Jameson, Gráinne and Robinson, Mark W. (2021) Insights Into Human Intrahepatic NK Cell Function From Single Cell RNA Sequencing Datasets. Frontiers in Immunology, 12. ISSN 1664-3224

Preview

Download (936kB) | Preview

Abstract

Diverse populations of natural killer (NK) cells have been identified in circulating peripheral blood and a wide variety of different tissues and organs. These tissue-resident NK cell populations are phenotypically distinct from circulating NK cells, however, functional descriptions of their roles within tissues are lacking. Recent advances in single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) have enabled detailed transcriptional profiling of tissues at the level of single cells and provide the opportunity to explore NK cell diversity within tissues. This review explores potential novel functions of human liver-resident (lr)NK cells identified in human liver scRNA-seq studies. By comparing these datasets we identified up-regulated and down-regulated genes associated with lrNK cells clusters. These genes encode a number of activating and inhibiting receptors, as well as signal transduction molecules, which highlight potential unique pathways that lrNK cells utilize to respond to stimuli within the human liver. This unique receptor repertoire of lrNK cells may confer the ability to regulate a number of immune cell populations, such as circulating monocytes and T cells, while avoiding activation by liver hepatocytes and Kupffer cells. Validating the expression of these receptors on lrNK cells and the proposed cellular interactions within the human liver will expand our understanding of the liver-specific homeostatic roles of this tissue-resident immune cell population.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Cite as: Jameson, G. & Robinson, M.W. 2021, "Insights Into Human Intrahepatic NK Cell Function From Single Cell RNA Sequencing Datasets", Frontiers in immunology, vol. 12, pp. 649311-649311
Keywords:	liver; RNA-seq; liver-resident; intrahepatic; NK cell;
Academic Unit:	Faculty of Science and Engineering > Biology Faculty of Science and Engineering > Research Institutes > Human Health Institute
Item ID:	17349
Identification Number:	https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2021.649311
Depositing User:	Mark Robinson
Date Deposited:	22 Jun 2023 13:42
Journal or Publication Title:	Frontiers in Immunology
Publisher:	Frontiers Research Foundation
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	Publisher
Use Licence:	This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

Repository Staff Only(login required)

Item control page

Downloads

Origin of downloads