RNA sequencing data of local Dutch chicken breeds including bantam and normal-sized counterpart. Chicken bantam RNA sequence

To obtain insight in the gene expression influencing the reduced growth in bantam chicken, a type of dwarfism, RNA-Seq data was generated and analyzed derived from chicken embryos of contrasting size. Embryos of two developmental stages, an early (E5) and a later (E13) stage, were sampled. After detecting differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in different chicken breeds at each stage, we identified genes involved in signaling pathways (e.g. FGF, COL), biological processes like myogenesis and osteogenesis, as well as genes reported previously as bantam candidates (e.g. RNASEH2B). DEGs between bantam and normal-sized chickens can be observed as early as embryonic stage E5. Overall, DEGs compared between breeds showed limited overlap, supporting the expected heterogeneity contributing to the bantam phenotypes. The DEGs and signaling pathways identified in this study provide new insight into the molecular basis underlying growth reduction in chickens.