Who is who? Deciphering the heterogeneity of B lymphocytes during generation of humoral memory in a teleost fish

• Applicant: Dr. Alexander Rebl
• Subject Area: Veterinary Medical Science
• Term: since 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 512955092

The emergence of humoral memory represents one of the key advancements of vertebrate evolution. Conventionally, these responses are generated in secondary lymphoid organs, where upon recognition of the cognate antigen, the B and T lymphocytes undergo a fluid process of cell activation accompanied by changes in the expression of hundreds of CD markers, cytokines and transcription factors that define cellular functions. Unfortunately, the number of known markers in teleost models is significantly lower, hampering progress in the field. With the advent of scRNA-seq, we can now resolve and identify fish leukocyte populations in a manner and with a resolution that was impossible decades ago. Combining the expertise of both teams, we aim to decipher the complexity of B leukocytes in steady-state, upon activation with modelantigen, and under pressure of parasitic infection in order to provide deeper insights into the fundamental mechanisms of humoral responses in fish. It is our hope that this knowledge will deepen our understanding and propel the field towards effective vaccines.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Czech Republic
• Co-Investigator: Dr. Marieke Verleih
• Cooperation Partner: Dr. Tomás Korytár