Single-Cell RNA sequencing highlights the regulatory role of T cell marker genes Ctla4, Ccl5 and Tcf7 in corneal allograft rejection of mouse model

[Display omitted] •scRNA-seq analysis reveals numerous highly variable genes in mice with corneal allograft.•Immune T cells vary in corneal tissue samples of mice with corneal allograft.•CD4 + T cell activation plays a key role in corneal allograft rejection in mice.•CTLA4, CCL5 and TCF7 are involved in corneal allograft rejection via CD4 + T cell activation.•This study provides a new theoretical basis for corneal allograft rejection. A mouse corneal allograft model was induced and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data of corneal tissues and T cells were analyzed to reveal a T cell-mediated mechanism for corneal allograft rejection in mice. Corneal tissue samples from a mouse model of corneal allograft were collected for scRNA-seq analysis, followed by quality control, dimensionality reduction, cluster analysis and enrichment analysis. A large number of highly variable genes were identified in mice with corneal allograft. Significant difference existed in immune T cells, especially in CD4 + T cells. It was found that T cell marker genes Ctla4, Ccl5, Tcf7, Lgals1, and Itgb1 may play key roles in the corneal allograft rejection. Mice with allograft rejection showed a significant increase in the proportion of CD4 + T cells in the corneal tissues. Besides, Ccl5 and Tcf7 expression was increased in mice with allograft rejection and positively linked to the proportion of CD4 + T cells. Whereas, Ctla4 expression was downregulated and negatively associated with the proportion of CD4 + T cells. Collectively, Ctla4, Ccl5 and Tcf7 may participate in the rejection of corneal allograft in mice by affecting CD4 + T cell activation.