The regional distribution of resident immune cells shapes distinct immunological environments along the murine epididymis

Previously, the epididymal regions were demonstrated to react strikingly different to inflammatory stimuli. We therefore aimed at untangling the heterogeneity of extravascular CD45+ cells throughout epididymal regions and identifying their transcriptional profile. Using an unbiased scRNASeq approach, 12 distinct populations were identified in total showing striking differences in their distribution along the epididymal duct. Our data indicate that resident immune cell populations are strategically positioned within the organ to provide distinct immunological environments required to maintain tissue integrity and to adequately tackle invading pathogens ascending through the urogenital tract. This study provides an important common research platform and starting point for future functional studies of distinct populations under physiological and pathological conditions. scNRASeq of extravascular CD45+ cells separately isolated from the four main epididymal regions (Initial segment, caput, corpus, cauda) in mice