The combined analysis of metabolomics and transcriptomics revealed the key effect of GLI3 on cecal tissue during the peak period of Eimeria tenella oocyst shedding

Eimeria tenella (E. tenella) is the most pathogenic avian coccidia species, targeting the cecal epithelial cells of chickens. The peak period of oocyst shedding sees a significant conversion of gamonts into oocysts, highlighting the extensive damage to cecal tissue by E. tenella. This study employs scanning electron microscopy to observe morphological changes in the host cecum during this phase. Especially, non-targeted metabolomics analyzes major metabolite and pathway changes in chicken cecal tissue, transcriptome analysis of the cecum tissue gene level changes, fitting the correlation between the them, the key genes causing significant metabolic changes were conjecture in order to a comprehensive understanding of E. tenella molecular pathogenesis.