TLR9 modulates peritoneal immunity via regulating the biology of CD9(hi) fibroblastic reticular cells

Abstract Fibroblastic reticular cells (FRC) are highly heterogeneous. Distinct FRC subsets play unique roles in the formation of secondary lymphoid organs and immune responses. We have previously shown that TLR9 signaling plays a critical role in regulating peritoneal immunity via suppressing chemokine production in FRC in the fat associated lymphoid clusters (FALC). However, the subset-specific roles of TLR9 in FRC of FALCs remain unknown. Using single-cell RNA-sequencing, we identified three distinct subsets of FRC (CD55hi, CD9hi and CD55loCD9lo) in mouse mesenteric FALCs at baseline. Based on the gene set enrichment analysis, the Cd55hi subset was enriched in gene expression related to cell differentiation. The CD9hi subset was enriched in gene expression related to immune response. The CD55loCD9lo subset was enriched in the gene expression related to extracellular matrix formation. Furthermore, we found that CD9hi FRC from Tlr9−/− mice increased gene expression associated with inflammation. Using flow cytometry and bulk-RNA seq, we successfully isolated and validated these three subsets in mouse FALCs. Interestingly, activation of TLR9 signaling using ODN1585 significantly decreased CD9 expression in FRC in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, treatment of ODN1585 suppressed the proliferation of CD9hi FRC, evidenced by decreased expression of Ki67. These results indicate that CD9hi FRC in FALC are immunoregulatory. TLR9 signaling may modulate peritoneal immunity via regulation of the proliferation of CD9hi FRC. Understanding the mechanism of how TLR9 regulates CD9hi FRC may lead to discovering new therapies for inflammatory diseases.