Characterisation of chicken splenic CSF1R-eGFP+ cells by single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq).

Conventional dendritic cells (cDCs) and macrophage subsets have been well described in a number of different mammalian species, but remain poorly characterised in the chicken. In this study, we isolated chicken CSF1R-eGFP reporter gene expressing cells from chicken spleens and characterised splenic cDC and macrophages by single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq). In contrast to mammals, scRNAseq analysis indicates that the chicken spleen contains single, chemokine receptor XCR1 expressing, cDC subset. scRNAseq analysis revealed substantial heterogeneity within the chicken splenic XCR1+ cDC population.