Diversity and immune dynamics of choroid plexus macrophages are shaped by distinct developmental origins [scRNA-seq Tgfbr2_cKO]
The choroid plexus (ChP) forms a critical interface between the central nervous system and systemic circulation. Despite its importance, the identity and dynamics of resident macrophages remain incompletely understood. Using single-cell RNA sequencing, flow cytometry, lineage tracing, and imaging, we identified three biologically distinct macrophage populations in the homeostatic ChP, defined by expression of CD163, MHCII, or CD9. These subsets arise from different combinations of primitive and definitive hematopoietic waves, occupy distinct anatomical niches, and differentially rely on CSF1 and IL34 for survival. TGFß signaling is required to maintain their phenotype, and deletion of Tgfbr2 in these cells induces phenotypic reprogramming and disrupts the ChP epithelial barrier. During neuroinflammation, ChP macrophages initiate IFN-I responses and secrete chemokines for CD8 T cell recruitment, while microglia mainly express chemokines for B cells. Finally, we identify phenotypically conserved macrophage subsets in the human ChP, suggesting evolutionary preservation of their phenotypic and functional features. Overall design: 10x Genomics single-cell RNA sequencing of CD45+ cells sorted from the choroid plexus of Tgfbr2-flox and Tgfbr2-flox : Lyz2-Cre mice