Single-cell transcriptome reveals the developmental progression of human ILCs from the bone marrow to lymph nodes

Abstract Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) are largely tissue-resident and do not express clonotypic receptors. In humans, ILCs primarily described within the mucosal tissues. However, their development functions in human draining lymph nodes (LN) bone marrow (BM) unknown. Here, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing to unravel tissue-specific transcriptional profiles of 47,287 abdominal thoracic LNs compared them with that BM spleen. We found a higher frequency CD127+ILCs than or identify different stages early progenitors including CD34+HSCs NFIL3+ITGA4 +TCF7+EILP. Our data indicated ILC progenitor differentiate into unique subset IL7R+KIT+PLZF+progenitor (pILCs) predominantly present LNs. Transcriptomically, ILC3 closer pILCs ILC1 ILC2. Using unsupervised clustering, defined three clusters ILC1, six ILC3, only minimal presence ILC2 have high level heat shock protein genes including, HSPA1A, HSPA1B, DNAJBand possibly trafficking from chemokine receptor, CXCR4. polyfunctional can produce cytokines response vitro. study is first characterization provides an in-depth understanding ILC-mediated immunity humans.