Slc43a2+ T cell metastasis from spleen to brain in RGNNV infected teleost

• Published in: Science China. Life sciences Vol. 67; no. 4; pp. 733 - 744
• Main Authors: Wang, Qing, Liu, Yali, Zhang, Minlin, Yang, Min, Liang, Jiantao, Zuo, Xiaoling, Wang, Shaowen, Jia, Xianze, Zhao, Huihong, Jiang, Han, Lin, Qiang, Qin, Qiwei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Beijing Science China Press 01-04-2024; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Biomedical and Life Sciences; Cell differentiation; Cell migration; Central nervous system; Danio rerio; Immune privilege; Infections; Life Sciences; Lymphocytes; Lymphocytes T; Metastases; Research Paper; Sequence analysis; Spleen; Thymus; Thymus gland; Tlx1 protein; Transcriptomics; Viral infections; slc43a2; teleost; RGNNV; T cell; T cell migration; central nervous system; slc43a2+ T cell
• ISSN: 1674-7305; 1869-1889
• DOI: 10.1007/s11427-023-2473-x

The origin of T cells in the teleost’s brain is unclear. While viewing the central nervous system (CNS) as immune privileged has been widely accepted, previous studies suggest that T cells residing in the thymus but not in the spleen of the teleost play an essential role in communicating with the peripheral organs. Here, we identified nine T cell subpopulations in the thymus and spleen of orange-spotted grouper (
Epinephelus coioices
) through single-cell RNA-sequencing analysis. After viral CNS infection with red-spotted grouper nervous necrosis virus (RGNNV), the number of slc43a2
+
T cells synchronously increased in the spleen and brain. During the infection tests in asplenic zebrafish (
tlx1
▲
zebrafish model), no increase in the number of slc43a2
+
T cells was observed in the brain. Single-cell transcriptomic analysis indicated that slc43a2
+
T cells mature and functionally differentiate within the spleen and then migrate into the brain to trigger an immune response. This study suggests a novel route for T cell migration from the spleen to the brain during viral infection in fish.