Shi et alia perform a series of RNAseq experiments to identify transcriptomic sequences consistent with antibody-secreting cells (ASCs). BLIMP1-GFP mice are used to provide a marker for sorting ASCs.

I thought I would be interested in the methods but the bioinformatics are relatively straightforward. The limma package is deployed heavily. The authors perform an admirable array of isolations and sorts. Inferring information about division generations by membrane dye dilution isn’t a new trick but I still like seeing it.

Some factoids:

  • More than 70% of the transcripts from bone-marrow plasma cells are immunoglobulin-derived; in circulating peripheral B cells, it’s more like 2%
  • ASCs, despite having distinct origins and anatomical reservoirs, have a shared core expression program