[HTML][HTML] Single-cell epigenomic landscape of peripheral immune cells reveals establishment of trained immunity in individuals convalescing from COVID-19

M You, L Chen, D Zhang, P Zhao, Z Chen, EQ Qin… - Nature cell …, 2021 - nature.com
M You, L Chen, D Zhang, P Zhao, Z Chen, EQ Qin, Y Gao, MM Davis, P Yang
Nature cell biology, 2021nature.com
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection often causes
severe complications and even death. However, asymptomatic infection has also been
reported, highlighting the difference in immune responses among individuals. Here we
performed single-cell chromatin accessibility and T cell-receptor analyses of peripheral
blood mononuclear cells collected from individuals convalescing from COVID-19 and
healthy donors. Chromatin remodelling was observed in both innate and adaptive immune …
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection often causes severe complications and even death. However, asymptomatic infection has also been reported, highlighting the difference in immune responses among individuals. Here we performed single-cell chromatin accessibility and T cell-receptor analyses of peripheral blood mononuclear cells collected from individuals convalescing from COVID-19 and healthy donors. Chromatin remodelling was observed in both innate and adaptive immune cells in the individuals convalescing from COVID-19. Compared with healthy donors, recovered individuals contained abundant TBET-enriched CD16+ and IRF1-enriched CD14+ monocytes with sequential trained and activated epigenomic states. The B-cell lineage in recovered individuals exhibited an accelerated developmental programme from immature B cells to antibody-producing plasma cells. Finally, an integrated analysis of single-cell T cell-receptor clonality with the chromatin accessibility landscape revealed the expansion of putative SARS-CoV-2-specific CD8+ T cells with epigenomic profiles that promote the differentiation of effector or memory cells. Overall, our data suggest that immune cells of individuals convalescing from COVID-19 exhibit global remodelling of the chromatin accessibility landscape, indicative of the establishment of immunological memory.
nature.com