Differential expression of villin and advillin by neuroendocrine and tuft cells in the murine lower airways

Previous studies identified a rare cell type in the mouse tracheal epithelium with immunoreactivity to the microvillus protein villin (Vil1), which persisted in mice lacking tuft cells due to deletion of the transcription factor Pou2f3. This study aimed to clarify the identity of this ill-defined cell type. Ultrastructurally, all cells with tightly packed microvilli observed in the tracheal epithelium of Pou2f3(-/-)-mice contained basally located dense core vesicles, a characteristic feature of neuroendocrine cells (NEC). Accordingly, immunofluorescence double-labeling utilizing NEC markers revealed villin-labeling in two thirds of NEC in the trachea, a reporter mouse strain showed Cre recombinase activity driven by the Vil1 promoter in a subpopulation of tracheal NEC, and analysis of single cell RNA sequencing data revealed Vil1-mRNA expression by tracheal NEC. Notably, only a minimal fraction (

• Mahmoud, W.
• Perniss, A.
• Poharkar, K.
• Keshavarz, M.
• Gärtner, U.
• Oberwinkler, J.
• Schütz, B.
• Worzfeld, T.
• Offermanns, S.
• Kummer, W.