Kassambara A, Herviou L, Ovejero S, Jourdan M, Thibaut C, Vikova V, Pasero P, Elemento O, Moreaux J. RNA-sequencing data-driven dissection of human plasma cell differentiation reveals new potential transcription regulators. Leukemia. 2021. Download the PDF
Summary of the Study
Plasma cells (PCs) are central to the adaptive immune system through their long-term production of antibodies. To understand the transcriptional landscape underlying human plasma cell differentiation (PCD), this study generated a temporal RNA-seq dataset capturing multiple stages of PCD.
6374 differentially expressed genes were grouped into four dynamic gene expression patterns
Pathway enrichment analysis identified both known and novel biological processes, including:
- Heme biosynthesis
- Glutathione conjugation
The study uncovered novel transcriptional regulators with stage-specific expression, such as:
- BATF2
- BHLHA15/MIST1
- EZH2
- WHSC1/MMSET
- BLM
Functional validation highlighted BLM’s role in regulating cell proliferation and survival during PCD. These findings define a transcriptional roadmap of PCD and open new avenues for understanding PC biology.
In this study, Alboukadel Kassambara was the first author, leading project from conceptual design to data analysis and interpretation. He conducted the full RNA-seq analysis, identified stage-specific transcriptional programs, and wrote the manuscript, establishing a foundational resource for understanding human plasma cell differentiation.
Citation
Publication: In Leukemia
Date: April 6, 2021
Type: Journal Article
PDF: Download the PDF
Scientific Contributions
Here are more scientific abstracts authored or co-authored by Alboukadel Kassambara. These contributions span computational biology, bioinformatics, biostatistics, machine learning, and multi-omics, with a focus on immuno-oncology and translational research.
