A Genetic Tool for Specific Tracking of Mature Neutrophils

Cao, J.; Yaw, H.; Yi, S.; Zhou, Y.; Qin, S.; Wang, Y.; da Costa, R.; Zhang, L.; Wu, D.; Chen, C.; Ng, M.; Kwok, I.; Tan, L.; Soehnlein, O.; Chen, X.; Wan, J.; Ng, L. G.

doi:10.64898/2026.03.10.710957

bioRxiv · 10.64898/2026.03.10.710957

A Genetic Tool for Specific Tracking of Mature Neutrophils

Cao, J.·Yaw, H.·Yi, S.·Zhou, Y.·Qin, S.·Wang, Y.·da Costa, R.·Zhang, L.·Wu, D.·Chen, C.·Ng, M.·Kwok, I.·Tan, L.·Soehnlein, O.·Chen, X.·Wan, J.·Ng, L. G.

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Abstract

Tracking mature neutrophils remains challenging due to the lack of reliable cell surface markers. Although CD101 is a promising candidate for mature neutrophils, its stability under pathological conditions is unclear. Using a CD101-tdTomato reporter mouse model, we confirmed that the reporting system does not alter CD101 expression, and tdTomato fluorescence is predominantly expressed in mature neutrophils across peripheral tissues. Further analysis revealed that CD101+ and tdTomato+ neutrophils display identical characteristics of mature neutrophil, including poly-segmented nuclei, cell size, and key functions under homeostasis. By comparing tdTomato fluorescence with CD101 protein levels, we demonstrate that reduced CD101 expression under pathological states was not attributed to shedding or degradation. Our finding enhances CD101 as a robust and reliable marker of neutrophil maturity, providing a foundation for future applications in spatial transcriptomics and lineage tracing studies to dissect neutrophil heterogeneity and function. Highlights of the studyO_LIIn CD101-tdTomato homozygous mice, tdTomato is predominantly expressed in neutrophils and labels nearly 100% of mature neutrophils, aligning with the phenotype of CD101+ mature neutrophils; C_LIO_LIThe CD101-tdTomato reporting system does not interrupt CD101 expression or neutrophil functions; C_LIO_LICD101 remains a stable and reliable cell surface marker for labeling mature neutrophils, even under pathological conditions. C_LI

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Cao, J., Yaw, H., Yi, S., Zhou, Y., Qin, S., Wang, Y., da Costa, R., Zhang, L., Wu, D., Chen, C., Ng, M., Kwok, I., Tan, L., Soehnlein, O., Chen, X., Wan, J., Ng, L. G.. 2026-03-12. A Genetic Tool for Specific Tracking of Mature Neutrophils. https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.03.10.710957

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