Ets1 dampens expression of Tbet and CD8- or NK-like effector programing in postselection iNKT1 cells [scRNA-seq]

The goal of this study was to compare the gene expression program of thymic iNKT1 cells from Control mice to those with a postselection deletion of the transcription factor Ets1 at the single cell level. Ets1-floxed alleles were deleted in iNKT1 cells using Tbx21Cre bacterial artifical chromosome transgenic mice that also carry a Rosa26-floxed-stop-YFP reporter. Control iNKT1 cells were Tbx21Cre+ Rosa26-floxed-stop-YFP reporter+. We isolated all thymic YFP+ cells from Control and cKO mice and processed for scRNA-seq using the 10X Genomics Chromium. Data was processed using the Cell Ranger program for 10X Genomics. . We found that iNKT1 cells lacking Ets1 upregulated Tbx21 and its protein Tbet, many Tbet target genes, and CD8 effector T cell associated genes. Overall design: Expression profiling analysis of RNA from thymic iNKT1 cells isolated from Ctrl (Tbx21Cre; Rosa26-YFP+) and cKO (Tbx21Cre; Rosa26-YFP+; Ets1F/F) mice by single cell RNA-sequencing.