Monocyte Lineage Expansion Drives Transcriptomic Individuality in Genetically Identical Armadillo Quadruplets

Monocyte-lineage expansion is linked to transcriptomic individuality in genetically identical Dasypus novemcinctus quadruplets, with the most distinct individual showing increased monocytes.

• Why it matters: Understanding how genetically identical individuals develop biological differences is crucial for insights into immune diversity and personalized health, yet the mechanisms remain unclear.
• What they did: The study analyzed blood RNA from five quadruplet cohorts at three time points, and performed single-cell RNA-seq and ATAC-seq on a variable cohort, revealing stable immune cell and gene expression differences.
• The result: The findings suggest that lasting differences in immune-cell composition, driven by monocyte expansion, underpin transcriptomic individuality, even amid experimental challenges like leprosy infection.