title: Transcriptional profiles of host-pathogen responses to necrotic enteritis and differential regulation of immune genes in two inbreed chicken lines showing disparate disease susceptibility.
abstract: Necrotic enteritis (NE) is an important intestinal infectious disease of commercial poultry flocks caused by Clostridium perfringens. Using an experimental model of NE involving co-infection with C. perfringens and Eimeria maxima, transcriptome profiling and functional genomics approaches were applied to identify the genetic mechanisms that might regulate the host response to this disease. Microarray hybridization identified 1,049 transcripts whose levels were altered (601 increased, 448 decreased) in intestinal lymphocytes from C. perfringens/E. maxima co-infected Ross chickens compared with uninfected controls. Five biological functions, all related to host immunity and inflammation, and 11 pathways were identified from this dataset. To further elucidate the role of host genetics in NE susceptibility, two inbred chicken lines, ADOL line 6 and line 7 which share an identical B2 major histocompatibility complex haplotype but differ in their susceptibility to virus infection, were compared for clinical symptoms and the expression levels of a panel of immune-related genes during experimental NE. Line 6 chickens were more susceptible to development of experimental NE compared with line 7, as revealed by decreased body weight gain and increased E. maxima oocyst shedding. Of 21 immune-related genes examined, 15 were increased in C. perfringens/E. maxima co-infected line 6 vs. line 7 chickens. These results suggest that immune pathways are activated in response to experimental NE infection and that genetic determinants outside of the chicken B complex influence resistance to this disease.
authors.affiliation: Animal Biosciences and Biotechnology Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD, 20705, United States of America; Animal Genomics and Breeding Center, Hankyong National University, Anseong, Gyeonggi, 456-749, South Korea.
authors.forename: Duk Kyung
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Animal Biosciences and Biotechnology Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD, 20705, United States of America.
authors.forename: Hyun S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Lillehoj
authors.affiliation: Animal Biosciences and Biotechnology Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD, 20705, United States of America.
authors.forename: Seung I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.affiliation: Animal Biosciences and Biotechnology Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD, 20705, United States of America; National Academy of Agricultural Science, Rural Development Administration, Wanju-Gun, Jeollabuk-do, 565-851, South Korea.
authors.forename: Sung Hyen
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science and Technology, Chung-Ang University, Anseong, 456-756, South Korea.
authors.forename: Yeong Ho
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Avian Disease and Oncology Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, East Lansing, MI, 48823, United States of America.
authors.forename: Hans H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Cheng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens; D003016:Clostridium perfringens / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity; D060085:Coinfection; D004539:Eimeria / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity; D004751:Enteritis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D008285:Major Histocompatibility Complex / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D059467:Transcriptome / Q000276:immunology