ARS | Publication request: DIFFERENTIAL IMMUNE-RELATED GENE EXPRESSION IN TWO GENETICALLY DISPARATE FAYOUMI CHICKEN LINES FOLLOWING EIMERIA MAXIMA INFECTION

Submitted to: BARC Poster Day
Publication Type: Abstract
Publication Acceptance Date: March 24, 2008
Publication Date: April 23, 2008
Citation: Kim, D., Lillehoj, H.S., Hong, Y.H., Lamont, S.J. 2008. Differential immune-related gene expression in two genetically disparate fayoumi chicken lines following eimeria maxima infection. BARC Poster Day. April 23. Beltsville, Md. P 23.

Technical Abstract: Two M5.1 and M15.2 B complex congenic lines of Fayoumi chickens were evaluated for body weight loss and fecal oocyst counts as parameters of avian coccidiosis. M5.1 chickens exhibited the resistance to E. maxima compared with M15.2. To correlate the differential responses of the M5.1 and M15.2 lines to E. maxima infection with cellular immune responses, the expression levels of mRNAs encoding 14 immune-related molecules were measured by quantitative RT-PCR in intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) and splenocytes at 0, 3, 4, and 5 days following infection. Intestinal IELs from M5.1 chickens expressed higher levels of transcripts encoding interferon-' (IFN-'), interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), IL-6, IL-8, IL-12, IL-15, IL-17A, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and lipopolysaccharide-induced tumor necrosis a factor (LITAF), and lower levels of mRNAs for IFN-a, IL-10, IL-17D, NK-lysin, and tumor necrosis factor superfamily 15 (TNFSF15) at 3 days post infection, compared with the M15.2 line. In the spleen, E. maxima infection was associated with higher expression levels of IFN-' and IL-15 and lower levels of IL-6, IL-17D, and IL-12 in M5.1 compared to M15.2 birds. We conclude that genetic determinants within the chicken B complex influence resistance to E. maxima infection by controlling the local and systemic expression of immune-related cytokine and chemokine genes. Supported by USDA, ARS CRIS Project no. 1265-31320-072-00D.