TitleTemporal specificity and heterogeneity of Drosophila immune cells.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2020
AuthorsCattenoz PB, Sakr R, Pavlidaki A, Delaporte C, Riba A, Molina N, Hariharan N, Mukherjee T, Giangrande A
JournalEMBO J
Paginatione104486
Date Published2020 Mar 12
ISSN1460-2075
Abstract

Immune cells provide defense against non-self and have recently been shown to also play key roles in diverse processes such as development, metabolism, and tumor progression. The heterogeneity of Drosophila immune cells (hemocytes) remains an open question. Using bulk RNA sequencing, we find that the hemocytes display distinct features in the embryo, a closed and rapidly developing system, compared to the larva, which is exposed to environmental and metabolic challenges. Through single-cell RNA sequencing, we identify fourteen hemocyte clusters present in unchallenged larvae and associated with distinct processes, e.g., proliferation, phagocytosis, metabolic homeostasis, and humoral response. Finally, we characterize the changes occurring in the hemocyte clusters upon wasp infestation, which triggers the differentiation of a novel hemocyte type, the lamellocyte. This first molecular atlas of hemocytes provides insights and paves the way to study the biology of the Drosophila immune cells in physiological and pathological conditions.

DOI10.15252/embj.2020104486
Alternate JournalEMBO J.
PubMed ID32162708
Grant List10-LABX-0030-INRT / / Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR) /
ANR-10-IDEX-0002-02 / / Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR) /
ANR-10-INBS-0009 / / Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR) /
/ / Fondation ARC pour la Recherche sur le Cancer (ARC) /
/ / Ligue Contre le Cancer /
/ / Indo-French Centre for the Promotion of Advanced Research (IFCPAR) /
/ / Council for Scientific and Industrial Research /
/ / Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (Inserm) /
/ / Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) /
/ / University of Strasbourg (UdS) /