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Session: Nutrient-Gene Interactions/Precision Nutrition (Poster Theater Flash Session 5)

(PTFS05-02-24) Single-Cell RNA Sequencing Reveals That Breastfeeding Shapes IL-4 and IL-13 Signaling in Neonatal Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells

Sunday, June 30, 2024

10:04 AM – 10:08 AM CT

Location: Hall F1 (The Hub) - Poster Theater

Presenting Author(s)

BM

Bharath Kumar Mulakala, PhD

Postdoctoral Research Associate
USDA-ARS, SEA; MMRU/ACNC/Texas A&M
Little Rock, Arkansas, United States

Disclosure(s): No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Co-Author(s)

MS

Michael Salinas, BS

Texas A&M University
College Station, Texas, United States
LD

Laurie A. Davidson

Texas A&M University, United States
Sharon M. Donovan, PhD, RD (she/her/hers)

Professor
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL 61822, Illinois, United States
RC

Robert S. Chapkin

Texas A&M University, United States
Laxmi Yeruva, PhD (she/her/hers)

USDA-ARS Research Leader
Microbiome and Metabolism Research Unit, USDA-ARS
Little Rock, Arkansas, United States

Objectives: The objective of the study was to characterize circulating immune cell subpopulation gene expression in breast-fed (BF) compared to cow’s milk formula-fed (FF) infants using single cell transcriptomics.

Methods: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were collected from healthy breastfed (n=6), or cow’s milk formula fed (n=3) infants at 3 to 3.5 months of age. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) was used to generate a PBMC atlas and to evaluate gene expression profiles in immune cell subsets.

Results: Although the percentage of T and B lymphocytes, natural killer (NK) cells, and dendritic cells were similar, monocytes were higher in FF infants than in BF infants (22% vs 10%; P < 0.05). Further, T-cell activation, T-cell cytokine production and exhaustion markers were higher in FF infants than in BF infants (P < 0.05). Gene set enrichment analysis of immune cell subsets revealed that NK cytotoxic (CD56-CD16⁺) cells, B cells and CD4⁺ memory T-cell cytokine signaling, e.g., IL-4 and IL-13 pathways, were upregulated in FF infants.

Conclusions: Our data suggest that breastfeeding downregulates peripheral immune cell subsets cytokine transcriptional signatures linked to allergic inflammation and parasite infection.

Funding Sources: USDA-ARS