Comparative RNA sequencing of the jejuna of two lines of chickens divergently selected for antibody response to sheep red blood cells, with and without antigen exposure

Two lines of White Leghorn chickens have been continuously divergently selected for high (HAS) or low (LAS) 5 day post injection antibody titer to injection with sheep red blood cells (SRBC) for over 40 generations. Much remains to be understood about their antibody response phenotypes, therfore we chose to sequence the transcriptomes of the jejunum from individuals of the two lines which had (HASI/LASI) and had not (HASN/LASN) been injected with SRBC to examine differences in gene expression related to divergent selection and antibody response. Investigate differential jejunum gene expression from 24 chickens total: 6 each HASN, LASN, HASI, and LASI, to compare differences between lines with regard to genetic selection (HAS vs LAS) and within lines in response to antigen exposure (I vs N)