Single-cell profiling reveals the trajectories of natural killer cell differentiation in bone marrow and a stress signature induced by acute myeloid leukemia

Natural killer (NK) cells are innate cytotoxic lymphoid cells (ILCs) involved in the killing of infected and tumor cells. Among human and mouse NK cells from the spleen and blood, we previously identified by single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) two similar major subsets, NK1 and NK2. Using the same technology, we report here the identification, by single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq), of three NK cell subpopulations in human bone marrow. Pseudotime analysis identified a subset of resident CD56(bright) NK cells, NK0 cells, as the precursor of both circulating CD56(dim) NK1-like NK cells and CD56(bright) NK2-like NK cells in human bone marrow and spleen under physiological conditions. Transcriptomic profiles of bone marrow NK cells from patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) exhibited stress-induced repression of NK cell effector functions, highlighting the profound impact of this disease on NK cell heterogeneity. Bone marrow NK cells from AML patients exhibited reduced levels of CD160, but the CD160(high) group had a significantly higher survival rate.

Automated summary

NK cells in human bone marrow can be classified into three subpopulations, with NK0 cells believed to be precursors of circulating CD56(dim) NK1-like NK cells and CD56(bright) NK2-like NK cells under physiological conditions. Transcriptomic analysis showed stress-induced repression of NK cell effector functions in bone marrow NK cells from patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), with reduced levels of CD160, but higher survival rates in the CD160(high) group.