Chromatin Remodeling and Transcriptional Silencing Define the Dynamic Innate Immune Response of Tissue Resident Macrophages After Burn Injury.

ABSTRACT: Severe burn injury induces long-lasting immune dysfunction, but the molecular mechanisms underlying this phenomenon remain unclear. We hypothesized that burn injury leads to epigenetic and transcriptional reprogramming of innate immune cells. Splenic F4/80⁺ macrophages were isolated from mice at days 2, 9, and 14 days post-20% contact burn injury. Targeted transcriptomics and MAPit single-molecule chromatin profiling were used to assess immune, metabolic, and epigenetic changes. Canonical pathway analysis was performed to infer functional shifts over time. Burn injury induced a biphasic response in macrophages. Early after injury (Day 2), there was broad transcriptional suppression and epigenetic silencing of inflammatory regulators, including Stat3, Traf6, and Nfkb1.

SUBMITTER: Kim HG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12139774 | biostudies-literature | 2025 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature