Comparative analysis of monocyte subsets in the pig

J Immunol. 2013 Jun 15;190(12):6389-96. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.1300365. Epub 2013 May 10.

Abstract

Human and mouse monocyte can be divided into two different subpopulations based on surface marker expression: CD14/16 and Ly6C/CX3CR1, respectively. Monocyte subpopulations in the pig were identified based on reciprocal expression of CD14 and the scavenger receptor CD163. The two populations, CD14(hi)-CD163(low) and CD14(low)-CD163(hi), show approximately equal abundance in the steady-state. Culture of pig PBMCs in CSF1 indicates that the two populations are a maturation series controlled by this growth factor. Gene expression in pig monocyte subpopulations was profiled using the newly developed and annotated pig whole genome snowball microarray. Previous studies have suggested a functional equivalence between human and mouse subsets, but certain genes such as CD36, CLEC4E, or TREM-1 showed human-specific expression. The same genes were expressed selectively in pig monocyte subsets. However, the profiles suggest that the pig CD14(low)-CD163(high) cells are actually equivalent to intermediate human monocytes, and there is no CD14(-) CD16(+) "nonclassical" population. The results are discussed in terms of the relevance of the pig as a model for understanding human monocyte function.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Humans
  • Immunophenotyping
  • Monocytes / cytology*
  • Monocytes / immunology*
  • Monocytes / metabolism
  • Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis
  • Sus scrofa / immunology*
  • Swine
  • Transcriptome

Associated data

  • GEO/GSE43898