Differentiation and activation of fibroblastic reticular cells

Abstract

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Visualization and functional characterization of lymphoid organ fibroblasts*

“…The regional expression of cytokines by FRCs guides the migration and interaction of different immune cell populations in SLOs 4 . Specialized FRC subsets provide growth factors to maintain distinct immune cell populations in dedicated niches and regulate immune cell interactions by on‐demand supply of differentiation factors 5 . FRC subset definition and functional characterization have been fostered through the application of single cells transcriptomics analyses of FRCs in murine SLOs 6‐11 .…”

“…Moreover, the approach can generate conditional gain‐of‐function gene expression or conditional gene deficiency. A number of promoter constructs have been developed to drive Cre recombinase expression specifically in lymphoid organ fibroblasts (reviewed in 5 ). The finding that murine lymph node FRCs can be highlighted by flow cytometry through a combination of PDPN and the endothelial cell marker CD31 31 had motivated the generation of a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) transgenic mouse line with Cre recombinase expression driven by the murine Pdpn promoter (Pdpn‐Cre mice) 49 .…”

“…Moreover, the approach can generate conditional gain-of-function gene expression or conditional gene deficiency. A number of promoter constructs have been developed to drive Cre recombinase expression specifically in lymphoid organ fibroblasts (reviewed in 5 ).…”

Fibroblastic reticular cells provide a supportive niche for lymph node-resident macrophages

“…In lymph nodes, stromal cell communication with leukocytes is key to the initiation of a healthy immune response and eventual pathogen control (Fletcher et al , 2020; Lütge, Pikor and Ludewig, 2021). Fibroblastic reticular cells (FRCs) are the most prevalent non-hematopoietic cell type in lymph nodes.…”

“…Together with sinusoidal vascular elements, FRCs create the structural scaffolding on which leukocytes migrate and interact, including the T cell and dendritic cell-rich paracortex, the cortical B cell follicles, and the medullary plasma cell niche (Cremasco et al , 2014; Huang et al , 2018; Fletcher et al , 2020). From this unique position at the coalface of the immune response, FRCs have evolved an immune-specialised role in regulating the survival, interaction, migration and function of T cells, B cells, dendritic cells, plasma cells, and innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) (Acton et al , 2012; Cremasco et al , 2014; Huang et al , 2018; Knoblich et al , 2018; Fletcher et al , 2020; Pikor et al , 2020; Kapoor et al , 2021; Lütge, Pikor and Ludewig, 2021).…”