Single cell sequencing of murine ApoB-reactive CD4+ T cells

We report the single cell transcriptome of atherosclerosis-specific murine CD4+ T cells that recognize a peptide from ApoB-100, the core protein of low-density lipoprotein (LDL). Our data reveal a unique single cell transcriptome of ApoB-specific T cells that is similar to T-regulatory T but shows an overlap with the transcriptome of pathogenic T-helper type -1 and -17 cells on a single cell level. We used a novel tetramer of MHC-II to track CD4+ T cells reactive to the mouse self-peptide ApoB978-993 (ApoB+). ApoB+ T cells were isolated by flow cytometry and MHC-II tetramer staining from peripheral lymph nodes of atherosclerotic ApoE-deficient mice. Their transcriptome (scRNAseq) was compared to non-specific T cells (ApoB-neg.).