Single-cell transcriptome analysis of the early immune response in the lymph nodes of Borrelia burgdorferi-infected mice
: Rinne, Varpu; Gröndahl-Yli-Hannuksela, Kirsi; Fair-Mäkelä, Ruth; Salmi, Marko; Rantakari, Pia; Lönnberg, Tapio; Alinikula, Jukka; Pietikäinen, Annukka; Hytönen, Jukka
Publisher: Elsevier
: 2024
: Microbes and Infection
: Microbes and infection
: Microbes Infect
: 1286-4579
: 1769-714X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.micinf.2024.105424
: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.micinf.2024.105424
: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/458900471
Lyme borreliosis is a disease caused by Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato bacteria. Borrelia burgdorferi is known to induce prolonged extrafollicular immune responses and abnormal germinal centre formation. The infection fails to generate a neutralizing type of immunity, eventually establishing a persistent infection. Here, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing to characterize the immune landscape of lymph node lymphocytes during the early Borrelia burgdorferi infection in a murine model. Our results indicate key features of an extrafollicular immune response four days after Borrelia burgdorferi infection, including notable B cell proliferation, immunoglobulin class switching to IgG3 and IgG2b isotypes, plasmablast differentiation, and the presence of extrafollicular B cells identified through immunohistochemistry. Additionally, we found infection-derived upregulation of suppressor of cytokine signalling genes Socs1 and Socs3, along with downregulation of genes associated with MHC II antigen presentation in B cells. Our results support the central role of B cells in the immune response of a Borrelia burgdorferi infection, and provide cues of mechanisms behind the determination between extrafollicular and germinal centre responses during Borrelia burgdorferi infection.
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This work was supported by the Special Governmental Fund for University Hospitals, and the Sakari Alhopuro foundation.
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