CHARACTERIZING THE SPATIAL EXPRESSION OF THE �CLUSTERED HOMOLOG OF IMMUNOGLOBULIN-LIKE RECEPTORS� (CHIR) IN THE CHICKEN INTESTINE AFTER COCCIDIOSIS VACCINE CHALLENGE

The goal of this proposal is topinpoint the cluster homolog of immunoglobulin-like receptors (CHIR) localizing with signaling molecules (SHP-1 & SHP-2) in the intestineby leveraging single cell-RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and multiplex spatial profiling in a coccidiosis disease model.Objectives:1: Defining the intestinal cell populations using single-cell RNA-sequencing of the chicken in coccidiosis infection.This will be the first study to utilize single-cell sequencing technology to distinguish immune cell populations from the intestine of two distinct lines of B-haplotype chickens.2: Determining the localization and expressions of CHIR-B2, SHP-1, and SHP-2 in the chicken intestine in coccidiosis infection using multiplex spatial profiling.Understanding the specific immune cell types that express CHIR-B2, SHP-1, and SHP-2 will enable differentially expressed genes to be correlated to the immune response in coccidiosis. Information from this assay will be integrated with the single-cell RNA sequencing data to confirm cell types expressing these genes in their spatial relationship.