Peripheral priming induces plastic transcriptomic and proteomic responses in circulating neutrophils required for pathogen containment

ABSTRACT: Neutrophils rapidly respond to inflammation and infection, but to which degree their functional trajectories after mobilization from the bone marrow can be shaped within the circulation remains vague. Phenotypic changes of circulating neutrophils caused by systemic inflammation are thought to result from several factors, including a “left shift” of the neutrophil compartment towards younger bone marrow-derived subsets. However, experimental limitations have so far hampered neutrophil research in human disease. Here, using innovative fixation and single-cell-based toolsets, we profile the human and murine neutrophil transcriptome and proteome during steady state and bacterial infection. We find that peripheral priming of circulating neutrophils leads to plastic shifts dominated by conserved upregulation of antimicrobial genes across neutrophil substates, facilitating pathogen containment. We show the TLR4/NF-κB-signaling dependent upregulation of canonical neutrophil activation markers like CD177/NB-1 during acute inflammation, resulting in functional shifts in vivo. Importantly, blocking de novo RNA synthesis in circulating neutrophils abrogates these plastic shifts and prevents the adaptation of antibacterial neutrophil programs by upregulation of distinct effector molecules upon infection. In summary, these data underline transcriptional plasticity as a relevant mechanism of functional neutrophil reprogramming during acute infection to foster bacterial containment within the circulation. This adds to the understanding of competing modes of adaptation to inflammatory challenges by the neutrophil compartment.

INSTRUMENT(S):

ORGANISM(S): Homo Sapiens (human)

TISSUE(S): Neutrophil, Blood

DISEASE(S): Cardiovascular System Disease

SUBMITTER: Oliver Popp  

LAB HEAD: Rainer Kaiser

PROVIDER: PXD048335 | Pride | 2024-05-21

REPOSITORIES: Pride