Application of a bespoke monoclonal antibody panel to characterize immune cell populations in cave nectar bats

• Published in: Cell reports (Cambridge) Vol. 43; no. 9; p. 114703
• Main Authors: Chen, Shiwei, Sia, Wan Rong, Tang, Leon J.W., Gamage, Akshamal M., Chan, Wharton O.Y., Zhu, Feng, Chia, Wanni, Kwek, Madeline S.S., Kong, Pui San, Lim, Beng Lee, Foo, Randy, Ng, Wei Lun, Tan, Adrian H.J., He, Shan, Loh, Abigail Y.T., Low, Dolyce H.W., Smith, Gavin J.D., Hong, Lewis Z., Wang, Lin-Fa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 24.09.2024
• Subjects: bat; disease tolerance; immunology; mAb; monoclonal antibody; CP: Immunology; bat; monoclonal antibody; immunology; disease tolerance; mAb
• ISSN: 2211-1247; 2211-1247
• DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114703

Among their many unique biological features, bats are increasingly recognized as a key reservoir of many emerging viruses that cause massive morbidity and mortality in humans. Bats are capable of harboring many of these deadly viruses without any apparent signs of pathology, in a mechanism known as viral disease tolerance. However, the immunological mechanisms behind viral tolerance remain poorly understood. As a non-model organism species, there are very limited research resources and tools available to study bat immunology. In the cave nectar bat Eonycteris spelaea, we have a panel of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against major immune markers. An immunophenotyping survey of major immune compartments and barrier sites using these mAbs reveals differences in the immunological landscape of bats. [Display omitted] •Development of a panel of monoclonal antibodies specific to E. spelaea•Flow cytometric phenotyping of multiple tissues to compare bats and mice•Bats have fewer B cells and a skewing of monocytes toward the non-classical lineage•CD4 and CD21 mAbs demonstrate cross-reactivity to two other bat species Bats are reservoir hosts of many viruses, harboring these viruses using unique mechanisms of viral tolerance. However, immunological study has been impaired by a lack of suitable tools. Chen et al. address this limitation by the usage of a panel of bat-specific monoclonal antibodies for flow cytometry.