Defining the role of pulmonary endothelial cell heterogeneity in the response to acute lung injury

• DOI: 10.7554/elife.53072
• Publication Date: 2020-02-24T13:01:01Z
• Authors: Terren K Niethamer; Collin T Stabler; John P Leach; Jarod A Zepp; Michael P Morley; Apoorva Babu; Su Zhou; Edward E Morrisey
• Keywords: Diffuse alveolar damage

Pulmonary endothelial cells (ECs) are an essential component of the gas exchange machinery lung alveolus. Despite this, extent and function EC heterogeneity remains incompletely understood. Using single-cell analytics, we identify multiple populations in mouse lung, including macrovascular endothelium (maEC), microvascular (miECs), a new population have termed Car4-high ECs. ECs express unique gene signature, ligand-receptor analysis indicates they primed to receive reparative signals from alveolar type I cells. After acute injury, preferentially localized regenerating regions Influenza infection reveals emergence highly proliferative that likely arise miEC contribute revascularization after injury. These studies map adult characterize response novel subpopulations required for tissue regeneration