Gene expression profile at single cell level of plasma cells (PCs) from human bone marrow
Antibody-secreting plasma cells (PCs) are generated in secondary lymphoid organs, but are reported to reside in an emerging range of anatomical sites. Analysis of the transcriptome of different tissue-resident (Tr)PC populations revealed that they each have their own transcriptional signature indicative of functional adaptation to the host tissue environment. In contrast to expectation, all TrPCs were extremely long-lived, regardless of their organ of residence, with the longevity influenced by intrinsic factors like the immunoglobulin isotype. Analysis at single-cell resolution revealed that the bone marrow is unique in housing a compendium of PCs generated all over the body that retain aspects of the transcriptional program indicative of their tissue of origin. Overall design: Plasma cells were isolated from the bone marrow of a healthy adult human donor and analyzed using scRNAseq.