RNA-sequencing of ApoB-reactive CD4+ T cells in mice

We report the transcriptome of atherosclerosis-specific murine CD4+ T cells in atherosclerosis that recognize a peptide from ApoB-100, the core protein of low-density lipoprotein (LDL). Our data reveal a unique transcriptome of ApoB-specific T cells that is similar to T-regulatory T cells and changes during disease progression in a pathogenic T-helper type -1 and -17 like transcriptome. 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 sorted by flow cytometry from peripheral lymph nodes at different time points in atherosclerotic or healthy ApoE-deficient mice and their transcriptome by scRNAseq was compared to non-specific T cells (ApoB-neg.).