Project description:Many lung diseases involve alterations in the cellular identity of the lung epithelium. Improved insight into airway development and the changes to cellular identity that result from abnormal signaling may therefore improve understanding of the etiology of these complex diseases. We have previously described a protocol to generate epithelial airway spheres from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), but still poorly understand the identity, development, and heterogeneity of these early airway cells. Here we use novel murine and human PSC lines to study developing secretory cells derived in vitro from hPSCs. Using an SCGB3A2CherryPicker (SC) reporter system together with population-based or single-cell global transcriptomic profiling we track, purify, and analyze hPSC-derived putative secretory airway progenitors and find that SC+ cells are enriched for expression of airway epithelial markers, including secretory cell markers, SCGB3A2 and SCGB1A1. Unexpectedly, some SC+ human cells also co-express distal type 2 cell genes, including SFTPC, ABCA3, NAPSA, CTSH and functional lamellar bodies, suggesting a significant level of plasticity within the hPSC-derived secretory population relative to concurrently generated proximal airway TP63+ cells or distal alveolar SFTPC+ cells. We establish that this plasticity is minimized by inhibiting low levels of endogenous canonical Wnt signaling post-lung specification, thus depleting the co-expressed type 2 cell program. Taken together, these findings suggest that, similar to in vivo mouse genetic models and diseased human lungs, hPSC-derived airway cells exhibit cellular plasticity in response to signaling cues, providing a human model system in which to study cellular identity in a disease-relevant context.
Project description:Many lung diseases involve alterations in the cellular identity of the lung epithelium. Improved insight into airway development and the changes to cellular identity that result from abnormal signaling may therefore improve understanding of the etiology of these complex diseases. We have previously described a protocol to generate epithelial airway spheres from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), but still poorly understand the identity, development, and heterogeneity of these early airway cells. Here we use novel murine and human PSC lines to study developing secretory cells derived in vitro from hPSCs. Using an SCGB3A2CherryPicker (SC) reporter system together with population-based or single-cell global transcriptomic profiling we track, purify, and analyze hPSC-derived putative secretory airway progenitors and find that SC+ cells are enriched for expression of airway epithelial markers, including secretory cell markers, SCGB3A2 and SCGB1A1. Unexpectedly, some SC+ human cells also co-express distal type 2 cell genes, including SFTPC, ABCA3, NAPSA, CTSH and functional lamellar bodies, suggesting a significant level of plasticity within the hPSC-derived secretory population relative to concurrently generated proximal airway TP63+ cells or distal alveolar SFTPC+ cells. We establish that this plasticity is minimized by inhibiting low levels of endogenous canonical Wnt signaling post-lung specification, thus depleting the co-expressed type 2 cell program. Taken together, these findings suggest that, similar to in vivo mouse genetic models and diseased human lungs, hPSC-derived airway cells exhibit cellular plasticity in response to signaling cues, providing a human model system in which to study cellular identity in a disease-relevant context.
Project description:We report for the first time that secretoglobin (SCGB) 3A2, a novel cytokine-like molecule, predominantly expressed in pulmonary airways epithelium, drastically reduced the severity of lung fibrosis using bleomycin-induced mouse model. DNA microarrays were performed using RNAs isolated from mouse lungs in two experiments. In the first experiments, mice were adminitered intravenously SCGB3A2 or PBS once daily for a week, starting on day 14 after BLM administration, and in the second experiments, SCGB3A2 or PBS was administered intravenously for 12 hrs.
Project description:The single-cell suspensions of two major intestinal compartments, the epithelium layer and lamina propria layer, were purified from C57BL/6J mice fed a chow diet and a HFHS diet for 10x Genomics Chromium scRNA-seq analysis.
Project description:Submucosal glands (SMGs) in the upper respiratory system of mammals play important roles in fluid secretion, mucociliary transport, and host defense. In people with cystic fibrosis (CF), airway mucus obstruction and SMG duct occlusion are hallmark features. Although intensive investigations have focused on airway surface epithelium in normal and diseased lungs, our knowledge of SMGs is limited in terms of cell biology and physiology. Here, we conducted single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) of airway SMGs in newborn piglets. First, we dissected individual SMGs and surrounding non-epithelial tissues from newborn non-CF (n = 4) and CF (n = 4) pig trachea. Second, we did scRNA-seq using 10x genomics chromium platform. Third, we processed the raw sequencing data using an improved RefSeq pig genome reference. Last, we integrated all samples together and clustered cells into 14 major cell clusters using Seurat R toolkit (Stuart et al., 2019). These data allowed us to elucidate airway SMGs at single cell resolution. Moreover, we found that cell-types and gene expression were the same in non-CF and CF SMGs, suggesting that loss of epithelial anion secretion rather than an intrinsic cell defect causes CF mucus abnormalities.
Project description:The pulmonary alveolar epithelium which play key role in lung biological function is mainly composed of two types of epithelial cells: alveolar type I (AT1) and type II (AT2) cells. We know very little about developmental heterogeneity of the AT1 cell population. By using 10X genomics “Chromium Single Cell” technology, we performed single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) analyses of AT1 cells at postnatal day 3 (P3), P15, and P60, along with AT2 cells (P60) in mice. Our study identified a robust new genetic marker (Igfbp2) of postnatal AT1 cells. The study also provided the transcriptome information of AT1 cells during alveologensis.
Project description:Mesenchymal cells (CD31-, CD45-, EpCAM-, Ter119-) were collected for 10x Genomics Chromium Single Cell v3.1 scRNA-seq from the lungs of Scube2-CreER/Rosa26-tdTomato double homozygous mice on day 0 , 7, 14, 21 after bleomycin treatment.
