An Integrated Multi-omic Single-Cell Atlas of Human B Cell Identity

Abstract

B cells are capable of a wide range of effector functions including antibody secretion, antigen presentation, cytokine production, and generation of immunological memory. A consistent strategy for classifying human B cells by using surface molecules is essential to harness this functional diversity for clinical translation. We developed a highly multiplexed screen to quantify the co-expression of 351 surface molecules on millions of human B cells. We identified differentially expressed molecules and aligned their variance with isotype usage, VDJ sequence, metabolic profile, biosynthesis activity, and signaling response. Based on these analyses, we propose a classification scheme to segregate B cells from four lymphoid tissues into twelve unique subsets, including a CD45RB + CD27 - early memory population, a class-switched CD39 + tonsil-resident population, and a CD19 hi CD11c + memory population that potently responds to immune activation. This classification framework and underlying datasets provide a resource for further investigations of human B cell identity and function.

Abstract of "An Integrated Multi-omic Single-Cell Atlas of Human B Cell Identity" by Glass DR, Tsai AG, Oliveria JP et al., https://doi.org/10.1016/j.immuni.2020.06.013, used under its Creative Commons Attribution license (CC-BY); markup removed, otherwise unmodified.