Airway Microfold (M) Cells Emerge in the Post-IAV Lung

Airway cell fates are altered during repair and regeneration following lung injury. Here we survey mouse airway epithelium using single nucleus RNA-sequencing after influenza (PR8) infection and uncovered the emergence of Microfold (M) cells in the post-IAV intrapulmonary lung. These pulmonary M cells share expression signatures with the better-characterized intestinal M cells. Furthermore, similar to intestinal M cells that function by overlying lymphoid follicles in Peyer's Patches, the post-IAV pulmonary M cells are enriched over bronchus associated lymphoid tissue (BALT), suggestive an interactive relationship. Overall design: single nucleus RNA-seq from lineage labelled airway cells (Sox2-creER;SUN1-GFP) from control and 25 days post PR8 (IAV) infection