.7%) cells with peculiar cellular proportions in different sites of the airways. It reveals differential gene expression between identical cell types (suprabasal, secretory, and multiciliated cells) from the nose (MUC4, PI3, SIX3) and tracheobronchial (SCGB1A1, TFF3) airways. By contrast, cell-type specific gene expression was stable across all tracheobronchial samples. Our atlas improves the description of ionocytes, pulmonary neuroendocrine (PNEC) and brush cells, which are likely derived from a common population of precursor cells. We also report a population of KRT13 positive cells with a high percentage of dividing cells which are reminiscent of "hillock" cells previously described in mouse.Conclusions: Robust characterization of this unprecedented large single-cell cohort establishes an important resource for future investigations. The precise description of the continuum existing from nasal epithelium to successive divisions of lung airways and the stable gene expression profile of these regions better defines conditions under which relevant tracheobronchial proxies of human respiratory diseases can be developed.
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