Transcriptome profiles in the spleen of the Chinese giant salamander (Andrias davidianus) challenged with Citrobacter freundii

The Chinese giant salamander (Andrias davidianus) is one of the most important ecological breeding species with distinct characteristics and is cultured in many locations throughout China. In the present study, the transcriptome of A. davidianus spleen tissue, that had challenged with Citrobacter freundii, was analyzed using Illumina sequencing technology. The result was compared to a heathy control group. After assembly and annotation, 128,540 transcripts were generated with a median length of 349 bp. Comparative expression analysis indicated 1,995 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), 812 of which were up-regulated and 1,183 were down-regulated. Furthermore, DEGs were classified into three gene ontology categories, 535 of which were annotated to 237 KEGG pathways. Finally, six immune-related DEGs involved in the immune-related pathways were randomly selected for scrutinization. This work provides valuable data for an improved understanding the defense mechanisms of A. davidianus against bacterial pathogens at the transcriptional level. In this study, the transcriptome of A. davidianus spleen tissue, that had challenged with Citrobacter freundii, was analyzed using Illumina sequencing technology. The result was compared to a heathy control group.Each group contained three biological replicates sample.