Exploring the dendritic cell subset regulating naïve CD8 T cell homeostasis

The maintenance of naïve CD8 T cells within lymphoid organs is a finely tuned process involving multiple factors provided by stromal cells and antigen-presenting cells, particularly dendritic cells (DCs). In this study, we employed Cellular Indexing of Transcriptomes and Epitopes by sequencing (CITE-Seq) to comprehensively profile dendritic cell subsets and their potential roles in supporting naïve CD8 T cell homeostasis. By integrating transcriptomic and surface protein expression data, we identified distinct dendritic cell populations with specialized gene expression signatures and immunological features. These findings provide novel insights into the cellular and molecular mechanisms governing CD8 T cell maintenance, with implications for immune regulation and potential therapeutic strategies. Peripheral lymph nodes (pLNs; comprising axillary, brachial, inguinal, and submandibular lymph nodes) from 16-week-old female C57BL/6 mice were harvested and utilized for DC isolation by collagenase D digestion. Cells were depleted with T and B cells, and CD11c+I-A/I-E+ cells were sorted for the staining of CITE-Seq antibodies (ADTs) by following the TotalSeq protocol (BioLegend).

淋巴器官内初始CD8 T细胞的维持是一个精密调控的过程，涉及基质细胞与抗原呈递细胞（尤其是树突状细胞，dendritic cells, DCs）提供的多种调控因子。本研究采用转录组与表位细胞索引测序（Cellular Indexing of Transcriptomes and Epitopes by sequencing, CITE-Seq），对树突状细胞亚群及其维持初始CD8 T细胞稳态的潜在功能进行全面剖析。通过整合转录组与表面蛋白表达数据，本研究鉴定出具有独特基因表达特征与免疫学特性的树突状细胞亚群。本研究结果为调控CD8 T细胞维持的细胞与分子机制提供了全新见解，对免疫调控及潜在治疗策略具有参考价值。
本研究收集16周龄雌性C57BL/6小鼠的外周淋巴结（peripheral lymph nodes, pLNs，包括腋窝淋巴结、臂淋巴结、腹股沟淋巴结及下颌下淋巴结），通过胶原酶D消化法分离其中的树突状细胞。随后对分离得到的细胞进行T、B细胞耗竭处理，分选得到CD11c阳性、I-A/I-E阳性细胞，并参照BioLegend的TotalSeq实验方案，对其进行CITE-Seq抗体（Antibody-Derived Tags, ADTs）染色。