Project description:Single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) was applied to identify and characterise macrophage subsets that responded to larval zebrafish muscle injury. The Tg(mpeg1:mCherry) transgenic zebrafish line was utilised to isolate mCherry-expressing macrophages by FACS. Following needle-stab muscle injury of a 4 days post fertilisation (dpf) larvae, the wound site was dissected out at 1, 2, and 3 days post injury (dpi) for macrophage isolation. Macrophages isolated from 4 dpf-uninjured larvae were also included. This analysis led to the identification of 8 discrete clusters of macrophages, one of which corresponded to uninjured macrophages. The 7 wound-present macrophage subsets highlighted greater macrophage heterogeneity than previously described in an in vivo skeletal muscle injury context.
Project description:Muscle injury was elicited by cardiotoxin injection into the tibialis anterior muscle. Macrophages were isolated 2 days post-injury from the regenerating muscle. We used microarray to obtain global gene expression data of muscle-derived tissue macrophage subsets. Tissue macrophages were collected from regenerating muscle samples of three animals, Ly6C+ F4/80low and Ly6C- F4/80high macrophage subsets were sorted. The global gene expression patterns of distinct macrophage subsets were analyzed on Affymetrix microarrays.
Project description:Both brain-resident microglia and peripheral macrophages are important cellular effectors of the inflammatory response to neural injury. They respond to neural injury by secreting a wide range of effector molecules including cytokines, chemokines and neurotrophic factors. To identify additional secreted signalling molecules, we used RNA-seq gene expression profiling to detect changes in the transcriptome of macrophage-lineage cells after acute neural injury in larval zebrafish. GO term analysis was then used to analyse the list of differentially expressed genes and identify secreted signalling molecules among them.
Project description:We compared arginase-1+ macrophages (macrophages were defined by flow cytometry as CD45hi CD11b+ Ly6G-) with arginase-1- brain macrophages following traumatic brain injury (TBI) by isolating these cells from YARG transgenic mice, which express YFP under the arginase-1 promoter. Both cell populations were isolated from YARG brain tissues one day following TBI. We also examined the expression profile of peripheral blood monocytes (monocytes were defined by flow cytometry as CD11bhi F4/80+) from injured YARG mice and from normal YARG mice. Peripheral blood samples were compared to TBI brain macrophages to assess gene expression changes before and after infiltration into the brain. TBI macrophage subsets were identified by using a reporter mouse strain (YARG) that expresses eYFP from an IRES inserted at the 3' end of the gene for arginase-1 (Arg1), a hallmark of alternatively activated (M2) macrophages. One day after TBI, 21±1.5% of ipsilateral brain macrophages expressed relatively high levels of Arg1 as detected by YFP. Gene expression analysis of Arg1+ and Arg1- brain macrophage populations revealed that these populations were distinct from either classically activated (M1) macrophages or M2 macrophages, with features of both. The Arg1+ cells differed from Arg1- cells in multiple aspects, most notably in their chemokine repertoires. Thus, the macrophage response to TBI involves recruitment of at least two major macrophage subsets. Overall, our data indicate that the macrophage response to TBI is heterogeneous and unique.
Project description:Macrophages are a heterogeneous population of immune cells that play central roles in a broad range of biological processes, including the resolution of inflammation. Although diverse macrophage subpopulations have been identified, the characterization and functional specialization of certain macrophage subsets in inflamed tissues remain unclear. Here we uncovered a key role of specific macrophage subsets in tissue repair using proteomics, bioinformatics and functional analyses. We isolated two hepatic monocyte-derived macrophage subpopulations: Ly6ChiCX3CR1lo macrophages and Ly6CloCX3CR1hi macrophages during distinct phases of acute liver injury and employed label-free proteomics approach to profile the proteome of these cells. We found that the wound healing- and endocytosis-related proteins were specifically enriched in Ly6CloCX3CR1hi macrophages. Intriguingly, 12/15-lipoxygenase (Alox15), the most strongly up-regulated protein in Ly6CloCX3CR1hi macrophages, was identified as a specific marker for these macrophages. In co-culture systems, Ly6CloCX3CR1hi macrophages specifically induced hepatocyte proliferation. Furthermore, selective depletion of this population in CD11b-diphtheria toxin receptor mice significantly delayed liver repair. Overall, our studies shed light on the functional specialization of distinct macrophage subsets in the resolution of inflammation.
Project description:We compared arginase-1+ macrophages (macrophages were defined by flow cytometry as CD45hi CD11b+ Ly6G-) with arginase-1- brain macrophages following traumatic brain injury (TBI) by isolating these cells from YARG transgenic mice, which express YFP under the arginase-1 promoter. Both cell populations were isolated from YARG brain tissues one day following TBI. We also examined the expression profile of peripheral blood monocytes (monocytes were defined by flow cytometry as CD11bhi F4/80+) from injured YARG mice and from normal YARG mice. Peripheral blood samples were compared to TBI brain macrophages to assess gene expression changes before and after infiltration into the brain. TBI macrophage subsets were identified by using a reporter mouse strain (YARG) that expresses eYFP from an IRES inserted at the 3' end of the gene for arginase-1 (Arg1), a hallmark of alternatively activated (M2) macrophages. One day after TBI, 21±1.5% of ipsilateral brain macrophages expressed relatively high levels of Arg1 as detected by YFP. Gene expression analysis of Arg1+ and Arg1- brain macrophage populations revealed that these populations were distinct from either classically activated (M1) macrophages or M2 macrophages, with features of both. The Arg1+ cells differed from Arg1- cells in multiple aspects, most notably in their chemokine repertoires. Thus, the macrophage response to TBI involves recruitment of at least two major macrophage subsets. Overall, our data indicate that the macrophage response to TBI is heterogeneous and unique. Four groups (Arg1- brain macrophages post-TBI, Arg1+ brain macrophages post-TBI, normal blood monocytes, blood monocytes post-TBI) were analyzed. Four replicates of each group were analyzed for a total of 16 samples (only 3 replicates of the blood monocyte groups are included in this submission).
Project description:Tibialis anterior muscle was damaged by cardiotoxin injection and macrophage subsets were isolated and analyzed by gene expression analysis. We used microarray to obtain global gene expression data of muscle-derived tissue macrophage subsets. Tissue macrophages were collected from regenerating muscle samples, Gr1+/Cx3cr1low and Gr1-/Cx3cr1high macrophage subsets were sorted. The global gene expression patterns of distinct macrophage subsets were analyzed on Affymetrix microarrays.