Molecular determinants and heterogeneity of circulating and tissue-resident memory CD8+ T lymphocytes revealed by single-cell RNA sequencing

We generated a single-cell transcriptomic resource dataset encompassing the gene-expression patterns of circulating and small intestine intraepithelial CD8+ T cells in response to viral infection. Our analyses revealed a core transcriptional program shared between circulating memory and tissue-resident memory (TRM) cells, along with key differences in the kinetics and magnitude of gene expression between these two memory CD8+ T lymphocyte subtypes. Moreover, we elucidated previously unappreciated heterogeneity within the small intestine intraepithelial CD8+ T cell pool at multiple time points following infection. Overall design: Single cell RNA sequencing was performed on CD8 T cells isolated from the spleen or small intestinal intraepithelial compartment at 11 timepoints following infection with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus