Single-cell transcriptomic analysis of decidual immune cell landscape in the occurrence of adverse pregnancy outcomes induced by Toxoplasma gondii infection

• Published in: Parasites & vectors Vol. 17; no. 1; p. 213
• Main Authors: Fu, Tianyi, Wang, Xiaohui, Zhao, Xiaoyue, Jiang, Yuzhu, Liu, Xianbing, Zhang, Haixia, Ren, Yushan, Li, Zhidan, Hu, Xuemei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 10.05.2024; BMC
• Subjects: Abnormal pregnancy; Analysis; Bacterial infections; Decidua - immunology; Decidua - parasitology; Decidual immune cell; Diagnosis; Female; Gene Expression Profiling; Genetic aspects; Health aspects; Humans; Killer Cells, Natural - immunology; Macrophages - immunology; Macrophages - parasitology; Maternal–fetal tolerance; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Outcome; Risk factors; Single-Cell Analysis; Single-cell transcriptomic; T-Lymphocytes - immunology; Toxoplasma; Toxoplasma - immunology; Toxoplasma gondii; Toxoplasmosis - immunology; Toxoplasmosis - parasitology; Transcription factors; Transcriptome; China; Decidual immune cell; Maternal–fetal tolerance; Toxoplasma gondii; Abnormal pregnancy; Single-cell transcriptomic
• DOI: 10.1186/s13071-024-06266-w
• ISSN: 1756-3305

Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite that can lead to adverse pregnancy outcomes, particularly in early pregnancy. Previous studies have illustrated the landscape of decidual immune cells. However, the landscape of decidual immune cells in the maternal-fetal microenvironment during T. gondii infection remains unknown. In this study, we employed single-cell RNA sequencing to analyze the changes in human decidual immune cells following T. gondii infection. The results of scRNA-seq were further validated with flow cytometry, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, western blot, and immunofluorescence staining. Our results showed that the proportion of 17 decidual immune cell clusters and the expression levels of 21 genes were changed after T. gondii infection. Differential gene analysis demonstrated that T. gondii infection induced the differential expression of 279, 312, and 380 genes in decidual NK cells (dNK), decidual macrophages (dMφ), and decidual T cells (dT), respectively. Our results revealed for the first time that several previously unknown molecules in decidual immune cells changed following infection. This result revealed that the function of maternal-fetal immune tolerance declined, whereas the killing ability of decidual immune cells enhanced, eventually contributing to the occurrence of adverse pregnancy outcomes. This study provides valuable resource for uncovering several novel molecules that play an important role in the occurrence of abnormal pregnancy outcomes induced by T. gondii infection.